Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shelby Braziel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Shelby, 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.
I think it helps to step back and take both mental and physical breaks from your craft to avoid burnout. In times I am very busy and overwhelmed, I always make sure to take a whole day to refill my own cup. This allows me to slow down and brainstorm, browse, catch up on rest so I stay feeling refreshed and ready for the next new thing. It’s important to me to have a clear and calm mind to be able to keep the creative flow going. If I feel the ‘boredom’ or ‘burnout’ feeling coming on, I make myself take a break to completely separate myself from baking. This way I am able to focus on other things I enjoy, which in turn gives me the ability to come back to what I love doing, which is baking. It’s not always easy to take a step back, but I feel it’s one of the most important things to do in order to continue loving what you do and being able to stay creative in your niche.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a self taught home baker who has turned my cottage home bakery into a thriving & successful cookie business in my community, surrounding areas and social media. I think the most exciting part of having the ability to run a small business bakery from home is the community/customer relationships I have developed with other small businesses, new friendships and the trust I have built within my community. Having your customers/audience trust and know what you can do for them is one of the most important things with an online presence and being a small business owner.
I have recently found a local marketing manager that is helping me with all back end marketing both on my social media platforms and within the community. This way I am able to continue creating new and exciting cookie creations, while keeping my customers and audience up to speed with everything I’m doing and offering. Together we are working to release seasonal flavors to launch each month on the website!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three most important things to things to know when creating a small business or becoming an entrepreneur is to be consistent, trust the process and yourself, and make sure your are providing a service rather than just selling an item.
Consistency is hard but crucial in keeping the ball rolling and staying relevant in your area of expertise. The market will almost always be saturated, but if you want something, you have to continue to to push through the hurdles of comparison and remember why you started in thef irst place.
Trusting the process is easier said than done, but all good things take time. Rome wasn’t built in a day and your business wont be either.
Lastly, providing your customers/audience with a service rather than just pitching a sale is going to build a trusting, long lasting relationship in the long run. At the end of the day, a business is a business and needs to make money to thrive. But this cannot be your mindset going in when starting a business. Rather, think of the problem you will be solving for your customer. Ask yourself, what can I do for them? What am I providing them with? If they are looking for something specific, will they automatically think of me knowing I can solve this issue for them? Don’t search for value, be valuable.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
The current economy and increased prices are a big challenge I think every small business owner is facing right now. When manufacture prices increase, the cost of ingredients increase, so the cost of goods increase. It’s a rocky road to navigate, but having built a trust within your community and customers helps them to understand that even though you have to keep up with the price drives, you’re still going to deliver the same quality products and it’s not simply just a reason to make more money. Again, all businesses need to make money, but if you love what you do and truly love delivering to your community, it’s not about making more money. That’s a personal stance of mine that I have always stood by.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.saltandsugarbakingco.com
- Instagram: @saltandsugarbakingco / @saltandsugarcookieshoppe
- Facebook: Salt & Sugar Baking Co.
Image Credits
Ashley Hansen Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
