Holistic Health or Delicious Desserts - Cake & Kale
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Katie Mitton, founder of Cake & Kale, located in Hamilton, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I like to think that I bring people happiness + joy through delicious baked goods--because in life, you should always eat the cake first! I love making cakes, cupcakes, cookie sandwiches, and delicious desserts of all kinds to help my customers celebrate all of life's moments and make them that much sweeter. From weddings to birthdays to anniversaries, I can't wait to cake for all these events! I also offer holiday menus with a wide variety of goodies, including my popular treat boxes that come with a selection of my most popular goodies. For Easter, customers can get excited about mini-egg cookie sandwiches, mini-egg brownies, scones, and so much more. My cake community is the absolute best!
Tell us about yourself
I've been baking since I can remember--my mom would always make homemade chocolate chip cookies when I was little, and when I grew older, I started making them with her. Then when I hit university years, I baked for stress release + as a distraction from writing essays. I quickly became the girl who always brought dessert! When I started selling cakes eight years ago, I never thought it would grow to something like this. I went full-time with Cake & Kale in 2020 and hadn't looked back. It's been such a busy, wild, fun, frustrating, incredible ride that I wouldn't trade for the world. Every day, the comments from customers and happy cakers keep me going--I love hearing that my cakes brightened their day! And I still find therapy in making + designing cakes. It's so fun to just let my creative side take over and forget everything else for a couple of hours.
And people often ask about the "Kale" side of Cake + Kale. I'm currently studying to become a nutritionist, and I believe that in life, you can have your cake + eat your kale too. You don't have to choose one or the other. Let's take the stress out of food decisions and just ENJOY!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Honestly, it's the little things. I love that I've made so many strong relationships through this business, with fellow business owners + female entrepreneurs in Hamilton, as well as with my customers. That has definitely been the most rewarding part. Every time someone sends me a message about how delicious the cake or goodie was or that they can't wait for another one of my creations, I feel so lucky and happy to be doing what I'm doing. It's also so fun to look back and see how far I've come from when I first started making cakes. Every time I try a new technique or something new, I feel so rewarded. It's all about community, cakes, and making people smile for me!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Oh man, the DISHES! I know my fellow bakers + foodservice friends can relate, haha. But really, the hardest part is just to believe in yourself and keep the imposter syndrome from coming in. With social media, it's so easy to compare yourself to others and feel like you're not doing enough, but it's so important to remember that you are exactly where you're supposed to be, doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing. Just believing in yourself is the hardest part. And keep going! Keep trying new things, keep failing, keep getting back up. It's not easy but it's worth it.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Oh man, so many! First of all, don't wait till you're ready. Just START. Just go for it. Things will fall into place, and truly, you will never "feel ready." You just need to start one day and build from there.
Second, make a community with fellow business owners and entrepreneurs in your field! Community over competition. You can learn so much from your fellow business owners and bounce ideas off them. They will become some of the best friends you have.
Third, stay true to what you want to do. Don't fall victim to the comparison game. Don't do something just because you feel like you "should" do it. Do what YOU love to do, in your own way. You'll feel so much more rewarded that way. And have FUN! Don't be afraid to fail--that's how we learn.
Anything else you'd like to share?
For anyone who's scared to start a business or afraid they'll fail--just let me say, I never thought I'd be where I am today. I feel so lucky to get to do what I love every day. And I'm so grateful for all the cakers who support my little corner of cake heaven! I can't wait to cake for you, too.
Where can people find you and your business?
https://www.instagram.com/__cakeandkale__/
https://www.facebook.com/cakeandkalebaker/
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.