Imagine baking a three-tier cake for your first order - daunting, right? That's precisely what Nam, the owner of Dreameecakes did. Today I sat down and spoke to the cake artist about how he got started in the industry and what does it look like to be a one man show.
This episode is a delightful narrative of Nam's journey from being a complete novice to a successful entrepreneur – all self-taught, backed by the support of family and aided by the power of social media. His story will not only satiate your sweet tooth but serves an inspiring dose of resilience, determination, and passion from when you just put yourself out there.
Nam shares the significance of setting boundaries, creating compelling social media content, and focusing on quality over quantity.
In this episode we will cover:
Want to connect with Nam? Be sure to follow his page on social media by clicking here
Busines FREEBIES:
Grab my FREE resource guide and get 30 plus resources to level-up your home bakery business click here to grab my FREE guide and get more tips from me every week.http://bit.ly/bakersresources
Are we friends on Instagram? If you enjoyed this episode TAG ME at @bakingforbusiness
I really do appreciate each and every one of you guys and LOVE meeting new baking friends.
Imagine baking a three-tier cake for your first order - daunting, right? That's precisely what Nam, the owner of Dreameecakes did. Today I sat down and spoke to the cake artist about how he got started in the industry and what does it look like to be a one man show.
This episode is a delightful narrative of Nam's journey from being a complete novice to a successful entrepreneur – all self-taught, backed by the support of family and aided by the power of social media. His story will not only satiate your sweet tooth but serves an inspiring dose of resilience, determination, and passion from when you just put yourself out there.
Nam shares the significance of setting boundaries, creating compelling social media content, and focusing on quality over quantity.
In this episode we will cover:
Want to connect with Nam? Be sure to follow his page on social media by clicking here
Busines FREEBIES:
Grab my FREE resource guide and get 30 plus resources to level-up your home bakery business click here to grab my FREE guide and get more tips from me every week.http://bit.ly/bakersresources
Are we friends on Instagram? If you enjoyed this episode TAG ME at @bakingforbusiness
I really do appreciate each and every one of you guys and LOVE meeting new baking friends.
Hey, sweet friends, my name is Chef Schaumburg. I started my baking business with the bottle of DeCerono and one Bundt Cake man. Fast forward to today, from news to magazines, speaking on national stages and more. I can truly say that baking has changed my life. So now, as a bakery business coach, I get to help others have the same success. I've helped hundreds of my students across the world in my global membership program create six-figure businesses, mainly from home.
Speaker 1:The Baking for Business podcast is an extension of that, from actionable tips to valuable tools and resources that can impact you as a business owner. I truly believe y'all. We would never have been given a gift if we couldn't profit and prosper from it. So come on, darling. What are you waiting for? Hey, sweet friends, and welcome back to the Baking for Business podcast. I'm super excited to have you guys here with me today. Today we have someone whose work will literally stop the scroll. Today we're here with Nam from Vietnam, who is amazing, and he's also the owner of Dreamy Cakes, which you guys probably follow on social media. But he has a beautiful style, beautiful feed, and so today we get to get to know him. So thanks so much for coming on the podcast. How you doing today.
Speaker 2:I'm doing good. How are you?
Speaker 1:I'm doing wonderful. I'm also happy because you're our second guy, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:Absolutely so before we get into the baking, because your work is super beautiful. What got you into baking? What got you started?
Speaker 2:Oh, I mean, actually that was like how to say it's really not in the purpose. You know, because back then in 2019, some of my friends in South Africa, you know, going to celebrate their birthday, and when we take a look of the cake online because we want to order it. So I said, what about? Like I'm challenging myself, you know, to make their birthday cake for the very first time, even though I never baked before or I even didn't know how to turn on the oven. So I really had to ask my partner to help me with the setting and all of that. But I tried to Google the recipe, you know, and then adjust it according to my taste. So I make them three tier cakes in like a different flavors and for the first time. So I said, oh, hope that it works. And then at that moment I even didn't know how to stack the tier cake together, you know. So I don't know why we need to use dowel, why we need to use, like, support, a cake board and all of that. I just stuck all of them on top of each other and, lucky that it was in winter time, so the cake still survived to the end of the celebration, you know.
Speaker 2:So after that they said why don't you just try and put the word out there, you know, and start selling cake? So I said, okay, that's such a nice idea, since I had nothing to do, because during that time I am like, basically my visa did not allow me to work in South Africa, so I am only doing that as like a hobby, you know so. And then after that I started posting my cake on social media and you know I really had to, like, create my own cake or using dummy cake, you know, just for the content, because I at that moment I didn't have any customer yet. So after posting for a month, surprisingly that the traffic started coming in, you know so, people thought, liking my picture on social media and they shared the word to each other and then, I think in the second month I got the first order and then after that it's just going up like crazily.
Speaker 2:You know, yeah, because I was not a local there in South Africa, so it's really hard to ask people or friends or family to share the word out there. So most of my customer comes straight from Instagram. And because I also like photography or taking video, recording video, so at the same time, like while making cake for customer. I just record video of the process how I am going to make a back cake, or sharing some tips and tricks along the way, and then take a few pictures to share with the people out there, you know. So the main purpose of that period of time is just to share the picture and hopefully to get more orders.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, and it definitely worked in your favor. That is pretty enormous, though, to do a three-tier cake as your very first cake.
Speaker 2:And I even told myself that, okay, I never frosted a cake before, so it would be easier to do like a semi-naked cake, like kind of wedding cake, you know. But people said that now to get a nice semi-naked you need to get it perfect, otherwise, like the imperfection will be showing off, you know. So I said I would just try it out and luckily it worked.
Speaker 1:Yes, it definitely worked out for you, and so one of the things I noticed is that you actually post a lot of beautiful stacked cakes, tiered cakes. How did you decide on simply doing like the, because I would consider you kind of like a luxury or elegant brand. What made you decide on doing that type of style of cakes? Because most bakers they play around, so I'm like cupcakes, cake pops, stuff like that. Did you always have a passion for cakes or did you also, you know, dabble and try other things?
Speaker 2:Actually that I like cakes and cupcakes, but you know that I enjoy decorating cakes more than cupcakes and, to be honest, because you know like I wanted to focus on making cake to earn a certain amount of money, you know, instead of making so many cupcakes and you just like a little bit at a time.
Speaker 2:So, but I also do that at the same time, but then once I'm getting busier, so then I just focus on making cake. I always told myself, and actually lucky that I have fully supported from my family and my partner, so that's why maybe I'm also not too stressed about financial basically. So that's why I still can keep up my standard and doing what I like. That is really important because I know that many bakers out there they still need to take care of their family and their children, so of course that they will take whatever come in, you know. So they that's why they have to do like cake, pork, cupcakes or many things. I'm not sure if they really enjoy doing that or sometimes it's just for financing. So and then I told myself and I told everyone that okay, I will just keep my standard and doing what I like, and definitely that there will be a market for it, you know. So that's what I am doing Until now. Yeah.
Speaker 1:You made a couple really good points. Usually when people start off, I told them the same thing do what you love. But if they jump too soon or they do it too soon, then they do end up doing a lot of things, because then it does become okay why I need to make money.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And so yeah, so kudos to you for just saying from the start, I'm just going to follow my passion and do what I really enjoy. And so how did you get the courage because a lot of people in our industry to struggle with pricing and you share some amazing tips on your feed, which I love how did you get the courage to charge the price? I don't want to say that you're worth because we're invaluable. You know we're all worth a lot, but how did you get the courage to charge the price for your cakes to attract that type of luxury customer?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, like at first, of course, that I also want to have more sell and like to have a chance to make more cakes, more style, you know. So I will give my price a little lower to get. But I always tell my customer that is the promotion for that period of time. I don't, I didn't tell them that is a set price, you know. So then they will be expecting the same price for the next order how to describe myself?
Speaker 2:But I mean, I charge for what I am thinking that is worth my time and my skill and not for that kind of market, for example. So let's say that it takes me five hours to finish that cake and I think, like, how much per hour could worth my time making it? So I set my standard, I set my own standard and of course that to be able to charge that price you also need to improve your skill every single day, you know, because when the customer receive the cake then they must say that oh yeah, it's worth it, you know. So that also make you stand out from the market. So, and of course that I am there, will always be like senior bakers out there and we would always be new.
Speaker 2:So how to stand out from the market, that's what we need to think about. So I said I don't follow anyone, as I mentioned earlier, because I am also not too stressed about financial, so that's why I am able to keep my standard and doing what I like, so luckily that people also understand it and as we all know that, there will always be the market Average, luxury or whatever depends on what you're looking to.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and that is just so powerful to, just like you stated, make sure you're paying yourself hourly, take all things into consideration, but to charge the price, because there will always be a market that loves luxury, just like always be a market that loves cheap, but we're not trying to really go after that market Absolutely so over time because you also said something that you don't really follow trends, and I don't think you do either. You have a look and a style that's very much your own and some people are afraid to do that.
Speaker 1:They actually follow every single trend. So, aside from not having to worry financially, are you just that much of a creative? Is it the creative portion of you, or is it just that you like bringing you joy? But what do you think is the common trend with some of your cakes and the looks of your designs?
Speaker 2:Well, I couldn't say that I am not following a following trend, but sometimes we also need to follow it Just to get more engagement. For example and I don't normally do the same style every now and then because I will get bored of it. So when you do something you need to enjoy doing it. So, for example, there is a man cake with a black cake with white bottles. I got like a thousand orders of it and of course that I get bored, but sometimes I also had to decline the order just to give it a break from that style.
Speaker 2:And I mean, like trend is also good if you know, if you're able to catch the trend and make it work. And at the same time you also need to have your own style. It's really hard to have your own style at the first period of time because you don't know what you love or what could be right for you. So it's same for me. So for the first period of time I also follow other bakers cake style, for example try to not really a copycat, but try to follow their style and then make it slightly different and turn it into our style. And then after that, once you understand the process, once you're familiar with all the techniques. Then you can start creating different style for your own.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Yeah, we're all inspired by something, but making it your own is definitely what counts. What does the day to day operations look like for you running your cake business? Do you have a certain amount of orders you take per week? Do you prefer working on the weekend or what's like a typical week look like for you?
Speaker 2:I would not to pick key because people normally celebrate on the weekend so we can't just say sorry. I'm not accepting order on the weekend. That's a must, because that is the only time that we can celebrate or enjoying time with families and friends. But I'm also a little greedy, even though you say you're a little greedy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I am working alone by myself. Sometimes I get help from my partner, but basically I also need to bake cake, decorating cake and sometimes for wedding cakes then I also have to create sugar flowers and all different material from across. So it's really hard to handle it, but I tried. So normally I will accept maximum seven cakes per day and it's all tall cakes. But sometimes I want to take a break and then it will be like one or two kicks per day, but of course not every day the order will be coming in, you know. So there will be sometimes two break in between.
Speaker 2:But for you know that as a home baker and you work for yourself, then you like to answering the question and all the queries day and night, you know. But my partner told me that we need to set the time limit for the customer to be aware. Let's say that you will be answering all the questions or queries on, like, a specific day. Let's say that on Tuesday or Thursday, the other day you don't answer it. So then the customer will be aware. Ok, then they could not like how to say, complain that why we don't reply them or why like this, like that, you know. So, ok, I follow it. But sometimes you know, when you are on the phone and you see messages coming in and you could not reply, then you also feel, oh no, I want to, but if you keep replying them in the middle of the night, they will continue the conversation. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, correct, and that's so important because I know on your page you mentioned your one man show and that's definitely possible, but so many small business owners struggle with putting systems into place, and so I agree with your partner it's good to have times where you cut off or no is no, even if you're on your phone. Is that? Is that hard for you when you see?
Speaker 2:I'm not really once. I get used to that kind of operates operation, then that's totally fine for me and the customer also understand it, you know. So who just keep going on and on about replying or whatever, that is not my customers, because my customer understand all of it.
Speaker 1:Yes, right, that is so true. And I have people who say that I'm like, why are people calling you in the middle of the night Like they can't call you know Walmart or Target or a grocery store in the middle, exactly, exactly, right. So, yes, definitely setting those boundaries. So you mentioned that you posted on social media and now I know you post quite frequently on social media. How is it being consistent? Because so many people struggle with marketing their business, even when they know something works, they just struggle with showing up. Do you set a time to put out your content or around? How often per week do you post on social media?
Speaker 2:For the first six months when I started posting on social media, because I also had some knowledge about social media before then.
Speaker 2:I just do what I believe that it works. So there will be certain times that I try it out and I also shared on some of live stream that we let's say that we all don't know, like, how Instagram work or social media platform works, so we need to figure out how ourselves. Let's say that there will be busy times in the day, just like a working time, you know there will be peak hours and there will be less busy hours. So we're playing around that. So I post, let's say, in the morning, around 8 or 9 am, because that time then people just get to work and they still haven't started their work yet, you know. So they will be scrolling on social media and then during lunch time, that is the only time that they can relax a bit on their phone, and evening time will be after dinner time, so they have more time, you know, relaxed before going to bed. Those period of time in a day need to be posted. So I just try and see how it works. You need to create really a lot of contents because you can't just post today and in another week and you post another post, you know. So social media could not pick it up and audience also couldn't know, like when exactly you go into, post or share your contents. They can't. Just, maybe they expect that, ok, maybe next week, or then next week they don't see anything. Then they get kind of disappointed.
Speaker 2:You know then, and it's really hard, but I tried. I tried because I just put the camera there at the angle that I like and I continue doing what I am doing. So, frosting the cake, there will be how many pods, you know, like a crumb coat, final coat, something easy for me, but maybe it will be something valuable for other people. That's what my sister told me. So don't think that is easy for you, then don't share it. So I said, ok, I will start sharing, sharing everything, even something very simple but helpful for other people. That's why I divide it into few parts that I think that helps other people crumb coat, final coat, decorating part, or creating, creating something for your decoration, whatever, and then just for one cake. Then I basically get about four, five contents, right, and then for trying three times, like three different times in a day, then I need three contents right. I can't just post the same content in different times. That's why I need to keep it up for at least three weeks, like that.
Speaker 2:So once I get, if it works, okay, if actually that social media is something that sometimes you also need to get a little luck. You know, not every single content creator make it work, so maybe it's time for you to shy. Then you shy, that's the thing. So, but you also need to keep it up, you know, and show your audience that you really sincerely want to share tips and tricks that help us to get better. That's what I think at the very first time, because I didn't pay for any courses, because I am, like I learned it by myself, so self-becker, so that's why I just think, okay, no one helped me at that time and I know how struggle I was, so I just think that it could help some people out there not all, but maybe some people out there that want to start this kind of journey. You know, then, luckily, that you know sometimes I think that very simple thing, but it works. I didn't expect that it works, but yeah, it even went viral, just for simple thing, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sometimes people fail to realize a couple things. Number one every day someone new is coming into this industry. So your sister is right what comes easy to you may not come easy to someone else. And then also number two so many people struggle with the basics.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you know you got to kind of narrow those basics down before you move on to the more advanced stuff. So I like the fact that which we have a couple people on the podcast before who do bakery photography and they're always telling people to break the content down. So I like the fact that you're saying you're getting like four to five pieces of content just out of one order. That is awesome. So to anyone else who wants to do like you, to just step into that luxury realm, to start doing more gourmet, elegant cakes, what advice would you have to someone to just get started in the industry?
Speaker 2:It's hard right, and because you need to get used to the basic stuff first and you need to like how to say dare to try, because I mean to try it out. It costs money, it costs time, but you need to try it out first before accepting order. Because, I said, to approach a luxury market or to be able to charge that price, you need to improve your skill, your knowledge, your technique every single day and really take a look close, like close, the look to this, very small details. That's what I like to do. So maybe for other people it takes only two hours to finish that cake. It may take me three or four hours, because I want every single details look perfect.
Speaker 2:So they need to do like doing good what they are doing and then dare to try new stuff and brought this every single day. Luckily, when I take a look on social media whatever the new stuff, because I'm also new at that time so I just watch a lot of reals video on Instagram and I wonder myself how, how, how that they, they do that you know. So I will just figure it out myself, because not really not everyone will tell you what they, what they are doing and how they do it, you know, because sometimes we also need to keep something for ourselves, not like we are being selfish, and but yeah, if you want to be a better version of yourself, you also need to learn from yourself, you know. Or sometimes we need to spend something to learn something new absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2:So if you are, because they also text their own time or spend so much time to figuring it out, experimenting, and spend so much money and time and effort for that new techniques or need to go to school, take courses, so why they? We also could not blame on them that, why they could not share everything you know, then they they share on social media that is already sharing. We need to figure it out how they do that, or we need to spend money, spend time to experimenting it, and that's what I am doing until now yeah.
Speaker 1:I love it. I love it and you actually share yourself on YouTube, so you're not just on Instagram, but you have some tutorials and stuff on YouTube yeah, I try to play around on all kind of platform.
Speaker 2:So first I only started on Instagram because you know that foreign people, like foreign country western people, like to use Instagram a lot. So once I get back to Asia, in Asia they use Facebook and TikTok. So that's why I also need to start posting on TikTok. And then, to be honest, I don't earn anything from posting content on Instagram or TikTok. So that's why I try to create a channel on YouTube. And actually that because you know how you, if you want to be growing on that platform, you need to understand how that platform work.
Speaker 2:So for Instagram, it works with short rails, about like a 15 to like 7 to 15 seconds. You know, unless that you post like tutorial, then it can be over one minute. So on TikTok, then you need to post like the whole process, from beginning to the end, to the final result, and but sometimes like audience could not follow like in in the stages you know on Instagram and it's all like a speed up video. So they said that, oh, I love your contents, but unfortunately I could not follow it because it's too fast or whatever. So that's why I also create YouTube channel to show them like the whole process with like a real time speed, you know. So I explain everything in the video and hope that they can follow it.
Speaker 1:Awesome. Well, you do a wonderful job in your videos, and so, for anyone who wants to follow you or get more information, where can we find you on social media?
Speaker 2:They actually before I had like what's that number, but just for accepting order. But then people also start texting me to ask like, can you explain these tips or can you tell me tips and tricks about how to make this and that? To be honest, I get a little annoyed because it will be messed up with my orders and audience messages, you know. So I close down with that what's up and they only can message me like on Instagram, and I would. I will, I definitely that read all the messages, I will go through all of them and will answer whatever I think that is needed. You know, because other stuff. Then they can take a look on my page or on my stories or during my live stream. I share it all.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, and, and that's that's normal. I think sometimes people don't think. You know, we have lives, we have schedules. It's hard to answer every single person's question, but you do a great job, though. I know we can find you on Instagram, at dream you cakes, as well as on YouTube, and you have an amazing highlight section which answers a lot of questions and stuff that you get there, so that's awesome. Before I let you go, are you ready for lightning round? Yeah, yeah, all right. What is your favorite color?
Speaker 2:A lot Like navy, black, red, orange.
Speaker 1:What is a dessert you can't live without?
Speaker 2:Oh, it's hard. It's hard to say I think I can live without most of the dessert.
Speaker 1:You have a favorite that you'd like to eat.
Speaker 2:I think it's called choux crackling.
Speaker 1:So that's crazy. In America, cracklings are like fried pig fat, is it yeah?
Speaker 2:This is what I made yesterday.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's beautiful y'all All right. So, yeah, he's showing miniature cakes. You guys, those are cute, love it. And who is your celebrity crush?
Speaker 2:Taylor Swift.
Speaker 1:Aw, okay, you're not alone. What is a kitchen utensil you cannot live without?
Speaker 2:Silicon spatula.
Speaker 1:All right, silicone spatula for the win From the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much for coming on and talking today. I really appreciate you sharing your business and giving me success.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. You're welcome, darling. How amazing was Nam. You guys you know we're really living in a day and age where anyone can grow on social media. Sometimes I think people really forget how grateful we are that we can use free platforms to show up, to share, to raise brand awareness and to really tell more people about our business, and Nam is doing a really great job with that. If you're not following him already, I have all his information in the show notes and special thanks to him for just coming and sharing all about his luxury cake brand and his thoughts as well. I hope you guys enjoyed today's podcast. Take care and bye for now. Music you.