Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Brittanie Cordova, owner of Abbie Cakes, located in Litchfield Park, AZ, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are a scratch bakeshop in the West Valley of Arizona, specializing in wedding cakes + dessert spreads! We do our absolute best to make not only the most delicious desserts but also show-stopping, beautiful, and super creative products! Our bakeshop also features a fully stocked pastry case 6 days per week, along with a full-service coffee bar. We also have a growing savory menu- avocado toast, anyone?!

Tell us about yourself

Following high school, I began really working on my baking and decorating techniques. Yet, I went on to become a nurse. Even in nursing school, I was taking on orders from my peers (even making a classmate's wedding cake and cupcakes!). I was juggling the role of mother, nurse, and home baker. I was working at the hospital three days per week and then working to grow my cake business the other four days per week.

With the support of my best friend, significant other, and family, I decided to make the leap and leave nursing to move the cake business storefront. Living in the West Valley for the better part of 20 years, we felt like there was a need for a fabulous little bakery! It's been an honor to wake up each day and serve the community where I grew up, attended high school and college, and held jobs. Our bakeshop feels like a home away from home for so many people in the community. Our community is more than just customers- they have become friends and partners whom we look forward to seeing and catching up with!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I am grateful for SO many accomplishments that this endeavor has presented. I think the biggest accomplishment is having built something authentic for our community- both for those who frequent our business enjoying our coffee + pastries and our incredible team that upholds the quality and expectations of the Abbie Cakes brand each and every day. We currently employ 15 staff members, and we are still growing! I could never have imagined such an incredible opportunity to create positions for so many people.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

There are many hardships being a business owner, and I think that most stem from a lack of experience and unpreparedness. I went immediately from being a Registered Nurse working among thousands of people in a large organization to owning a business (as the only source of income) and employing eight people in what felt like overnight. In hindsight, I could have done more research, read more books, and utilize more resources before heading into such a significant journey. Namely, I think adjusting to the leadership role has been challenging (in a good way!). I think I have grown in this area over the past few years, but it definitely has been an adjustment finding my own leadership style, as well as leading in ways that are received well by a group of people all with different personalities and learning styles.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Utilize all of your resources (books, podcasts, friends, other business professionals, etc.) to gain insight into knowledge in all of the areas you aren't well versed in. Speaking of resources- let people help you!
  2. Don't give up! The going will get tough. You will face obstacles you could never have foreseen. It's okay to be uncomfortable, as growth doesn't happen inside the comfort zone. As cliche as it sounds, you really can do anything you dream of and set your mind to!
  3. Set boundaries! We have been open storefront for a little over 2.5 years now, and I am just now finding some sort of "balance." I definitely don't have the ideal work-life balance, and you can imagine how hard that is to achieve when you build a business from the ground up? It becomes your life. However, there really does have to be some middle ground for mental and physical health (which is also better for your business).

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Owning my own business has opened my eyes to a world of possibilities beyond cake. It has shown me that I truly can do anything that I envision, of course, putting in the work! It is exciting to know that the only limits to achieving goals and dreams are those we impose on ourselves. I truly believe that. Owning a business is a wonderful, exciting, scary, and incredibly rewarding journey, both for the entrepreneur and the community in which the business serves.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.abbiecakesco.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abbie.cakes.5/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbiecakesco/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.