We were lucky to catch up with Kimberly Knight recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kimberly, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Each week, I take the time to research and learn from others who work in the same field as I do. I love standing out, so making sure that what I do is different and unique is a must. From decorating, marketing materials, different ingredients and even baking hardware helps me to continue to grow my business.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Growing up, it was my dream to become a singer. I went through grade school singing in chorus, show choir and musical theater. I studied music at Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated with a BM in 2007. I pursued my career through local and dinner theater in Virginia. Performing was always a huge part of my life, but I knew there was more to me than just singing. Thinking back on how I actually became a baker, I can point out so many memories and moments in my life where I started to tap into that gift. I was intrigued by my grandmother who would make me her famous brownies. My curiosity would get the best of me when I would wake up early Sunday morning to watch my Dad cook breakfast before church. My urge to understand the process of cooking would have me sitting it he kitchen with Mom watching her prepare dinner. It wasn’t until I came home from college for winter break that I decided to bake my first pound cake. Why pound cake? My Moms best friend would bake us a pound cake every holiday, but couldn’t that particular year because she was out of town.
I fell in love! The cake was so pretty and filled the house with it’s sweet aroma. As the cake was cooling, I went in my room and heard my Dad come in the house from hunting.
After about 30minutes, I went to check back on the cake. It was half gone! Dad came back in the house holding well over $300 dollars and said “Can you make about 15 more of those?”. That Christmas was my first cake orders. I baked pound cakes for 4 years for the holiday’s. By 2018, I decided to make it an official business that specialized in only pound cakes called “Gimme Pound”
Music and performing are still a huge part of my life. Singing opportunities, working with local theaters, teaching vocal lessons and even singing in my cooking videos helps with the balance of tapping into all of my gifts. No! I’m not your average baker. I love making people laugh and meeting new clients while on his journey.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities that I have developed during this journey would definitely be: 1) Ask For Help
2) Patience!
3) Be your authentic self.
Ask for Help! In the beginning, I was filled with so many unanswered questions. I began to follow bakers on social media and watch hours of “how to” videos just to make sure I was on the right track. I networked with all types of entrepreneurs that were well ahead and didn’t mind sharing advice. Being that I actually enjoy meeting new people, I wasn’t afraid to reach out and ask the hard questions. I quickly understood that I was not alone in my pursuit and that there were resources out there that could help me.
Patience! It takes time to build your brand. Map out what you want for your business and strategize on how you can start to build a foundation for yourself.
Be your Authentic Self! I never stopped being “Silly Kim”. If anything, social media has encouraged me show that you can have fun in any that and everything that you do. People appreciate the “raw and authentic” your verses you hiding behind a mask.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
That would be my big sister Wanda Fox Miller. She really gave me insight on how to get started with my business. My challenges were always being overwhelmed with paper work and how to understand the pro’s and con’s of starting a homebase business. Wanda, actually taught me how to research and educate myself on trends and develop more skills for my company. She encouraged me to put myself out there. She’s helped me so much in getting Gimme Pound off the ground. Encouraging me to keep going and to not get discouraged. She’s my Rock! lol! That’s her nickname for reason. I love my big sister and I’ll forever be grateful for all that she has given me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gimmepound.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/gimmepound
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/GimmePoundCakes
