Gourmet, Fresh, Extraordinary - Bartleby's Ice Cream Cakes
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rachel Kamins, founder, and owner of Bartleby's Ice Cream Cakes, located in Chicago, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
From custom cakes to sandwiches, pints, collabs, and more, Bartleby's is the most fun you can have with ice cream. Through our online ice cream shop, we give customers the chance to play with their dessert by combining multiple ice cream flavors with baked goods, various frosting options, and decorations that range from classic sundae toppings to macarons and cheesecake bites. Our specialty line is custom animal cakes: we use all edible components (think sugar cone horns, cookie ears, and fudge eyelashes) to create delicious pet portraits or tasty versions of wild or imaginary animals. We work to be inclusive of as many dessert lovers as possible by including dairy-free, egg-free, and gluten-free options throughout our menu.
Tell us about yourself
I got my start in the dessert world by working my way through various positions with Ben & Jerry's, followed by a stint in the pastry kitchen at Zingerman's Bakehouse. I wasn't sure where exactly I fit in the food industry, however, so for a while after that, I did something completely different. I worked as an editor and communications specialist. Bartleby is named after a fictional character who was working in an office until one day he snapped and found himself incapable of doing what his boss told him. When I found myself in a similar situation, I realized that I needed to do something I loved, and I needed to be my own boss. I parlayed my ice cream and baking knowledge into a business that highlights my favorite way to eat ice cream—with lots of other delicious stuff around it.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
It's not the easiest or most profitable way to start a business, but I'm proud of the fact that I started making ice cream cakes with a pretty amateur skill level and worked my way up to a professional level. I had decorated maybe dozens of ice cream cakes before I started Bartleby's—now I've done thousands, and I've gotten so, So much better at doing it. With all that I've learned along the way, I've developed a really good understanding of what works and what doesn't. That gives me a solid foundation for deciding what's feasible when I'm thinking about new sales opportunities. It gives me the ability to teach and train others, which will be key to growing and sustaining the company in the future.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Being a business owner means having to deal with every single aspect of the business. That includes the things you're good at and excited about—the reasons you started the business—and the things you have zero aptitudes for and possibly have never even heard of. I'm creative, I have a good palate, I'm a hard worker, and I'm good at following instructions, but I don't have a particular talent for things like time management, sales, or strategy. And I absolutely have to get good at those things too—my natural talents are nowhere near enough to build a successful business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- If you don't come from a business background, learn as much as you can about business concepts before you get into it. You can start with a talent and a dream, but there's so much more to running and growing a business that you need to be aware of.
- Surround yourself with a community of entrepreneurs. I'm lucky to be based at The Hatchery, an incubator for food businesses in Chicago, and the connections it provides to other business owners are incredibly valuable. Just chatting with them in the hallways has led me to countless new opportunities and solutions. Plus, there's nothing like having someone to complain to who knows exactly what you're going through.
- Be friendly. You can open a lot of doors for your business by taking the time to meet other entrepreneurs, chat with customers, respond to emails, make small talk with vendors, and so on. Just being a nice person and taking some extra time to build social connections can pay off in all kinds of unforeseeable ways. And the long, hard days are a little easier to get through when you feel like you're surrounded by friends.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
It's OK to sell a product that isn't part of the latest trends, or that doesn't fit neatly into the categories that you see everyone else working in. That may mean that it has timeless appeal or that it doesn't have a lot of competitors in the same exact niche. However, it may also mean that you're going to have to work harder to make a case for why people should be buying your product now and to find ways to get that product to market if other people haven't already figured that out for you. It's good to be aware and accepting of those challenges from the start.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.bartlebyscakes.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bartlebyscakes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bartlebyscakes/
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.
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