We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Erika Livingston. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Erika below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Erika with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My work ethic comes from watching my parents and other family members make sacrifices so that I could have the opportunities they didn’t. They worked hard at their job, in the community, and for their family. I am personally goal-oriented so that motivates me as well. Now that I have my own family, it is important that they see what my family has instilled in me and that their work ethic determines what they accomplish in life. What you put in is what you get out.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
A Cakeful of Joy is an online bakery that specializes in homemade cakes, cupcakes, and treats. We published our first cookbook, The Joy of Baking, and it is available on Amazon for purchase. I love baking to make others happy, it literally gives me a joyous feeling, puts me in a good space, and I just want to share that with others.
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 were most impactful in my journey were being able to pivot. There will be times when things are not going as planned, but that’s okay. You have to learn how to turn it around to work in your favor. Another quality is being a continuous learner. It is important that you are constantly working on your craft, improving where you can, and trying to be more efficient. The last quality that was most impactful was not giving up and not letting the bad moments outweigh the success and wins of the business.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed, there are a few things I do. One thing I do is just take deep breaths and try to relax. It calms my mind and allows me to gather my thoughts. Another thing I do is walk away. Sometimes you have to walk away for a few moments and come back so that you can get a new or different perspective. I also have some business colleagues that I reach out to and see if they can shed some light or some ideas to help.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.acakefulofjoy.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/acakefulofjoy
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/acakefulofjoy
- Other: TikTok: @acakefulofjoy
