Ep 62: The Accidental Baker Who Took Over TikTok with Alejandra Olivas

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Vicki (00:49):
Today's guest is proof that sometimes a failed birthday
cake can change your entirelife.
And I am sitting down withAlejandra Olivas, a self-taught
cake decorator, former teachingassistant, and now a full-time
contract.
Content creator with over 1.2million followers on TikTok and
a cake business that is bookedout months in advance.

(01:11):
Alejandro's story is so muchmore than buttercream and
fondant.
It's about resilience,reinvention, and the power of
showing up even when you're notsure where it's all headed.
In this episode, we're talkingabout what it really took to
grow her business from her homekitchen, where she built a ride
or die audience online, and theadvice that she has for anyone
sitting on a creative dream.

(01:32):
But scared to start.
Spoiler alert, you are gonnawanna take notes.
Alejandra, thank you so much forjoining even through our
technical issues today.
I'm so happy to have you.
Thank you.
Absolutely.
Well, we are gonna dive intoeverything Sweet ooey, gooey
lovely about what makes Cakesspa Alejandra so special.

(01:55):
I know that your story kind ofstarted off with a failed.
Birthday cake, which led you tohone your craft, get so much
better.
So talk to me about that.
Making that first cake for yourhusband's birthday, what did it
unlock in you that made you comeback for more and want to really
like lean into this?

Alejandra Olivas (02:13):
my grandma

Vicki (02:15):
So.

she was always the cake maker in my family, so
she made it look super easy.
So it was just something like,oh yeah, she makes cakes.
Me thinking that's somethingsuper common for.
People to do at home.
Um, so I always saw that growingup and she just made, you know,
piping roses super easy andlike, oh yeah, I'm just gonna
make a cake in like 30 minutes.
So to me it was just somethinglike, yeah, that's something

(02:37):
that sounds super easy, right?
So, um, we had just moved toArizona and we were actually
staying with my aunt, so Ididn't have.
I didn't have my own kitchen, myown supplies, but I did have
about$20 to, um, find a birthdaygift for my husband who had just
moved us here and he was workingso hard.
He had just found a job and Iwas at home with the kids.

(02:58):
So, um, yeah, I just wanted to.
know, celebrate him and all thehard work he had been doing with
$20.
So I'm sure I could have justborrowed, you know, borrowed
money to get him a nice gift.
But, I'm like, no, you knowwhat?
I got this.
Making a cake is not hard,right?
So I figured, let me just go buysome box cake, mix eggs.

(03:21):
And then I started, you know howwhen you go down that like
Pinterest.
Rabbit hole thinking you can dothe most, whether it's makeup,
clothes, like anything.
I'm like, oh

Vicki (03:30):
Yes.

that, oh my gosh, that he loves sports,
watching sports.
Um, and we're from Texas, so heloves the Dallas Cowboys, the
Dallas Mavericks, and um, theTexas Rangers.
So I thought, oh my gosh, threetier cake should be, should be
easy, right?
And I'll decorate each tier, um,you know, one of his sports
teams.
And I, my grandma had neverworked with fondant.

(03:52):
I know that.
So she heard it was always likewhipped cream.
So it was always, you know,tasting the whipped cream.
And that's all she would frostcakes with like those, like more
like grocery store type ofcakes, like sheet cakes.
And they weren't tiered cakes.
They weren't

Vicki (04:06):
Yeah.

cakes, but like I said, just whipped cream
floral basic.
There I go trying to make afondant cake, which I've never
seen done before.
Nor have I ever done before.
But I had confidence, right?
I had all the time in the worldand$20.
So I bought some, I looked uphow to make, um, your own
fondant'cause store boughtfondant.
Insane.
It's like$20 for like.

(04:28):
I don't know, like a little tubone color, and you have to
obviously either color it or buyall the colors.
So I'm like, huh, how do I mix?
I googled like how to makehomemade fondant.
It was literally just twoingredients.
It was powdered sugar and um,marshmallows put it in a bowl
microwave and mix it, made itwith the sugar.
It was super, super easyprocess.
I'm like, okay, got that.
And then I looked up like, whatdo you put under, because I

(04:51):
said, I, I don't have, I didn'thave any experience making
cakes, but I knew you can't justcover.
The cake itself, like the spongycake in fondant.
So then I go like, noexperience, just like

Vicki (05:01):
Okay.

Like I got this with YouTube and Google.
So I Google like, what do youput under fondant?
And it said buttercream.
in my head I'm like, oh.
So all I know is whipped cream.
You can't put whipped cream.
How do you make buttercream?
It's just, I looked up all thestuff I needed, went and bought
everything.
Um.
My aunt actually, she had, um, areally nice mixer.

(05:23):
She goes, she doesn't reallycook too much or bake at all.
And she goes, I have it.
I bought it when I got thehouse.
You could definitely use it.
I'm like, okay, perfect.
So make my buttercream.
Make the fondant like four hoursin.
I'm still nowhere, like where Ineed to be.

Vicki (05:37):
Yeah.

um, oh my gosh.
I like ruined her counter.
Like it was just such a mess.
My husband was at work all daylong.
He comes home like at eighto'clock.
Still not done.
So I'm like guys like hide him.
Hide him.
So that way I can finish.
It was like the worst lookingput together cake at the very
end is when you realize like,oh, I never bought a cake board.
So I just like grabbed thebiggest plate.

(05:57):
She had put the, it was likesuch a mess.
It was such a mess.
Um, I think I posted it beforeand people are like, that's your
first cake.
It's so good.
But I'm like, okay.
so yeah, that was his cake andit was like.
I di I wouldn't say I enjoyedthe process because at the time
it was such a headache.
But

Vicki (06:18):
Yeah.

I mean, the end result for it being my first
time was like, okay, like, youknow, if I practice even just a
couple times, like it can't getany worse.
Right.
um, yeah, soon after

Vicki (06:30):
Yeah.

son's birthday, so I thought maybe
just like, it was his firstbirthday actually, and you know,
like smash cakes were juststarting up as a thing.
Um, he's nine now, so.

Vicki (06:40):
Yeah.

So I thought, hmm, I could just like pipe him
a really cute cake.
So it was just kind of like, itstarted off with like my
husband's cake, my son's cake.
And it was never at all intendedto be like a business or maybe I
can make these to sell or tomake money.
It was just like, I know I canget better at something.
So that's honestly how itstarted.

(07:03):
And then.

Vicki (07:04):
that.

you know, word of mouth or you know, just one
family member telling someoneelse like, oh, you just need
something.
Not a big deal type of cake, butjust like, oh, just something
for the office.
Like, yeah, she can make it foryou.
Or, you know, it didn't have tobe perfect.
They just wanted a cake.
And it just honestly was word ofmouth to start off and like
from, I wanna say from the cakethat I made, and again, they

(07:27):
were not.
Like good

Vicki (07:29):
Yeah.

It was around the 10th cake I made where, you
know, people just kept like, ohyeah, can you make me for this?
Or can you, can you make my, mysister, my daughter?
Like just the babe, you know,like nothing, not a big deal.
Around the 10th cake where I'mlike, okay, like I'm starting to
get a lot of, you know, justorders, I guess.
Um.

Vicki (07:48):
Yeah.

I had to make, um, I think it was Instagram.
Instagram and Facebook.
I don't know which one was,maybe it was at the same time,
but Instagram and Facebook werethe, were, they were the first
things I made just so peoplecould message me, easier and I
could start posting like the oneor two pictures I had.
And the second I made myInstagram and Facebook, I
started getting regular ordersand not like the 10 that I have

(08:12):
per weekend like I do now, but.
They were consistent, even if itwas one a week.
You know what I mean?
Like it was that honestly, likesocial

Vicki (08:19):
Yeah,

insane.

Vicki (08:24):
I know.
And the two things that I loveabout what, just even your intro
and what you described is justthe ambition that comes from
wanting to try something new andlooking at, looking at it from
the lens of I'm not.
Building a million dollarempire.
I'm not trying to do somethingcrazy.
I'm just literally trying to getbetter at something and seeing

(08:46):
where the ride takes me.
And then secondly, it's notbeing as afraid to share that
with people like I'm sure evenyou describing it.
That your work today is notreflective of your work then,
because it's so much better andso much more creative, and I'm
sure so much more technical.
But you gotta put it out thereif, if you ever wanna, if you

(09:08):
ever want to have that kind ofcreate that community or sell
yourself, you have to be willingto kind of put out the crappy
stuff first.
And.
I it sometimes it takes like alot to do that.
So, you know, at that time whenyou were early and how many
years back was that?
I should ask.

I wanna say like six, seven years ago,
seven.
seven.
Yeah.

Vicki (09:35):
Okay.

it's so crazy

Vicki (09:36):
So.

around that time, so I had just started my,
my social media right.
With my, my five pictures ofhorrible looking cakes.
but I mean, I had just startedout I remember like we were in
such a not good financialsituation that this was not
something I could just.
Go out and buy a bunch of stuff.
Like I didn't have a mixer.
Like I didn't, oh, actually wehad moved, we finally moved out

(10:00):
of my, um, aunt's house.
We weren't even there for ayear, so I wasn't like, well
into my cake journey.
We had, we moved out and I, I, Ihad started my social media
right when we moved out, soagain.
Little to no experience makingcakes out on our own like still
trying to get there.
Um, only had enough to coverbills.

(10:21):
I had two little kids.
My son was not, not even two, mydaughter was three or four.
Um, so here I am, like startingup this thing and it seems like
so far out of reach to even getremotely to where I wanted to to
be.
Right.
had no money to like fund that

Vicki (10:39):
Yeah.

just try to, you know.
I wanna sculpt a couple ofthings, or maybe just like if I
just had a couple of contentcakes, you know what I mean?
Like, oh, like here's myability.

Vicki (10:50):
Like Yeah.
Like here's my ability.

to practice.
Like it was really just like,oh, can you make me a cake?
Yeah, I need a deposit.
Use that, like, that's the onlyway I can like go out and
practice was

Vicki (11:01):
Like that's the

I couldn't

Vicki (11:02):
only way I can go out and

didn't have the funds to practice on

Vicki (11:04):
with.
I couldn't

getting better.
And then

Vicki (11:06):
practice

as they came

Vicki (11:08):
getting better and like it was just as I came and that
was my practice.
Yeah.

that I had.

Vicki (11:13):
myself,

And I remember one time having a conversation
with my aunt who we had justmoved out,

Vicki (11:19):
aunt,

or from.
And, I remember like I

Vicki (11:22):
and

'cause we were talking about cakes and she
goes, you know, like, um.
She was just being, I don'tremember the exact words she
said, but you know, she was justtalking me up and, and telling
me, you know, like, you, you,you're gonna get there or, you
know, you'll be great.
And I remember putting her onspeaker and hopping on Pinterest
I would just type in like, youknow, like basic cakes or, you
know, like, oh, I would love todo that.
And you know, you, like I said,you go down that rabbit hole and

(11:43):
it was like the little mermaid,like sculpted, like these crazy
cakes.
And I just remember likethinking like, this is what I
wanna do.
Like this is what I wanna make,um.
But I never, I never thoughtlike, one, I would even as good
or two, you know, have the,social media

Vicki (12:01):
Yeah.

the customers to trust me with those orders.
'cause I don't think, wouldn'tsay I didn't trust myself.
It's like I knew I had a skill,but it took so long to get there
because of the financialsituation.

Vicki (12:19):
But you know what's I, I'm a big proponent of not doing
things for free unless theyspeak to you.
Unless they call to you.
And I would never say like, youshouldn't give things away
because there is, uh.
There are situations in growingmy own businesses and I, so I
own a food truck and a cateringbusiness, and I owned a ice

(12:39):
cream shop.
So I've done a lot of thingswhere, um, you know, there you
wanna help your community andthere are certain causes that
touch my heart, but I am aproponent of.
When you are really trying toenhance a skill, I think giving
it away for free almost cheapensyourself because you, there is
just a psych, there's apsychology behind it.

(12:59):
When you're exchanging money forgoods or a service,

Mm-hmm.

Vicki (13:03):
it more seriously.
You come at it from a differentangle.
You put pressure on yourself tomake it good.
Whatever your skill level ofgood is at that time, and it
always keeps go getting better,but.
I, but I a hundred percent agreewith you.
And I think that's howbusinesses are built.
They're not by creating a hobby,by just, um, giving things away

(13:23):
because you're afraid of sayinglike, Ooh, this isn't good
enough.
But it's really by uplevelingyourself through each individual
customer and challengingyourself with each

Mm-hmm.

Vicki (13:33):
new project.
So I'm curious, like when inyour journey.
Over the past six or sevenyears, did you say like, okay,
this isn't like a small thinganymore.
Like this is my, this isn't aside hustle.
This is my main hustle and I amgood.
And I am ready.

because at that time, I'm telling you, when
I had just started, I just, um,created my Instagram, Facebook
with like.
I don't know, 20, 30 followers.
Um, I was

Vicki (14:02):
Yeah.

at, um, a school, at an elementary school
actually at, I was, um,

Vicki (14:07):
Yes.

Moved on to like, um, attendance and like
clerical stuff at the school.
But I kept that job at theschool while making cakes up
until three years ago.
So for about four years I wasmaking cakes, running my
business and two little ones,and also a whole full-time job.
It wasn't a part-time job, itwas a full-time job

Vicki (14:30):
Mm-hmm.

Um, that was insane.

Vicki (14:34):
Yeah.

now and I don't know how I

Vicki (14:35):
Mm-hmm.

but, but um, yeah, I, uh, I would say when I
thought it was like my full-timewas the day that I decided I
couldn't

Vicki (14:47):
Mm-hmm.

both anymore.
And it was like the biggest riskleap of faith.
And it was my husband, honestly,who told me, like, um, he was
like, I, I got it.
Like if, if you know, like we'remy job's good enough to where.
Even if it fails, which itwon't, you know, we'll be fine.
Like, stop worrying because it'ssuch a risk leaving a steady

(15:09):
income.
And this isn't, I mean, it's notreally like you don't know what
cakes you're gonna get.
You don't know what people are.
Am I gonna get a wedding cakethis month?
Like, how many am I gonna get?
And it's just,

Vicki (15:20):
Yeah.

the unknown.
And I can't believe it took methat long to leave my job.
Like it's insane.
same year

Vicki (15:27):
Hmm.

I blew up on social media, like I already had
a TikTok.
Um,

Vicki (15:34):
Oh.

you know, like three years after, um, being at
the school, like, I started myTikTok and I had several
followers, videos went viral andstuff like that.
But, um, it was when I finallydecided it was over the summer.
'cause we don't, we don't workover the summer.
So I finally was like, you knowwhat, I, I physically, mentally,
like I cannot do both anymore.

(15:55):
And this Arizona traffic is nojoke.
So getting off of work.
At like three, four o'clock,getting my kids from school.
And the drive is like, with thetraffic, it's crazy.
The, and then the heat, like itis just, ugh.
Um, so driving home, gettinghome like at 6:00 PM to start.
Like running my business, makingmy list to go

Vicki (16:17):
Yeah.

Um, you know, like eggs and, and what orders
do I have?
Answering messages, takingorders, posting on social media,
editing videos.
Like it, I said, I, I, I, I knowI did those things.
Dunno how, looking back.
But, um,

Vicki (16:33):
Yeah.

yeah, that's when finally I, my husband just,
just do it.
Like if you're thinking aboutit, just do it because I can,
you know.
I, I am the safety net, like incase anything happens and, um,
yeah,

Vicki (16:47):
Yeah.

it's so crazy full circle.
Um, just last month I had thesame conversation with my
husband about him leaving hisjob.
Yeah.

Vicki (16:57):
Really?
Yeah.
That's awesome.
It, it's, it, well, it helps tohave an, an amazing partner with
you and someone who says like,even if the worst happens.
I got you.
We'll figure it out.
Um, and, and so my husband and Irun our business together and I
feel very much that same way ishe can take slack off and, you

(17:18):
know, if like any kind ofsupport that I need and it just
gives you some kind of creativefreedom to say, okay, then I
know I can play, I can bring inlike a new energy.
And that's why I'm not surprisedthat you said that your business
blew up on TikTok and you becamea content creator.
From your job because when you,I'm a big, I, I believe this so

(17:40):
much.
When you kind of start sheddingsome energy or shedding some
things in your life that take alot of energy that aren't,
you're not super passionateabout, I really feel like you
invite so much more energy.
In an opportunity in, and Inoticed the same things, like I
had a personal experience withthat where I left I same, I have

(18:02):
the exact same story as you.
I worked my job for four yearswhile running my business.
So my nine to five and then myfive to nine, and then it like
really I working 12 to 14 hourdays without even noticing it
for so long and.
After I quit my j my corporatejob, I ended up getting pregnant
two months later with my son.

(18:23):
And I still credit this to theday that it was because I was
like removing things from mylife that didn't serve me or
serve my future.
So I, I fully believe in thatand I think it's so helpful.
Um, and then this is kind of agood segue to talk about how.
You became a content creatorbecause that doesn't happen on

(18:44):
accident.
I think having one viral post isa happy accident, but having
dozens and dozens of viral postsand becoming kind of a voice of
being a very successful homebaker is something completely
different.
So when you first started on,even with Instagram and
Facebook, before you started onTikTok, what was your.

(19:07):
Focus on posting, or what kindof content did you just really
focus on creating?

just wanted to build like my Instagram
especially.
I wanted, you know, I justwanted.
Beautiful cakes so that way Ican get more customers.
Like, hey, like I said, eventoday, like, like I said, every
new order, that was the firsttime, you know, like, what did I
make last week?
I made an amplifier and aguitar.

(19:34):
Had I ever made an amplifier anda guitar?
No.
Like even today, with everyorder, like it's a new, you
know, a new experience, I'mstill learning like, um, yes, I
know what

Vicki (19:44):
Yeah.

know, making the fondant, making the cake.
I know how to sculpt.
Um, but that specific thing,like it comes with practice.
So I just wanted to make asmany, I wanted to post as many
cakes that I made as I could,like, take a picture of every
single one, because I do wannapost them.
And that was mainly for, toattract new customers, you know
what I mean?

(20:04):
Like when you post a higher, Iguess like a better cake.
A nicer cake, a prettier cake,higher skill you attract.
The, a better clientele, I guessyou could say.
so, you know, like if I keepposting like old cakes and, you
know, like not quality level orat least what I know I can do,

(20:26):
um, yeah, I'm gonna keep thosesame customers, or you know, the
ones that, you know, like they,they want a, a deal or a
discount or, you know what Imean?
So like the higher quality, the

Vicki (20:36):
Yeah.

the customers that you, you want.
So I just was trying to, youknow.
Pump out as many cake picturesas I could on my social media
for new customers.
it's so crazy to think becausenow, um, yeah, my social media
is um, yeah, to create content awhole other income is me

(20:57):
posting.
It's insane.
Um,

Vicki (20:59):
Yeah.

but.
I would say the video.
Yeah.
So I had social media, likeespecially TikTok.
I had TikTok, Instagram,Facebook, and everything.
Business was full up andrunning.
Orders were coming in while Iwas working it's so crazy'cause
I was working, um, at, rightbefore I left I was.
Now in the nurse's office, wedidn't have a nurse, so I was

(21:23):
like the assistant and the onlyone running in the nurse's
office.
Um, oh my God.
Yeah.
Insane.
While

Vicki (21:29):
Oh my God.

answering cake messages.
So like, I mean, kids are notthere all day in and out.
So there was a couple, you know,times where there was no kids
and I'm sitting there like, hi,can I have a cake?
Sure.
How many people would you needthis stuff?
Like it was crazy.
Crazy.
Um.
Or, you know, my TikTok would beblowing up over here, videos
going viral.
Like, hi, yes, you need abandaid.
Like, lemme, lemme get you abandaid.

(21:51):
Let's clean that up for you.

Vicki (21:53):
That's amazing.

Um, so yeah, I was doing that for a while, but,
um, so I left school over thesummer, so let's say June or
July.
And then, um.
November that same year, is thatvideo, that one video?
I mean, again, like I said, Ihad viral videos before, but
that was today.

(22:16):
That video sits at over 60million views.
I posted it in November of

Vicki (22:22):
Wow.

I quit.
So it was like a really bigreflection at the end of the
year.
Like, whoa, I left and it'salready insane.
Um, yes.

Vicki (22:31):
Wow.

So

Vicki (22:32):
was the video of?

wedding cake.
It was a Hello Kitty and Batmanwedding cake.
um, so that order came in.
So funny how things work.
somebody messaged me on Facebookand she says, hi, I am getting
married.
I actually was, uh, recommendedto you.
I know your aunt, the aunt thatbrought us to live with her in
Arizona that gave me her mixer.
I still have her mixer in mykitchen.

(22:55):
Dunno why I didn't give it back.
I bought two KitchenAid still inmy kitchen.
'cause that's how I started.
That's the one I started with.
But she go, she tells me that,um, she goes, your, I actually
know your aunt.
I used to work with her and whenI messaged my aunt, she goes, oh
my gosh, yes.
Like we go way, way back.
Like she worked there for thelongest time and she's getting
married.
So she, um, right away I wasgoing to, you know, I was gonna

(23:18):
make it work for her because sheknew my aunt.
So, um, she tells me everythingshe wants, right?
Which was very detailed.
Very intricate.
A lot of serving, a big servingsize.
Um.
She said that she wanted a nice,elegant, all white cake with
floral, a traditional weddingcake.
And her husband or fiance wanteda, I guess,'cause he's really

(23:41):
into Batman, she's really intoHello Kitty.
And they, on their first date,they went and bought, I guess it
was around Christmas time.
So they bought these like littleornaments, like really pretty
detailed that man in HelloKitty.
So that became a thing that man,hello Kitty.
Well he wanted, you know, thosecharacter themes.
And she wanted the traditional,she goes, so I'm, I don't know
which way to go.
I told him I was gonna dotraditional, but I'm requesting,

(24:03):
you know, to surprise him andmake him happy with the Batman
ha kitty.
So I said I got a great idea.
How about we do one side of thecake?
Like if you're only looking atone side, um, it's the
traditional and when youcompletely flip it, it's split.
That meant, hello Kitty.
She was like, oh my God, I loveit.
So I went and, you know,downloaded, did my research and

(24:24):
you know, it's been done before.
I'm not saying I created it, butum.
grabbed, you know, those inspopics and you know, just like
kind of colored it, just a quicklike edit.
Nothing professional.
Just like with my drawing tool.
Like, this will be pink, thiswill be black, here's the Hello
Kitty, here's the, and I kind ofsent her like I was gonna, how I
was gonna do it, and I sent itto her and she's like, oh my
God.
Yes.
Well, by then I was pretty wellinto my, you know, having my

(24:47):
business.
So I didn't charge, didn't giveher, know, a lower price.
I gave her my price, was a lot.
And.
Because it was a very detailedorder, and she goes, honestly,
like, oh my gosh, I would loveto do this.
I'm gonna order from you, but Idon't think I can do that, can
we, you know, like lessen theserving size And yeah, I was
working, we were going back andforth on how we can make it work

(25:08):
for her, right?
Um, so finally we agreed on whatI was gonna do when the weekend
came to make her cake.
I still went all out.
I probably did everything Ioriginally said I was gonna do
other than the serving size.
I did all of the details, I puteverything into it.
And because of that, I, um, Iknew I was gonna record, like

(25:30):
for content, I was gonna recordthat specific order.
I was like, you know what, ifI'm gonna go all out, like I'm
gonna try to, you know, havethis video do well, or at least
post it on social media.
I did, um, before I posted thatvideo, I think I had, um.
Like 40,000 followers, maybe 30,30 to 40,000 followers a month

(25:52):
after that video, I hit amillion.
Like that video just kept

Vicki (25:57):
Wow.

and going.
And even, yeah, like I said,currently to this day, it has
over, I think 63 million views.
Um, and that was like threeyears ago.

Vicki (26:06):
Crazy.

But I just, and it's so funny, I, um, just
finished watching a video.
Um, you know who Keith Lee is,right?

Vicki (26:19):
Is he the one who does all the food reviews?
Yes.

of that, you know, just because like he, he
started reviewing these pages,just these places just to
attract more business likerestaurants that are going.
At the point of being, you know,like they have to go to business
because they have no customers,clients.
And he just

Vicki (26:38):
Yeah.

just, that's how he started it.
He didn't get anything in returnand he's always been an advocate
for, you know, you have to dothings from your heart, like
not, you know what I mean?
So,

Vicki (26:49):
Yeah.

obviously we all, we all know Kely, he blew
up, well, I just saw a videorecently and he, I think went
to, I don't wanna say the wrongplace.
He went on vacation.
Um, oh my gosh.
Turks and Caicos, I think iswhere he went.
um, he, him and his wife went onlike some boat and he made a

(27:12):
video talking about, um, thisinstructor, I guess, like they
went scuba diving, they didsomething.
And this kid, he was like a 19,20-year-old kid, was like the
best, like he even their phonesdied and he even offered to
like.
Take them to like drive themhimself back to their room.
And he was just like going onabout how this kid was like,
exceptional.
Like he was, he lives on his,he, he grew up on a boat and now

(27:37):
he grows up.
Like he grew up to, to, youknow, take people around on his
boat.
Like that's his life.
He lives on his boat and he hasthe most exceptional, um,

Vicki (27:45):
It's cool.

know, customer service.
And he, he, he was a genuinekid.
So Keith Lee makes this videoand, um.
was just going on aboutconversation he had with this
kid at the time on the boatsaying, you've been amazing.
And the kid asked kind of likefor social media, um, advice.

(28:07):
And Keith Lee told him, you doexactly what you're currently
doing, like just who you are andbe a good person and do things
like for nothing in return.
already got it.
Like that's it.
And I immediately got taken backto that cake because.
Like I did everything to make itwork for that lady.

Vicki (28:27):
Everything.

you know what I mean?
Like, I

Vicki (28:30):
Yeah.

have to take, oh, and I was fully booked, I
believe, like it was thecraziest way that that cake
happened.
Like everything should, the wayeverything played out, like that
cake shouldn't have happened.
I think I was booked.
What she wanted was crazy,insane, Um, the price that I
gave her was nowhere in herbudget.
I still gave her, and none ofit.

(28:51):
I had

Vicki (28:51):
Yeah.

idea it was gonna go viral.
No idea.
And yeah, it just the wayeverything, and then the fact
that she knew my aunt, like itwas crazy.
And that's the one that, thatblew up.
Um, yeah.
So

Vicki (29:05):
That's so cool.

taken back.
I'm like, whoa.

Vicki (29:07):
Yeah.

yeah.
'cause I, I posted that withnothing I.
Yeah, I wanted to post it, butjust to show my skill, not, oh
my gosh, I'm gonna go up and go.

Vicki (29:16):
Yeah.

Like,

Vicki (29:17):
Not expecting.

I always posted my cakes was, oh my gosh,
I just wanna show like, look, Ican make something.
Look this pretty, look, I'vegotten better.
Like, that was my thing.
Like, look, I posted this, I'vegotten better.
Not, oh look, it's gonna goviral and I'm gonna make X
amount of money.
Like I'm not, I don't postvideos on a dollar

Vicki (29:32):
Yeah.

Um, it was.

Vicki (29:36):
And I think what stops people, I, I, I didn't mean to
interrupt, but I think whatstops people who are service
providers or have a businessoutside of just being a content
creator is feeling like, well,that would just take so much
time.
Or What would I post?
Or what would I share?
And I think it's, it's.
It's easier when you'reproduct-based business because

(29:58):
you can show the process ofmaking the cake and this is the
end result.
But I guess keeping all of thatin mind of like any business
that you run, what, how do youmake it, how do you make the
content production part easierfor yourself?
Or, or maybe it's, maybe youfeel like it is a another job to
maintain it, but I'm just, I, Iwanna hear your thoughts about

(30:19):
that and how you're able to makeit work to just be a sales
engine for yourself.

oh, geez.
Uh, I do feel like it'sdefinitely full-time job now.
but.
mean, at first I didn't, I, Ilook back and see how many
videos like I was pumping out.
I'm like, holy cow.
Like, and like I said, I wasalso working, so I don't know,
but I do take on a lot more

Vicki (30:42):
Yeah.

now.
maybe that's why I feel thatway, but I, I don't know the
process.
Um, gosh, I don't know how toanswer that.
Um.

Vicki (31:00):
And maybe it, maybe we shift it and say, is there
something that you have foundthat makes it easier for
yourself?
And it could be like you use acertain equipment to film
yourself in the kitchen, or youhave a certain editing tool, or
maybe you outsource it tosomeone else to help.
Is there something.
Something that you've kind ofpicked out that helps you the
most to continue to createcontent?

I mean, if there's anybody that like wants
to, it's hard thinking back,speaking on my experience, but
then when, you know, like.
trying to pass, you know, andfor people who want to create
content, much easier to thinkthat way.
Like, oh, here's advice ratherthan, Hmm, how did I do it?
Because like I said, you lookback and you're like, how?

(31:39):
I don't know.

Vicki (31:40):
Yeah.

if I were to pass along, you know how, like
the process and, and what Iwould recommend and not
recommend, um, honestly, I knowpeople say it all the time, like
just post it.
Like, just do it.
Don't even.
Ah, don't, don't think too hardon it, which is honestly the
truth.
Like I was actually just gettingmy lashes done recently, and,

(32:02):
um, way I found her, shemessaged me and she was like, oh
my God, I love your content.
I would love to do services forlike of charge.
You know, just come in and shewanted to do them.
She's now my last girl.
but.
She just, this last time she wastelling me, um, we were talking,
you know, social media becauseshe, she's really good with her
social media.

(32:22):
She was giving me, um.
Advice on like, which new apps?
She's much younger than me.
She's like, you're yourmillennial.
Heart is showing.
I'm like, no.
So she was giving me like, thenew apps to use, like she was
giving me all the, all thedeeds.
So I'm like, okay, cool, cool.
And then she goes, yeah, becauseyour brand is your voiceovers.
And I'm like, oh.
Like no one's ever told me that.

(32:43):
Like I, it's something like, youknow, but she told me, she's
like, no, your brand is, isyour, your voiceovers.
She's like, everybody post cakevideos.
You post a song to it.
She's like, but yours, like,everyone recognizes your voice.
Like that's your brand.
I was like.
Like, that was like kind of niceto hear because it's like, you
know what?
You're right.
so if I, when you're gonnastart, like, don't put that

(33:06):
pressure on you, because ifsomebody, you know, if I had
that mentality when I firststarted, like, oh my gosh, my
voice has to sound like this,like the, you know what I mean?
Like you overthink it so youjust have to do it.
Like, honestly, you just have todo it because it just leads you
to somebody telling you one dayyour brand is your voiceover.
Like, oh, okay.
When I first started, was sohesitant.

(33:29):
Like I didn't wanna show my facemy, they weren't gonna be
videos.
They were just gonna be, youknow, like, oh look, here's a
quick video of like a fivesecond video of my final
creation.
Like, look after like 10 hoursof hard work, like a little
32nd, not even 32nd, like fivesecond, like, oh look, top to
bottom.
Here's what the cake looks like.
that was not creating anyengagement obviously.

(33:52):
So I think that they just, likecomments started trickling in,
you know, like, oh, how did youmake that?
And it was like, you can onlytype much as a comment to where
it's like, you know, let me justshow you still, you don't have
to see my face, but like I canshow you how I made it.
And honestly, it was just, youknow, like the viewers or the
comments will lead you in thedirection, you know what I mean?

(34:13):
Because they are the ones.
That are watching the content,so why not give them what they
want?
Like they're telling you whatthey would like to see.
I'm sure lots of other peoplewanna see it too.
So if you just kinda, you know,it'll, it'll lead you there.
So I had no idea I was gonna bedoing voiceovers when I first
started.
I just wanted to show my cakeslike I did on Instagram.

(34:34):
Like, Hey, look at this.
Beautiful thing.
This finished product,

Vicki (34:38):
Yeah.

process part, because again, I was too scared
to record stuff.
and I didn't know how to edit.
Like, I don't know nothingabout, like none of this.
I know how to take a picture,post it on Instagram, not edit
videos and voiceovers and allthis that

Vicki (34:55):
That's the millennial in us.
What, what did your last girltell you was like the most
useful apps to know for acontent creator?

wasn't.
Using it already.
Um, she

Vicki (35:08):
What is it?

she was showing me, um, something that
she did.
She's like, yeah, girl, just doit on Canva.
I was like, I know what it is.
I know I'm like, five years toolate, but I've never used Canva.
She's like, you don't use Canva.
She's like, how do you make allyour posts and your Instagram
stuff?
I was like, on the Instagram appand she's like, girl, that's
when she's like, you're yourmillennial is show.
I was like.

(35:30):
I know what it is.
Like I know everybody uses it.
It's one of those things wherelike TikTok, when it first came
out, like I know what it is.
Everyone's using it.
I haven't hopped on though.
that's what it was.
So just recently, like I justactually made my Mother's Day
invitation on Canva.
I am about to do my Easter flashsale poster.
Um, I'm going to do that, figurethat out today and post it on

(35:51):
Canva.
But that was

Vicki (35:53):
Okay.

one she told me was, is it good notes?
Um,

Vicki (35:58):
Okay.
What's it for?

was also shocked.
I hadn't used it.
And same, I'd never heard of itlike she put me on, um,

Vicki (36:08):
I haven't either.

she said that nurses use it a lot to, it's
basically like, uh, I don'tknow.
I don't know what it's called.
Um, you know how like you canscan documents and kinda like
keep, like filing or keepingstuff, but.

Vicki (36:21):
Yeah.

I guess like on the, not on the cloud, but on
through this app.
she goes, yeah, how do you keep,how do you keep, what

Vicki (36:27):
Okay.

your cake orders?
Like you have order forms,right?
I go, yeah, I have likephysical, like paper ones that I
print out, like thousands andthousands.
Like I have, I'm not gonna, it'sgonna take me like two years to
get through the menu that Iordered.
But I don't, I don't give thoseto my customers.
'cause I don't, it's allthrough, I don't see the
customer until they pick uptheir cake.
Nobody's ordering me in person.

(36:48):
Like it's all through.
Uh, a phone, like my phone,that's my lifeline.
they place

Vicki (36:54):
Yeah.

and she's like, well, you have like
physical forms.
And I go, yeah.
She's like, well, what do you dowith them?
I'm like, I keep them.
And she's like, girl.
She goes, no.
goes, you have to take a pictureof them and then you send it to
the Good Notes app and it'llkeep it there for you.
And

Vicki (37:09):
Yeah.

now when that customer, it stores, you can
search anything.
Like, let's say, let's say youordered a Sesame Street cake.
a certain day, you wanted thisstuff.
Here's your name, here's yourInstagram username that you
ordered from, like all thedetails, right?
All you have to do is go in theapp, type in Sesame Street, and
it will populate all the SesameStreet cakes I've done.
Or if I type in your name, it'llgimme all those people.

(37:31):
Like it'll, if the search.
that app is insane.
So she goes, yeah, look, let meshow you.
And then I turn around.
She hadn't taped my, she hadn'tstarted yet, maybe she had it
finished, I don't remember.
But, um, she's like, look, andshe turns grabs her iPad, she
types in my name.
She gives me all the times thatI've gone and the sizes that
she's used.
She's like, yeah, and you candraw right on there.
So she put like, she like, youknow, lash mapping and she gave

(37:55):
me all my sizes I've gottenpreviously because it's right
there.
Like, she didn't have to go finda paper, go find, like, she's
just

Vicki (38:00):
That's amazing.

oh.

Vicki (38:03):
I love business tools.
I love new business processes.
I'm already thinking of how Ican use that in my own, so
that's awesome.

all my, like, I don't have to keep them
anymore.
They could just be there andnext time, you know, somebody
might order a cake from methrough Instagram and then they
order it, you know, they could,they have my number now, so
maybe they'll text me so thatway it'll populate like all of
them.
And I don't have to go, nobodywants to go scan through.
Not that I would have to, notthat I do for every order, but
let's say they're like, oh yeah,the same as last time.

(38:32):
I could just, rather thanspending 45 minutes trying to
find her vc, you just type inher

Vicki (38:37):
Look, anything?

I already, in 10 seconds I can see what you
ordered, what flavor you orderedlast time.
Yeah, yeah.
So I

Vicki (38:44):
Yeah.
Yes.
Everyone needs a customerattention.

those

Vicki (38:48):
good.

things that she, that she put me on

Vicki (38:50):
I,

okay, okay.
I, I don't know, but because Idon't.
Like, I live in my kitchen,don't go outsourcing, you

Vicki (38:59):
yeah.

Like these tools.
So I'm glad she told me becauseshe's, she's really good at what
she does and running herbusiness and social media and

Vicki (39:06):
Yeah.
I.

yeah,

Vicki (39:10):
I think about that a lot.
It's like we're all really goodat the thing that we do, like
being, we already know we we'regreat at baking or we're great
at like the catering process orgreat at like at, fill in the
blank, whatever it is.
But we don't know the, thebackend of running a business

(39:31):
and I felt like this has justbeen trial by fire.
We've learned everything aswe've gone.
Um, so it's always something newand I, yeah.

Yeah,

Vicki (39:41):
No, no, no.
You go,

um.
Another good thing'cause we'respeaking of running businesses.
I also had to learn, know, likepolicies for me, the first two,
three years, like, eh, they gaveme money, I give'em a cake.
It's not a big deal.
But throughout the years youhave like,

Vicki (39:58):
yeah.

have to learn the hard way.
And it's like now all of mypolicies are set in place.
They are made clear before youeven like, you know, you have to
cover yourself because yeah, youhave, you honestly.
either do that or you learn thehard way.
Like me,

Vicki (40:14):
Yeah.

it hasn't happened often, but every single
policy that I have in place,whether it's on my website, on
my Instagram, placing yourorder, is because of an
experience like that I had to gothrough and learn to put it
like, um, know, um, what's oneof'em a good one?
this one actually happened whileI was, I clearly remember

(40:36):
working in the nurse's officeand it was a or Friday.
there's a bunch of kids, and Iget a message, I look down and
it says, hi, what time can Ipick up my cake today?
I'm like, I'm here till five.
I don't have no cakes today.
What are you talking?
Like I was free full, full onfreaking out,

Vicki (40:53):
Yeah.

away.
My kids are in school.
Like, I don't know what you'retalking about.
So I messaged her right away andI'm like, um, hi.
I don't have your cake untiltomorrow.
Um.
Like, let me know if there wasmiscommunication, like trying to
figure it out.
Right?
Like, cool.
And she goes, oh no, I moved itfor today.
I'm, yeah, I moved it for today.
Um, I moved it for today.

(41:16):
Please let me know.
I'm like, uh, that's not how itworks.
So.
So, um.

Vicki (41:23):
Yeah.

I was full on freaking out.
I left early.
I, I said, okay, I have two.
I could go one of two ways.
She had already paid me adeposit.
I either tell her, sorry, can'tdo it, and she just doesn't have
a cake.
what, you know what I mean?
Like, totally

Vicki (41:39):
Yeah.

able to help her or reschedule, scramble all
of my day to get her cake donewhen it wasn't my fault.
She.
her date and didn't tell me itthat same day.
So I'm like, I have one, one orone of two ways.
Like she doesn't get a cake andshe loses her money, or I can go
outta my way and help her.
I chose to help her and I said,you know what, um, I'm not able

(42:04):
to to do it right away, but Ican get it to you today.
What's the absolute latest youcan pick it up?
Like what time does your eventstart?
And me thinking like if I leaveright now.
And decorate it.
Like maybe I can get it done bysix or seven.
And if her event starts likelater,

Vicki (42:20):
Oh my gosh.

like those Peter Piper, Chuck E Cheese
type, like evening parties, Ithink it was a Friday.
Um, you know, you'll have yourcake today, but no, it's gonna
be you, it's gonna be late.
And it wasn't a delivery, it wasa pickup.
So like, if you can havesomebody, you know, like an
uncle brother at a party, like,come pick up your cake because
Yeah.
Like I was still

Vicki (42:40):
Yeah.

willing to do it that day.
But.
She was also gonna have to bend.
So I was like, you know what,you could come pick it up, but
like, this is the timeframe.
You can pick it up and you can'tpick it up any sooner because I,
I can't make it, you know, likethat.
So I left early, got home, gotstarted.
I usually eat after, after I gethome.
Like from being at work all day.

(43:01):
Didn't even, I remember noteating that day.
Made her cake two, three hourslater.
Um, I'm messaging her and she'snot answering.
And was mm-hmm.

Vicki (43:13):
No.

And I was like, hello, like your event is
today lady.
Like, I'm more concerned aboutyour event today than you seem
to be concerned about your eventtoday.
So, and it was, I think it wasfor like a first

Vicki (43:22):
Oh my God.

I, like, I have two kids, like I know how,
or at least.
I made a big deal outta theirfirst birthdays.
I know some people are, they'reone or the other.
They're like, ah, it's theirfirst one.
They won't remember, or some goall out because it's their first
one.
And I was the one that made abig deal.
So I'm like, lady, I care moreabout this cake than you.
So I was doing the most to getit done, and it finally was

(43:45):
done.
She wasn't answering.
An hour after I messaged hersaying, okay, it's ready.
oh my gosh, actually,

Vicki (43:53):
Okay, ready.
No.

was like, I was so mad.
I don't think I responded forlike 30 minutes.
Um, that's when it hit me.
Her party's tomorrow.
She just wanted to pick it upearly.
Mm-hmm.

Vicki (44:09):
Yeah.
And the, I think there's, I havetwo thoughts about this.
Number one is when you go intobusiness for yourself, you
realize that it is about yourroles and you bend for customers
as much as you're comfortablewith.
But the beauty of running yourown show is creating your own

(44:30):
boundaries.
And I have learned that the hardway.
Same as you gone through.
Everything, every kind ofstressful situation to realize
that no, I, if they can't followmy guidelines or my boundaries,
they're not a customer.
This is not, you know, I canonly bend so much.
And number two is Amazon culturehas kind of screwed the small
business owners in a way becausepeople just expect changes to

(44:53):
happen overnight.
It's like, oh, I have AmazonPrime.
I'm gonna get that baby in fourhours.
And that's just not how, it'slike working with.
Small businesses.
So, um, it's definitely, it'sdefinitely like a change of

Yeah,

Vicki (45:10):
too.

so with the policy that I had to put in
place for that one, um, longstory short, she ended up, um,
the next day came, had her cakeready.
It was a PAW Patrol, I rememberPaw Patrol, and it was like the
weekend before Valentine's Day.
So it was already a hectic week.
Um, and the next day came, I'mlike, okay, it's ready.
never picked it up.

(45:33):
She never picked it up, and Iremember reposting, um.
I took all of the Paw Patrolstuff off and because it was
like a blue, blue, blue bottomtier and white top tier, I took
everything off and I redecoratedit as a two-tier valentine.
It was super cute.
Valentine's cake.
All red hearts, all red decor,like trim everything.
And I resold it for like halfthe price, but I'm like, okay.

(45:55):
She paid me for half of hercake.
I

Vicki (45:57):
Oh my God.

percent of her cake.
So my new policy that I've hadfor the last, what, three years,
is I require half of the totalas a deposit to reserve your
date.
So if you really want a date,the only way to get it is to put
half down.
And the remaining balance is duetwo day, not the day of, um, but
two days before your pickup.
And that will avoid me notgetting my full, you know, my a

(46:19):
hundred percent payment for ahundred percent of my work.
So that

Vicki (46:26):
Amazing.
Yes.
So let that be a lesson to thelisteners.

like, I know policies when you first start
out seem like something so faraway, like to even think about.
But I mean, if you don't, you'regonna learn the hard way.

Vicki (46:41):
Yeah.
Yeah, I totally agree.
Well, I know since we'rewrapping this up just a little
bit, there's one question thoughthat I did wanna ask, and it's
just to circle back to the, thecontent side.
Um, because you mentioned thisearlier too, of.
That even though TikTok has behave has kind of become a second
job, it is something that youmake income from.

(47:03):
So we're not looking for numbersor anything like that, but
sharing how specifically youmake money from content creation
and social media posting, Ithink is helpful and gives a
little bit of insight to serviceproviders who maybe wanna do the
same.

I, well, you mean like the specific programs
or like how.

Vicki (47:24):
Yeah, so if you're like in the, um, if you're in the T
TikTok Creator Fund or if onInstagram you are signed up in a
certain way or your account iscreated in a certain way, I
think those things would help.

TikTok used to be, oh my

Vicki (47:38):
Um.

it used to be called something else.
The, yeah, it used to be calledthe Creator Fund, and now it's
called like the, oh my gosh.
It's called something.
They switched up the name acouple years back and that was
really scary because before Ibelieve they were paying.
Because I was in that originalone, and I believe, and you have
to have like threequalifications.
I think you have to have acertain amount of followers, a

(47:59):
certain amount of views over thelast like.
Time period.
Like in the last month, you'vehad to have had certain amount
of views on a video, certainamount of followers, and shoot,
I think the other one's easy.
I think you have to be like 18or something.
Like something's word simple.
Okay.
Um, and

Vicki (48:15):
Okay.

you qualify, you join the the Creator Fund.
That was the first one.
And I believe that one paid youone to 3 cents per thousand
views.
And that I was on that one for awhile.
Um.
And that was right after that.
Hello Kitty.
That viral.
That's the one that made me beable to get onto the Creator

(48:36):
fund.
but then I wanna say less than ayear later, they rolled out a
new one.
So like, I opened the app oneday and it was like, you are,
you've been invited to join the,oh my gosh, I wish I knew the
name.
I'm so sorry.
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Well the new

Vicki (48:52):
okay.

um.
Sorry, I'm so mad.
I'm trying to remember what it'scalled.
Um, when it gave me the optionto join the new one, it didn't
give any like, like dollaramount, like details.
It just said it's a betteropportunity, which

Vicki (49:07):
Okay.

vague.
Like, let me just riskeverything that I'm, I'm make,
which it wasn't a lot.
Like for example, for example,

Vicki (49:13):
Yeah.

to 3 cents per thousand views is really not a
lot because when I cashed out,like on that old um, creator
fund, that Hello Kitty Batmancake, the most viral cake.
was like$900.
I'm not saying it's not a lot,I'm not saying I'm not grateful,
but like now knowing like whatthat

Vicki (49:29):
Yeah.

me like on YouTube or now on that, the fund
that I'm at now, like I life,that would've been life changing
like Yeah.
Um, so yeah.

Vicki (49:39):
Yeah.

just for, for example, like for reference,
that's how much on the oldcreator fund I got for the most
viral video I've ever made.
Um.
And this new one, it rolled itout like very vague.
Like it said, it's a new,better, new opportunity to make
more income, for creators tomake more income.
And once you go this, once youselect this new option, there's

(50:01):
no going back to the creatorfund.
it was the most vague thing andit was like the biggest risk.
I'm like, like I, I dunno whatto do.
And I kind of like, it was inthe beginning when they first
rolled it out, so there was noreference to like, let me google
which one's better.
Like, nobody had joined it yet,like maybe one or two people,
but they hadn't seen the, theactual, what it earned them yet.

(50:23):
'cause they were probably justjoined for like three days.
I did it.
I took the risk.
And it was the best thing ever.
It turns out this one, which isthe current one, I think it's
the only one you can do now.
So if you decide to join now, Ithink this is the only option
that you have right now.
Um, it now pays you anywherebetween, and they decide.

(50:44):
I don't know how they decide,but it's after it's posted, they
will give you what the actualnumber is for that video, but
now they pay anywhere between.
I am gonna do my numberspecifically.
'cause I, I know other peoplehave like lower mine
specifically, they pay

Vicki (51:01):
Yeah.

90 cents to a dollar 25 per thousand compared
to the 1 cent per thousand.
Wow.
Yeah, I would

Vicki (51:09):
Wow.

yeah.

Vicki (51:10):
different is that?
That's insane.

if I get a

Vicki (51:13):
Yeah.

on a video that's a thousand dollars.
Yeah.
Or like a hundred thousand

Vicki (51:19):
Yeah.

it's, yeah.
So it's crazy to think.
sorry, like that.
Have a kitty Batman cake.
If I would've been in this fund,like, oh my gosh, that would've
been 60 grand.
Yeah.
Um, Insane.

Vicki (51:33):
God.
It's insane.

but it's all based on, I don't know how they
determine that dollar amountbecause I've seen people have
like super viral videos, likethey get like 20 million, but
they're, um, our RPM, which isthat rate per, I dunno what it
stands for, but it's that amountyou're getting per thousand.
Their RPM was like 20 cents.

Vicki (51:52):
Yeah.

mine is sitting at like a dollar 10,

Vicki (51:54):
Um.

20 mil.
It got like K.
So I don't know how theydetermine.
TikTok determines you don'tdetermine, and it changes per
video.
It's, yeah,

Vicki (52:04):
That's so interesting.

So if like,

Vicki (52:05):
Okay.

I go to my analytics and it'll give me
like, oh, this video, this wasthe RRP MI got 1 25 per
thousand.
And then this video you got 80cent, 80 cents per thousand.
It, I don't know how itdetermines, but that's what
it's, so that's what I'm on.
Um, I'm gonna try to pull it upreal quick.
I wanna give you the name.
Um, I.

Vicki (52:24):
And I think the long story short is what you're
saying before, when I was askingyour advice, you were like, just
post it.
It's like, yeah, I'll postsomething for the chance of
making.
Even$900.
I mean, that's, it's,

yeah.

Vicki (52:38):
top of everything.

morning of this girl.
She posted herself eating alemon.
She made the funniest face.
went viral.
It got like.
3 million views.
She's like, all I did was eat alemon, guys.
She's like, you can do this.

Vicki (52:50):
Oh my God.

creator fund or whatever it's called now.
Um, it's called the CreatorRewards Program.
That's what it's called now.

Vicki (52:57):
Got it.

she, every month she updates how much
TikTok has paid her.
Now she's making like two tothree K off of a video of her
eating a lemon.
Like yeah, she looked reallysilly and nobody, like, she made
the funniest faces.
It was embarrassing, but.
It sound embarrassing to cash itout every month.
Like

Vicki (53:13):
It's insane.

like post.
Even if somebody were to post,like even if you, let's say you
wanna make cakes, you're notthere yet.
Post your journey.
Hey, this is my first cake.
I'm gonna take you with me.
Look at

Vicki (53:24):
Yeah.

disaster I made.
It was funny.
Now let's go to my second cake.
Like post

Vicki (53:29):
Yeah,

not the end result.
Like have everyone go along withyou.

Vicki (53:34):
I totally agree.
I totally agree.
And I, I regret that when Istarted, when we started our
business seven years ago, that Ididn't take more videos because
I felt embarrassed about that,what we looked like.
And I, now looking back, I wishI had that, that to show, to
really show like how far we'vecome.

like if you're trying to make money on social
media.

Vicki (53:55):
Yeah.

People wanna see the process, whether it's
cakes, whether it's starting abusiness, whether it's, um,
like, you know, those videoswhere it's like, oh, artwork,
like, and they show like a timelapse.
Like you don't wanna just seethe end result, which is what

Vicki (54:08):
Yeah.

and what I intended to use TikTok for.
Like, oh, look at this prettycake.
No, they would love to see theprocess, like the

Vicki (54:15):
Yeah.

it.
Why you put this here, why youchose these colors.
Like people wanna see a start tofinish, not just the finish.
Like, yes, it's pretty good lookat, but it's, you get more
engagement.

Vicki (54:28):
I totally agree.
I totally agree.
Well, I have loved our timetogether today and.
Learning more about you and thebusiness that you've built and
the community that you've reallybuilt behind it, because
ultimately that's what socialmedia helps you do.
Build your community around whatyour true passion is, which for
you is making amazing deliciouscakes, which I've had the

(54:52):
privilege of trying at mysister's baby shower, which was
so delicious and even morebeautiful.
Um, so it was just like, it'ssuch a wonderful thing to hear
your story and, and I think alot of people can relate because
I know working in the food andbeverage space now, there are so
many entrepreneurs who don'ttake those kinds of leaps, and

(55:12):
they're so talented and theycreate amazing products.
So I hope that this episodewould be a reminder to anyone
who's.
Cooking something out of theirkitchen who's making soap in
their bathroom, who's like, hasany idea of wants to start to
just start and record thatjourney and record that process
because it is, will be soinvaluable to you down the road.

(55:34):
So I'm so glad that you wereable to share that today.
Alejandra.

comfort zone.
If you are not scared, you'renot doing it right.

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