MAD LOVE MONDAY | Tanya Nafe
I am the owner of Sweet Bouquets Cupcakes in Edmonton. I specialize in floral cupcakes and cakes. There are a lot of bakers in the Edmonton area but I am proud to say that I am the only baker who specializes in floral cupcakes to this extent.
I am the owner of Sweet Bouquets Cupcakes in Edmonton. I specialize in floral cupcakes and cakes. There are a lot of bakers in the Edmonton area but I am proud to say that I am the only baker who specializes in floral cupcakes to this extent. I created the company because I love gifting baked goods to friends and family and what is better than receiving a beautifully designed flower arrangement that you can eat?
Photography by: Claudine Lavoie Photography
As a child my mother would bake us the coolest cakes. I grew up counting down the days until I could choose a cake from her cookbook for my birthday. And as I grew older, I started sharing her love for baking by treating my friends to cakes and puff pastries on a regular basis. It became my way of showing people I care for them. It grew into a business where customers know when they purchase cupcakes from me, it’s been made with love and they can gift it with love to someone else.
I believe in coming from a place of yes and kindness.
And that is how I run my business.
I want each and every customer to feel they are not only valued but appreciated for supporting my dream. When they knock on my door and leave with cupcakes or cakes, I want them to leave feeling happy. I have been blessed to have customers become friends and I hope to continue not only growing my business but my amazing group of friends as well that have blossomed out of this business venture.
As my company continues to grow, I’d like to focus more on teaching. I would love to see more people create stunning floral creations to continue spreading joy with cupcakes. Now that I have built a solid business, I’d like to place more focus on turning my business digital with online tutorials and videos. I am in the process of creating a paid Facebook group that will be a community for bakers of all backgrounds and skill levels to come together, learn from each other and encourage each other to build strong, solid businesses.
I absolutely love being an entrepreneur. I am solely in control of where I take my company. I can grow it as fast or as slow as I need, in the direction I feel is best for myself, my family and my company. Being able to work for yourself is such a freeing feeling and Having my kids look up to me Can’t even be put into words. For them to see what you can create with hard work and your hands is a life lesson they can’t learn anywhere else.
There were times when I started where I wondered if I’ll ever sell a bouquet or cupcakes. Whether people would even pay what I charge. I had a constant battle of feeling like I’m charging too much but also worrying that I’m selling myself short. But my husband constantly reassured me I have to believe in my product and it would speak for itself. And that has absolutely been the case. It’s one thing to be able to create a beautiful cupcake but I needed people to love the taste as well. And I have been fortunate that my tried and true recipes not only look good but tastes just as amazing as it looks.
I have been fortunate to be able to grow a consistent Instagram following that has not only given me international recognition but also brings in local orders. Instagram and Facebook has been a huge part in me not only receiving orders from the States but also student who fly in for one on one lessons. As my company continues to grow I will now be turning to YouTube and Pinterest to continue growing a wider audience.
Balancing work and life is a bit of a challenge. I have 3 children ages 11,9 and 8 with a husband who works in Texas, USA. So finding the time to juggle mom, wife and business owner can get a bit tricky and I would be Lying if I said that some days I don’t lose my mind. It’s a fine line that I walk but I enjoy every minute of it, even the late nights, early mornings and late school pick ups (sorry kids). Gym time for me is must, it’s where I shut off my phone, blast some music and just focus on strengthening my body and mind.
I base my work around the gym as it’s an important part of helping me stay sane.
I am looking forward to connecting with like minded women who have a drive to push themselves and other people around them to higher grounds. Being able to have a tribe of women who not only wants to see you succeed but also what’s to be a part of helping you reach your goals is what society needs. Women lifting up other women so we can all be successful.
Tanya Nafe | Sweet Bouquet Cupcakes
instagram.com/sweetbouquetscupcakes
facebook.com/sweetbouquetscupcakes
MAD LOVE MONDAY | Caterina Snyder
I know a lot of people say that they were born as entrepreneurs and that they left their jobs to pursue their passion or their true calling, but I’m not one of them. Not even close. The truth is that although I’ve always been very driven and outwardly successful, in my education, career, for most of my life that was a pretty picture I painted, not a reflection of my inner reality.
I know a lot of people say that they were born as entrepreneurs and that they left their jobs to pursue their passion or their true calling, but I’m not one of them. Not even close.
The truth is that although I’ve always been very driven and outwardly successful, in my education, career, for most of my life that was a pretty picture I painted, not a reflection of my inner reality.
Photography by: @tracey.jazmin
The truth is that I struggled HARD behind the scenes and I never fit in. Not even a little bit. I was bullied from elementary school to high school. I was sick all the time and had chronic infections, brutal migraines, and insomnia. In fact, I was on a pretty regular schedule of major burnouts every 10 years (age 15, 25 and 35) and minor burnouts every 2 years. Despite all this, my ambition, work ethic, and need for approval and validation allowed me to excel in University, skip my masters and go straight into a fully funded Ph.D. program, AND have a lot of pretty impressive jobs… all before I was 30.
But I was living a lie and lies will always fall apart. I was constantly plagued by self-doubt and anxiety.
And even though my transcripts and resume are impressive I quit my Ph.D. program after 2 years because I basically had a nervous breakdown. I've also been fired from 3 different jobs! The people I worked with in my corporate phase mostly hated me, even when I didn’t get fired because I was constantly rocking the boat and pushing the envelope. And let's be honest, in our vanilla society, disruptors are rarely valued, especially when they're fat feminists who are loud AF and are challenging everything you hold dear. But as ugly and miserable as that struggle was, I persisted. I got back up. Again. And again.
I learned from my ‘mistakes’ and all the rejection but not in the way you might expect. Instead, I didn’t tone myself down or try to be more likable… well, that’s a lie, I did try but that failed too. In short, I refused to go quietly into the night and conform to what the world told me I ‘should’ be. And that’s how I met entrepreneurship.
Photography by: @tracey.jazmin
I wish I could say that it was this romantic love at first sight introduction, but the truth is we got off to a rocky start. I didn’t leave my job because I had the courage to change my life, I left on medical leave. Then I spent the next 4 uninspired years trying to make a go of it with in-the-box consulting work. I was eventually financially successful, but I had SERIOUSLY jerky clients. And then things got really bad. Lol. I went 9 months without a single client. My hubby supported us, but we nearly maxed out our credit and cashed in most of our savings. In this time of ‘failure’, however, I did something that the Universe had been waiting 38 years for me to do.
I stopped apologizing for who I was and stepped up to be the leader I was born to be.
It began, in earnest, when I met a life coach, named Glenda Lane. She told me something that blew my mind. Something I had never considered. She said, “You’re a Unicorn, thank God you’re not normal!” In my 38 years on earth, I had never once considered that being so weird was actually an advantage?!? A reason why people might like me instead of disliking me and pay me more instead of less?!? Suddenly, the world of entrepreneurship started to look very different. And I realized something that would, over the next two years, change everything in my life and business. I realized that the only rules were the ones YOU CREATE. In truth, there are NO RULES. No right way and wrong way. And this knowledge set me free.
I finally stopped apologizing for who I was and instead started screaming it from the rooftops. I stopped talking about what I do and instead talked about what I believe because that’s what actually matters. And it worked. Like BIG TIME. People began to see me differently and a community rapidly built itself around me. This is turn gave me the courage and insight to pursue what had always been my true passion and greatest gift, helping other Unicorns realize they’re Unicorns and then using that unicorness (totally a word!) to build confidence, community, and world-changing movements.
In the year following my 9-months-with-NO-clients phase I made $150K, landed my first $50k+ client, and went from working with assholes to working with the kind of Unicorns that are shattering ceilings, debunking myths about who we ‘should’ be, and completely reinventing in an utterly unique way, how we define success.
And the icing on the cake? I even have a team of badass Unicorns who help me do this!
Photography by: @tracey.jazmin
So the next time you think that Entrepreneurship is all about struggle or that you’re never going to make an impact, have a community, or be loved for who you really are… STOP that runaway train of self-sabotage and KNOW THIS: Each of us is a magical fucking unicorn and that all you need to do is let her out.
Caterina Snyder | Brand Consultant & Coach
https://caterinasnyder.com/
https://www.instagram.com/caterina.snyder/
https://www.facebook.com/caterinasnyderconsulting/
MAD LOVE MONDAY | Joanne Bartolome
YEG Marketing is an agency that focuses on brand development, marketing and social media strategy. It can be as simple as creating a content calendar for your social media or doing a full brand refresh.
YEG Marketing is an agency that focuses on brand development, marketing and social media strategy. It can be as simple as creating a content calendar for your social media or doing a full brand refresh.
Photography | @pink_blush_photography
As a brand strategist, I see projects through from start to finish. My business values community engagement, giving back, and educating the public with useful marketing advice. I’m also big on integrating trending tactics into my strategy and am passionate about providing my clients with useful analytics and research.
Marketing and social media is very interesting, it’s a place where you can share ideas and create communities around you.
I chose marketing because I loved the idea of making an impact through storytelling. Growing up, I’ve seen how connected this world is and how everyone has a unique story that needs to be told. Every business I work with has a unique story and I want to be part of crafting it.
YEG Marketing started off as a side hustle two years ago. It was a creative outlet for me to try my marketing techniques with other industries in Edmonton. Choosing to go full time with my business was daunting and scary. If it weren’t for the amazing people who surrounded me and supported me, I don’t think I would have taken that leap. Also must make a special shoutout to my fiancé, who for years, kept saying “so are you going to go full time with your business yet?” and continuously believed in me.
I think what inspired me to start my own business was when I started participating in marketing competitions. At the time, I always thought I knew “Edmonton” marketing. When I finally started ranking in national and international competitions, it gave me the boosted confidence that “hey Joanne, your ideas are great!” and having that confidence to implement those ideas.
Another thing that inspired me was when I saw people around me doing it and absolutely loving what they do. Seeing Valerie start Pixels & Relish, Scott start Entrepremillionaire, and see a close friend become a Realtor after so many years, it made me start thinking – I better take that leap of faith and start providing people with quality marketing and social media services that fit their needs.
Also, I realized at a very young age that life is too short. Just this year, my sister went through a difficult time of chemotherapy. At the same time, I saw my mother-in-law have a passion for baking but now at 60+ years old she’s taking that chance at selling in Farmer’s Markets. It’s amazing how fast time flies and taking advantage of each moment because we never know what would happen.
Quote/Motto: Courage over Comfort – Brene Brown
When it comes to my persona goals, I have many goals for myself. But I think my number one goal this year is to be kind to myself. As entrepreneurs, I’ve noticed a lot of us are VERY hard on ourselves. We feel guilty taking the time to watch TV or read a book because we are told to always grind and hustle. While I do believe in working hard, I find that practicing gratitude can go a long way.
Photography | @pink_blush_photography
Believe me, I used to think that this didn’t work. I used to think journaling and meditating didn’t do anything. But now, I try to practice gratitude. Every day, my personal goal is to think and write down 1 thing I am grateful for that day. I got the idea from Paris Jewelers when they were giving out their gratitude journals. The idea is to enjoy the moment and find something to smile about. If I can do this consistently the rest of the year, I would be a very happy woman!
Professionally, I think the biggest goal for my business right now is to start providing resources through videos, podcasts, blog posts, or workbooks that are industry specific. While I absolutely love helping everyone, I think that these resources will allow me to help more people who may not be my client but are still looking for advice. Another goal would be to eventually have enough money to go to a marketing conference in the US, Europe, or outside in Edmonton in general. I feel like it will fuel my creativity and allow me to become a better person of myself.
The journey of entrepreneurship is incredible and the relationships you build is out of this world.
You decide your own fate and while being an entrepreneur isn’t easy, it is fulfilling and continuously pushes you to grow and learn every single day. The interesting thing about wanting to give up is because of that feeling of failure. Klarissa Paradis once told me, “there is no failure, it just means the outcome you expected didn’t happen.”
The scary thing about being an entrepreneur is that some days are great, and some days, you worry about where your next paycheck will be coming from (or, at least it was for me). I remember I was on the phone with a potential client and that person grilled me, made me feel inadequate because of my lack of experience, made several rude comments, and I still had to work a trade show after that phone call. I remember thinking to myself, “maybe you’re not cut out for this”. Maybe I wasn’t cutthroat enough, maybe I wasn’t strong enough, or maybe I didn’t have what it takes.
The amazing thing about a gratitude journal is that you don’t have to just write up what you are grateful for, but you can also record past testimonials, past compliments people have given you, and past e-mails that made you smile because of something you did that they recognized went above and beyond.
Support of friends and family is important, but having that documentation to remind me, yes – you are a badass lady that knows her stuff that will go above and beyond for her clients. After reassessing my values, this situation just meant that this client was just not the right fit for me.
Photography | @pink_blush_photography
However, even though I have my fair share of good and bad experiences, I still push myself to take on another day. The funny thing is, no matter what meetings I attend (and this will sound REALLY simple, and I absolutely love it) whether that person is male or female, and they say “damn. That’s a firm handshake”. It’s amazing how powerful and confident you feel. It sets the tone for the meeting and shows that I mean business. I feel like that gives me the best “BOSS BABE” moment especially after pushing myself to move forward.
When I first started attending events and people started to coin the term “The Joanne”. I remember Valerie and Scott would start introducing me as “The Joanne” and it instantly started catching on. The best moment was when I was going to a social media conference, and people would go up to me and say “wait, are you THE Joanne?”. At first, I was a little embarrassed to have the spotlight on me. But that showcased and made me realize the power of Instagram at the time.
However, I’ve lately gotten a lot of traction on LinkedIn through articles and recommendations. It’s a great platform to connect with people professionally and I do hope to continue using it in the future.
When it comes to dealing with work-life balance, I will always have Friday date night with my man.
That’s the time that I don’t answer phone calls or e-mails. It’s the time I give to myself to be selfish and get away from constantly being on my phone or thinking about work. It allows me and my man to do what we’ve been doing since the beginning we started dating – cooking together.
What are you looking to learn from other boss babes in the community?
I’m just looking to just learn about how they do it. How they run their businesses and any tips and tricks that can help with efficiency or keeping a level head during difficult situations. I’ve really enjoyed this community and seeing everyone come together to support each other to help local businesses grow.
Joanne Bartolome | YEG Marketing
instagram.com/marketingyeg/
facebook.com/marketingyeg/
linkedin.com/company/yegmarketing/
Post Curated by: Glenda Decasa | confessionsofacsorpio.com
Creativepreneur + YBB Social Media Coordinator
@glennymah
