This is one of the preliminary episodes of the newly re-launched Indie Business Podcast. To stream or download more recent episodes of the podcast at this blog, click here or you can download it on iTunes. Thank you for visiting!
If you are a foodie of any kind, chances are good you have considered turning your passion into a business. There are many ways to do that, including creating one of those amazing food blogs. Another option is to begin to sell some of your most popular goodies. To do that, you need a lot of gumption and grit, and to help us get an insider's view of the process, we turned to Warren Brown, founder and CEO of the Cakelove empire.
Like me, at one time, Warren had a great job as an attorney in Washington, DC, but that just wasn't enough. He had a passion for baking, and he wanted to turn it into a baking business. So, he did … and I was delighted when, early on in his successful run, he agreed to be a guest on my podcast. I pulled the 2006 recording from our vault just for you.
Under Warren's leadership, Cakelove has grown from Warren's small kitchen, to a single store in suburban Washington, DC, to three retail locations, several cook books, a stint on the Food Network, and more. If you want to start a food or baking business, you need to grab this inspiration now! To listen to my interview with Warren, click the play arrow under the graphic. As you can see, you can stream or download the show, or you can embed Indie Business Podcast at your own blog to provide more content for your clients and customers. If you don't feel like listening right now, download the show on iTunes! Add it to your Success Library and listen whenever you want! You can also enjoy the show notes while you're here for quick inspiration.
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Identify what you want to do, figure out how you're going do to it, and then just do it. (BAM.)
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Warren Brown, entrepreneur, author, Indie Foodie, and all-around fun guy
Our conversation was so much fun that I urge you to head over to iTunes and grab it right now! It's Episode Number 15, labeled “IBP#015” in iTunes.
Episode 15 Show Notes
* A good business plan does not guarantee anything. There comes a time when you have to stop planning and just start doing. A business plan is all about educated guesses. You do a lot of research, make some educated guesses about the most likely outcomes, start noticing successful patterns, and just get a move on trying to repeat them. That's what makes business work — it's more than a good plan.
* Talk about wearing all the hats ... Warren started his business as a one-man operation. After working an 11-hour day as an attorney, he would come home and the first batch of cakes would be in the oven no more than 20 minutes. After they finished baking, he would clean up, and then box and label is confections. The next morning, he'd be up and out the door to deliver cakes by 7 o'clock. While all this work began to build a successful business, it also landed Warren in the emergency room. Diagnosed with exhaustion, Warren was forced to make major changes in his life and his business. You'll love how Warren's experience here shows that tenacity is at the core of a solid business venture.
* Once you take the steps, stuff just starts happening. I love this quote from my interview with Warren: “When you start to do something that you ...
