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Castiron Exclusive! Try Baker Bosses for just $7 using code: CASTIRONBITES
Welcome back to Castiron Bites, the best place to find bite-sized information for food entrepreneurs, from food entrepreneurs. Whether you’re looking to expand your business ventures, capitalize on your social media presence, or just want to expand your community, Castiron Bites has something for everyone! On this week’s episode, we were joined by the one and only, Stef Pollack, founder of the Cupcake Project and The Bake Fest.
You’ve probably heard of Stef from The Bake Fest, but she is anything but a one-act show. Stef became an entrepreneur when she quit her full-time job and started her blog, Cupcake Project. This is an amazing resource where Stef shares her famous recipes, along with other valuable information for food entrepreneurs. She then founded the Bake Fest as a way to build community among bakers where they can learn from one another and build upon their baking skills. Carrying on her mission of building community, Stef also founded Baker Bosses; a membership group where entrepreneurs can meet virtually, mentor one another, and grow their businesses. In addition, Stef also runs a digital marketing company where she manages content for brands trying to grow their social media presence.
It’s safe to say Stef keeps her plate quite full. Luckily we were able to sit down with her to ask about her career as an entrepreneur and how she manages it all.
Building Community
Community is central to Stef's mission as an entrepreneur. She is constantly innovating new and unique ways to build community among food entrepreneurs. Instead of seeing each other as competitors, Stef explains, “Community is everything”. Entrepreneurs often feel alone since they’re usually the only employees at their company. This problem inspired Stef to create programs like The Bake Fest and Baker Boss to remind people they’re not alone and that there are people out there who want to help them succeed. People are often scared and intimidated to build community and network. To counter this, Stef recommends blocking “community” into your calendar. Push yourself to attend events (they can be virtual!) and meet new people, it’s extremely important!
To get you started we’ve teamed up with Baker Boss to bring you an exclusive offer! For just $7, Baker Bosses is inviting you to enjoy a trial membership for an entire month! Elevate your baking business with Baker Bosses now! Select the monthly option at sign up and use the coupon code CASTIRONBITES for your $7 trial month!
Included in the membership:
- An active community
- Wealth of resources
- Chance to benefit from the group’s accountability check-in
- Participation in engaging baking and social media challenges
- Access to member mixer on Nov. 13 (featuring talented food photographer Jonathan Pollack)
- And so much more!
Jumping with a Safety Net
Many entrepreneurs get stuck right before they’re about to take the leap of faith and quit their full-time jobs to pursue their dreams. Understandably, this is a very scary step for anyone to take. “You have to have the courage to leap because it is a leap of faith” Stef comments. She also suggests taking necessary steps before quitting your full-time job, such as creating an income trajectory for your business to ensure you’ll have money flowing in for the next few months. If you’re just getting your business started, or only have a few sales here and there, maybe hold onto your full-time job for a little until your business grows more.
Another step Stef suggests taking is having a safety net for other business ventures. More often than not, entrepreneurs have quite a few different businesses under their belt. “Nothing stays the same forever,” Stef explains. You never know what roadblocks your business might face. That’s why it’s important to diversify your avenues and try different ventures. For example, many food entrepreneurs hold classes, in person or online, as a different source of revenue. The opportunities are endless but find something to fall back on.
Most importantly, Stef emphasized the importance of putting yourself out there. Whenever possible, network and talk to people whether it’s in person or online, having a conversation can transform your business. We know this is a lot easier said than done so just start taking baby steps and see what happens!
You can watch Stef’s entire Castiron Bites episode below and don’t forget to join us every Wednesday at 12 PM ET for new episodes of Castiron Bites!
