Meet Jessica Mayer

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Mayer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

I keep my creativity alive by baking things just for myself. I can make whatever I want without worrying about meeting client expectations or following the cottage food guidelines. It helps me come up with new ideas, and to just relax and enjoy creating. My family and friends are always willing to offer feedback on my new creations, which helps me figure out what I should add to my repertoire. Watching cooking shows, looking through recipe books, and trying new foods also help me get inspired by new dishes and flavors. There are new flavor combinations constantly being created, which means there are endless possibilities-you just have to think outside the box!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a cottage food producer specializing in all things baked. I take pride in making everything fresh and from scratch, and love to try new recipes. It’s so fun to create something new-you never know what might become your client’s next favorite dessert! There are so many exciting things about having my own bakery! Being able to say I’ve achieved my dream of opening a bakery is definitely one of them! I could hardly believe it in 2020 when I wrote my first post and started getting orders! I love seeing my clients excited about the cake I designed for them, or seeing a regular at a market grabbing their favorite scones. I love having the interaction with customers at farmers markets. Having them come back and tell me how much they enjoyed the product they tried the previous week means the world. I like hearing their ideas for additional menu items, and try to bring back favorites as much as possible, while bringing in new ones to keep them on their toes. That’s part of what I love about my business-I enjoy baking for other people, and my baking makes them happy; thus the name Bake You Happy.

I will be at the Sunday Market at Dancing Bear Chocolate in Robbinsdale on-

July 21
August 18
September 22
September 29
October 6
October 13.
Market hours are 9am-2pm.

Check out my Facebook page for the latest updates about upcoming events, sales, and to connect about a special order!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

One skill I picked up in Girl Scouts was comparison shopping. Not only has it helped me save money in every day life, it helps minimize my business expenses as well. I’ve learned to shop around for the products I need, and to look for coupons and sales. This is definitely something I would encourage everyone to do, not just if you own a business-it’s a great life skill.

Patience is a skill that can be tough to learn. I encourage people just starting out to be as patient as possible with their business. Getting your name and product out there for the first time is difficult, but if you use all your resources, customers will come your way! Confidence is a key to patience. If you are proud of your work and make a consistently high quality product, people will take notice. Confidence, patience, and positivity keep you going through the tough parts of getting a business started. Finding your ideal audience can be difficult, but when you do, it makes all the effort worthwhile!

Having catering experience helped when I started getting orders. I learned how to budget my time, multi-task, and problem solve. I was also able to methodically schedule my client’s pick ups for days when they ordered the same products, so that I could use my dough or batter as much as possible to avoid having excess. Since I make everything fresh and from scratch, I make doughs and batters each time I have an order. This ensures that my clients are always getting the best quality products.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Looking to the future, I would love to take my business to the next level by getting a wholesale license. Connecting with local coffee shops and restaurants would be a huge step in this direction. This would have a significant impact on the growth of my business because I could reach many more clients, both in the state and in the country. I would also be able to expand my menu to include refrigerated items like pies and cheesecakes. If you own a shop and are looking for some fresh baked products, let’s chat! My breakfast items are top sellers and could be a great addition to your grab and go menu. If you’re looking for something more sophisticated, ask about specialty desserts that will have your customers coming back for more! Feel free to contact me any time via the email or Facebook page listed.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063819585304
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits

Jessica Mayer