The Myth of the "One Perfect Path" to Success
Here's something I notice a lot in our industry: cake designers frantically searching for that ONE magical formula that will guarantee success.
You've probably seen it too— cake business owners jumping from one course to another, trying to follow someone else's exact blueprint, and then feeling frustrated when they don't get the same results.
I want to put this out there clearly: what works for me in growing my cake business may or may not work for you. And that's completely fine!
Think about it this way. I know cake designers who:
Built their entire clientele through Instagram without spending a dime on paid ads
Created thriving businesses purely on word-of-mouth referrals
Found all their premium clients through wedding vendor partnerships
Scaled up by teaching classes and workshops alongside their cake orders
Focused on corporate events and barely touch the wedding market
And guess what? They're ALL successful! They're all charging premium prices and running businesses they love, but their paths to get there couldn't be more different.
My Own (Sometimes Messy) Journey
When I started Aspen Charm Cake & Pastries, Instagram wasn't nearly as dominant as it is today.
While other bakers were focusing all their energy on building a social following, I took a completely different approach. I invested heavily in paid advertising and spent tons of time building relationships with wedding planners and venues for referrals.
Was it the "right" way? For me, absolutely! But I know plenty of successful cake designers who've never spent a penny on ads and are still killing it.
Here's the real truth that most business coaches won't tell you: entrepreneurship isn't a neat, straight line.
It's messy. It zigzags all over the place.
There are detours, roadblocks, and sometimes you need to completely turn around and start a new path.
I remember when I first tried to grow my business through Bridal Shows and Wedding Expositions. I spent nearly $1,500 on a beautiful booth, created the most amazing display cakes, printed gorgeous brochures... and barely booked a single client from it.
Meanwhile, another baker in my area books almost her entire year from that exact same expo!
Finding What Works for YOUR Business
This is where the real work comes in. You need to be willing to experiment and discover what resonates with both you and your ideal clients.
In my free ebook: My Top 4 Strategies to Double your Cake Order in your Cake Business, I share what personally has worked for me and the cake business owners I’ve supported in the past. Click here to download, it’s in the Cake Business Library.
While growing your cake business will only be unique to you, you have to find out what works.
For example, I tried offering cake decorating classes for a while. The money was good, but I realized I didn't enjoy teaching beginners as much as I enjoyed creating high-end designs for premium clients. So even though classes were profitable, I eventually phased them out to focus on what I truly loved.
Another cake designer I mentor had the opposite experience! She discovered she LOVED teaching and now makes more money from her classes than from her custom cakes, while still maintaining her premium cake brand.
This is what I mean when I say you need to find YOUR path:
Try different strategies - Give each new approach a fair chance (at least 2-3 months) before deciding if it works
Pay attention to what energizes you - If something drains you completely, it's probably not sustainable long-term
Track your results objectively - Use data to determine what's actually bringing in clients and revenue
Be willing to pivot - What worked last year might not work this year as markets and platforms change
Combine approaches uniquely - Your perfect strategy might be a combination that nobody else is doing
The Critical Mindset Shift All Successful Cake Designers Share
Now, while I firmly believe there's no single "right way" to grow your business, there IS one universal factor that separates successful cake designers from those who struggle: mindset.
You can try every marketing strategy under the sun, but if your mindset isn't aligned with success, you'll find ways to sabotage yourself. I see this ALL the time with cake designers who:
Set goals to make $5,000 a month but refuse to raise their prices above $400 per cake
Want high-end clients but are afraid to present themselves as premium providers
Dream of growing their business but panic whenever they need to invest in better equipment
Say they want more orders but secretly fear they can't handle the workload
Let me tell you something I've learned through years in both the cake industry and personal development: your current results directly reflect your beliefs about yourself and your business. This might sound a bit repetitive if you follow my content regularly, but I keep emphasizing it because it's THAT important!
When I first started charging premium prices, I was terrified. I remember the first time I quoted $1,200 for a wedding cake—my hands were literally shaking as I sent the email! However, I forced myself to act like the confident, premium cake designer I wanted to become. And you know what? The client said yes without hesitation.
If you are still struggling with knowing how to price your cakes in your cake business, I got you! Check out my Free Cake Pricing Checklist to help nail your prices for good. Click here to download, it’s inside the Cake Business Library.
That experience completely transformed my beliefs about what was possible in my business. I realized that my own fears and limiting beliefs had been holding me back—not the market, not the economy, not my location.
Evaluating What's Working (And What's Not)
One thing I've learned from running my own cake business and coaching others is that you need to regularly step back and honestly evaluate your strategies. This is something most cake designers simply don't do enough.
When was the last time you actually analyzed which marketing efforts are bringing in your best clients? Or tracked which products are most profitable for you? Or examined whether you're spending your time on activities that truly move your business forward?
Here's a quick process I use with my coaching clients that you can try today:
Revenue Review: Look at your last 10-15 cake orders. Where did these clients come from? Was it Instagram, referrals, Google, a specific vendor partnership? You might be surprised to discover patterns you hadn't noticed before.
Joy Factor: On a scale of 1-10, rate how much you enjoyed creating each of those orders. Sometimes we pursue business strategies that bring clients we don't actually enjoy working with!
Time Investment: Calculate approximately how many hours you spend weekly on different business activities (social media, email marketing, networking, etc.) and compare that to the results each activity generates.
Let me share a personal "aha" moment from my own business journey. When I first started offering premium cakes, I was convinced that I needed to attend every bridal show in my area. I'd spend thousands on elaborate displays, create dozens of sample cakes, and exhaust myself talking to hundreds of potential clients over those long weekends.
But when I actually sat down and tracked where my bookings were coming from, I realized something shocking: those expensive, time-consuming bridal shows were bringing in less than 15% of my premium clients, and those clients often tried to negotiate on price more than others!
What was working? My tastings! The intimate, personalized cake tastings I was offering were converting at nearly 90%, and those clients were spending on average $300 more per order than my bridal show leads.
Once I had this data, I made a bold decision to stop doing bridal shows entirely. Instead, I invested in creating a truly memorable tasting experience in my studio.
I upgraded my presentation materials, refined my consultation process, and focused on making every tasting feel special and exclusive. Within three months, my booking rate increased by 35% and my average sale went up by $450 per order—all while saving me countless hours and thousands of dollars on shows that weren't actually driving my business forward!
Take the Next Step on YOUR Journey
If you're feeling stuck or not experiencing the success you desire, remember that you simply need to experiment until you find what works for your unique situation.
Every cake designer's growth path looks different, and that's not just okay—it's exactly how it should be!
Here's what I want you to do this week:
Examine one strategy you're currently using to grow your business. Is it actually working? Do you enjoy it?
Consider trying ONE new approach that you haven't attempted before
Most importantly, take an honest look at your mindset. Are your thoughts aligned with the success you want to achieve?
For more support, I invite you to access my free Cake Business Library. It's packed with resources on pricing strategies, business growth tactics, marketing approaches, social media planners, and annual cake planning calendars… plus so much more!
These tools will help you discover YOUR perfect path to a premium cake business you truly love.
Click here to access the Cake Business Library, it’s totally free.
Remember, your journey doesn't have to look like mine or anyone else's. The only "right way" to grow your cake business is the way that works for YOU!
What has worked for you to grow your cake business? Comment down below! I’d love to show everyone that each person had a different journey to get to the business they want.