Baking it Down with Sugar Cookie Marketing 🍪

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🪦 RI Don’t Hold Your P- When it’s time to speak up.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 284 - RI-Don't Hold Your P, thank goodness we're nearly done with our "spooky sugar" series (because the names are getting harder to keep on theme). Things that are scary to businesses are the things that were preventable until they grew 5 legs and ran off on ya. That's today's podcast, born from the drama we've seen hit our FYPs over the last few weeks.

🪦 Deadly Inspo Disclaimer

Inspiration photos are "for inspiration only" as long as you communicate that to the client before they hand you that cold, hard cash. When you ask someone what they want, and they send you a photo, there's a high chance they expect you to replicate it pretty darn close. Adding a simple disclaimer to your Jotform or Google Forms that says "inspo photos help guide my creative process, but end result won't be a 1:1 replication" will help break the ice(ing) with client expectations.

What you don't want to happen is to not add that disclaimer, hand over the cookies baked with love (and hard work and time), and have the client question where these designs came from and how come you didn't mirror the pic they sent you.

🪦 The Deadly Delayed Quote

The inclination that you can "wow" the client into opening the wallet a bit wider is a weak strategy when it comes to high-priced, edible items. Lead with your minimum - it kicks out the tire kickers while also setting expectations and eliminating sticker shock. We often find people scared of quoting clients aren't 100% positive in their pricing.

There's a cost floor for every quote - the minimum you can charge and break even (including time costs). Then there's a price ceiling - the highest you can charge in your market and with your skillset before a client will no longer pay that price. Somewhere in between covers your costs, adds profit, and keeps clients happy. Knowing that number is a big part of why we're launching the Profit Blueprint in the Cookie College this month.

🪦 The Silent Skillset Killer

If it's not in your wheelhouse, you need to be wh-eally honest. Simply stating, "Hey - love your ideas! This technique isn't something I can knock out of the park, but here's another method I can definitely include to get it really close to your concept. Does this fit the bill?" Worst case - they go with another baker, and you're not stuck with a really awkward conversation when they ask why you didn't do what they asked. All in all, not that bad of an outcome.

We're all at different parts of the cookie journey, and regardless of where that is, taking on the work you know you can execute fully is the best business decision, and saying no is an amazing way to grow a great business that doesn't cause you stress from upset customers.

🪦 The Haunted Highway of Delivery

We see this a lot in our very populated "sprawl" in Northern Virginia. With so much "cross-contamination" in local groups, it's easy to see why someone tagging a baker from X in a group about Z can lead to the issue of "wh-Y do I need to take a day off work to commute to pick up a box of cookies?" from the client. Be very clear on your location - in fact, include it on your website, your forms, and in your bios on social (bonus - it can be a ranking factor, and it's something some AIs can read and make recommendations based on).

The BIG takeaway from this podcast episode: be up front or find yourself 6 feet under (jk - 🧛🏻‍♀️ you'll just be buried in bad reviews - muhahahahaha).

And don't forget my Live 2 - Let’s Pre-Shop The Vendys! 🛒 (30 Minutes) on Thursday at 6:00 PM about the Vendy Blendy! You can watch last week's Live on YouTube.

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 284 - RIP.

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🎃 The Pricing Pumpkin - Stop being scared of profit

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 282 - The Profit Pumpkin, we are continuing to force the "scary Halloween-themed" podcast lineup, this time talking about things that scare off your profitability (pumpkins have nothing to do with it other than also starting with a "P").

🎃 Fear of the Quote

Something that's scary - especially if you're new or recently raised your prices - is sending that first quote. The fear of rejection or ghosting (heh - Halloween) is enough to barely squeak out a price that doesn't cover much profit in hopes it secures the sale. I mean, a business that doesn't make sales is a closed business, right?

🥧 We have some "pumpkin-spiced" suggestions for this. Have your website state your minimum cost per dozen based on your actual numbers, and know exactly what your break-even number is. This is the number that covers all of your costs (including time) without accounting for profit. Charging anything below this number is slowly putting you out of business because you're technically paying the client to order from you through your loss of income from the costs of production (aka making the order).

🎃 Haunted Chasing Payment

We always suggest full payment at the time of booking, mostly so you're not chasing payment after the order is delivered. But there's a strategy behind offering partial payment or payment at pickup; if that's your business strategy, be prepared to chase. It can be scary to hand off hours of your hard-spent time and effort in a box of a dozen cookies, only to hope the client remembers their side of the bargain - cough up the cash.

Our suggestion - brace for impact. You took the risk to secure the order, so budget for the ghosts, because it will happen. But good news - you'll likely have gotten more orders because you took the risk - so it all works out. If you keep gettin' burned, move to payment at booking.

🎃 The Quote Ghost

Much like the fear of the quote, getting ghosted once you quote someone can suck - but it's just business; don't take it personally. In fact, I'm knee-deep in pitching the Vendy Blendy to some of the shops you suggested. Guess what - ghosted left and right, but that doesn't necessarily mean no (although it could, and that's fair), it could indicate I haven't explained this completely made-up event featuring made-up words in a way that gets the shops to see the potential for sales. Don't be afraid of the ghosted quote - and also don't be afraid of a few follow-ups until you earn the firm "no thank you" - it's a gift in disguise (heh - because Halloween).

🎃 Time Terrors

Not accounting for labor costs can be one of the scariest threats to your bottom line. In fact, in the Profit Blueprint we're rolling out this month, we have a tab dedicated to seeing your profit % if you account for time and how bloated your profit appears if you don't. Time costs money, and not pricing with time in mind means you could be losing money on each order and not even know it - how scary.

Snag this week's podcast to hear the other Sugar Scaries as well as snag the winner of the Artiste Mixer we're giving away to one person pending for the Vendy Blendy.

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 282 - The Pricing Pumpkin.

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😱 Authentic in a World - of Sc-AI-ry

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 281 - Authentic in a World of SC-AI-ry, we are not bashing AI. In fact, I think most bakers should find a way to incorporate it into their workflow, automation, and planning.

But in marketing, specifically your interface with the clients, authenticity always wins. And oftentimes, being authentic is the opposite of easy. So while bakers out there are generating their images, copy, blog posts, and newsletters, doing it the ol' fashioned manual way can help you cut through the AI clutter.

Unfortunately, not automating something typically translates to it taking longer - but consider this: If it takes .002 seconds to generate and post, was it worth posting at all? And with AI labels on Meta posts and Instagram accounts being labeled AI-generated, I believe we may be seeing a depreciation in content that is AI-touched (meaning hand-typed - is that even a word?). So there's an additional incentive to be yourself. People want to see you, and algos may possibly be showing your content more if it's from you.

The strategy summary: you can stand out by going against the flow here.

🧟‍♂️ Authentic Photography

When everyone else is using AI to generate pre-sale images, standing out is your own slightly imperfect photography style. Those small crumbs you forgot to brush off the backdrop, the reflection of the cello bag in the camera lens - that style people can recognize your bakes from - this is what's going to have you stand out. Finally - being imperfect is the move to come across as authentic. AI could never.

🧟‍♂️ Authentic Copy

Writing your own captions - typos, hanging participles, and the incorrect use of effect and affect - can help you stand out authentically. Yes - we preach professionalism, but the game has changed. Everyone, seemingly overnight, is writing copy that could be published in the encyclopedia. It's so perfect, it's actually become predictable (check out Google's recent update on SEO using AI-written articles). Humans are messy, and so is their writing. People want you.

If copy is tough for you, AI can be the jump point; then add yourself back in. AI is an amazing tool, but it's a less-than-stellar replacement for the real you.

🧟‍♂️ Authentic in Front of the Camera

Corrie and I discussed this at length - the last frontier AI really struggles to generate is you... like literally you - the you in front of a camera (I know, I hate it too). The fastest way to cut through generated content? Be yourself in an Instagram story. Stories were designed to be "behind-the-scenes," so by nature, they're expected to be messy. And that's what the people who watch stories want to see. In fact, Instagram's CEO said to stop sharing feed posts to stories - people don't want to see that; they want YOU.

This month of October, I've decided to post a story to Sugar Cookie Marketing's Meta profiles every day - despite how the hair and makeup turned out.

🧟‍♂️ Authentic In-Person Events

Ain't no AI making a humanoid (yet, at least) - stand out by going out. Sign up for that vendor event, join that business networking group, teach that in-person class, and man your cookie carts - these are going to separate you from the digital stunt doubles a lot of bakers are using as their replacements.

If you're about to comment, "I hate AI," you've entirely missed the point of this post. I think all bakers should consider finding ways AI automation can buy back their time and make their business more efficient. But in terms of marketing and reach, right now the vote is to stand out by being as you as possible on the customer-facing side.

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 281 - Authentic in a World of SC-AI-ry.

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😱 Scary Scope Creep - How to stop the spread.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 280 - Scary Scope Creep, we are scarin' you straight back to staying within scope, aka what you and the client originally agreed on for their order.

Scope creep is the scary term for agreeing to a design and a price, but over time, through minor changes and alterations, the initial quote no longer matches the bloat. You're now making less profit or, even worse, losing money on this order. And really, it's everyone's fault while also being no one's fault. No one sets out to "get one over on their baker," and no baker sets out to lose money on an order they worked hard on - that's why it's called creep - it creeps in slowly, stealing your profit and your peace of mind.

Here's how to stop scope creep in its scary tracks.

🧟‍♂️ Creepy - Not Having a Form

Let the form be the scary bad guy here. Having a form forces your client to stay in their order lane. Two dozen minimum? The form communicates that. Payment due to click submit? Form forces their hand (and wallet). Having a form is the first line of defense against scope-creeping clients.

🧟‍♂️ Creepy - Not Limiting Emails

Scope creep is rarely brazen. No client is going to send you an email that says, "Hey - I know we agreed to X price, but I'm going to add Y changes and still expect the price to stay the same." Oftentimes, it creeps in through endless back-and-forth emails with changes that aren't reigned in. When you see that a client will be coming up with an endless list of ideas, rate-limit their emails. "Awesome - two more emails to dial in design and lock in the final details, and we'll be all set."

🧟‍♂️ Creepy - Not Requoting

When a change is made after the quote was finalized, don't be scared of saying, "Awesome - let me requote that for you." You're not forcing them to pay it; you're letting them know the change in scope results in a change in rate, and they have the option to accept or reject that change. It's a great way to train your clients that changes result in charges. Otherwise, you're training them to scope creep - and it won't go over well when you eventually decide to walk that "free work" back one day.

🧟‍♂️ Creepy - Scope Creeping Yourself

The client ain't always the one to blame when it comes to scope creep. If they agreed to X, but you added gold, 2 more designs, and 3 more cookies to their order - you just robbed yourself. "But I just want to overdeliver!" Overdelivering when you're losing money is bad business. Put on the good business owner hat and instead of over-delivering for $0, try upselling them. Maybe they'll be willing to pay too!

🧟‍♂️ Creepy - Not Knowing Your Numbers

The easiest way to fall victim to scope creep is not truly knowing your numbers - ingredients, labor, packaging, overhead, and profit. If you're unsure if your costs are covered and that you're pulling a profit, you won't know where the scope creep haunts ya. Good thing The Cookie College is rolling out the Profit Blueprint this October!

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 280 - Scary Scope Creep.

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🎙️ Pod Guest: Jonathan Brandel - Cookier turned 3D printer...er?

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 279 - Cookier Interview - Jonathan Brandel, we had the third in our series of guest speakers this year! This week featured Jonathan Brandel (our potentially long-lost triplet), who is a full-time worker, baker, father of three, and now a 3D printer. Printer-er? How do you say that correctly?

He takes us through how he balances it all, what new tech is comin' to the world of 3D printing, and some tips on keeping the ol' print bed warmed and ready to go. But before we jump into the podcast, here's how you can contact him for 3D printer design work: hello@brandel3ddesigns[dot]com and (a work in progress) website: www.brandel3ddesigns[dot]com

🖨️ His Backstory - Brandels Baked Goods

If you haven't met Jonathan in the SCM group, you've likely not had a 3D printer issue. He's a superstar at troubleshooting. Jonathan began his baking journey in a unique way - when his wife was pregnant with their first, looking for additional ways to make some money - from baked pies to caramel, he landed on sugar cookies when a friend sent a picture - something he didn't even know existed before that instance (makes me wonder how the rest of y'all first discovered sugar cookies).

As a man now with three kids and a full-time job and two more hustles - the bakery and the 3D printing business - Brandel (I like to call him by his last name lol) focuses on high-margin items and streamlining production, which makes sense when time is the most valued asset you have.

His bakery goal? Collaborations with other bakers. His oven and his 3D printers work in tandem to fill a gap in his local market in Oregon. He partners with bakers to produce 3D-printed marketing materials, QR codes, and cake pop molds and cookie cutters.

Unlike most bakers here, the cart came before the horse - meaning the 3D printer came before the desire to print cookie cutters at home. He started (aka cried through) an Ender 3 Pro, migrating to the Bambu line as an early adopter, but now, as tech has caught up to the wall Bambu smashed down, he's added a few new printers to his growing collection (Brandel - do you name your printers like actual names??)

As far as marketing - community groups are still his primary lead gen - yep, even for the 3D printing biz! The "Final Frontier" of word-of-mouth is still alive and well. If you'd like to contact Jonathan for 3D printing collabs or to hire him to design custom STLs, he says he's open to it! I left his email at the top.

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 279 - Cookier Interview - Jonathan Brandel.

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🧟‍♂️ Cost Creepers - Scary ways you’re losing money.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 278 - Cost Creepers, the Cookie College is comin' up with Blueprints (more on that soon), and the first 14-day Blueprint focuses on accurately pricing your bakes profitably - the key word being: profit.

One of the most insidious threats to your profit margin is sneaky overhead costs (also called indirect costs). These are the line items in your budget that are needed to make the sale but aren't directly related to that specific order - the Canva subscription to make the graphic that you posted to the Facebook ad that brought in the website lead that you added to your CRM software.

These costs are necessary for running a cottage bakery, but they can also grow out of control. That subscription to an STL library you never use can be just as dangerous as that website subscription that just increased in price (lookin' at you, Square).

And we're not telling you to hit the cancel button 100 times. We're challenging you to cut back the creep. What do you really need? What do you use so often that it may be worth the yearly upgrade for the discount? What can you sell to buy back some cash flow? What can you invest in to increase those margins?

💸 Software and Subscriptions

These are the sneakiest overhead costs because of auto-renewals, rate increases, and forgetfulness. That cutter box subscription? Maybe it's not helping you plan a set that resonates with your audience. That graphic subscription? Is there a plan downgrade that still fits the bill? That Canva subscription? Can you join a grandfathered team and get that price down? Always check back on these - I like auditing them at least twice a year and seeing if that subscription still serves my purposes.

💸 Business Expenses

These expenses are required to keep the business above board - your LLC renewal, that CPA's yearly invoice, your PO box, and the farmer's market fee. Don't forget - some of these can still be shopped around. Your insurance could be increasing year over year, and another company would love your money... I mean, business.

💸 Shared Utilities

As home-based businesses, we share the air conditioner literally with our families - some of that needs to be covered by the business and the rest by the home. Same with electricity, water, internet, trash, phone plans, gas - you get the point. These costs can fluctuate, but taking an honest look at whether your pricing covers these types of costs is important for creating a profitable business.

Once you take an honest look at your costs - overhead, labor, ingredients- and add in profit, you can see what needs to give and what needs to double down. And that's what we're doing with the Profit Blueprint - 14-day spreadsheet walkthrough that leaves you with an honest look at what your dozen actually makes you.

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 278 - Cost Creepers.

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🤡 First Timer Follies - When you’re new and need orders.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 277 - First Timer Follies, we're wrapping up our New Baker's series, talking about first-timer mistakes you don't have to repeat if you snag yesterday's episode.

When you're new to any industry, it's easy not to know what ya don't know - and that's what this beginner podcast series is for: to help new bakers miss the missteps when just getting started, saving them time (and tears).

You can reference the series here:

• 🎧 277. Baking it Down - First Timer Follies
• 🎧 276. Baking it Down - How To Turn Down Orders When You Need Orders
• 🎧 275. Baking it Down - Big Shoes Battle
• 🎧 274. Baking it Down - Allow Us to be Your Personal Yodas
• 🎧 273. Baking it Down - Content Cookies for Beginner Bakers
• 🎧 270. Baking it Down - The Right Foot when Getting Started
• 🎧 269. Baking it Down - Sugar Cookies as a Side Hustle

🙅‍♀️ Don't overbuy cookie cutters

Corrie said a big impulse when you're first out of the gate is to snag each and every cookie cutter, dreaming of a certain style of baker you want to be, typically centered around a specific aesthetic.

But it's your skill set and your client base that determines which cutters you'll find yourself reaching for most. So start with purchasing simple shapes and plaques - these are versatile shapes you can use again and again.

Oftentimes, bakers will end up never even touching the very cutters they spent their early dollars on - and that's a profit problem. Take notes from the folly of your elders - not every cutter is worth the squeeze when you're just getting started!

🙅‍♀️ Don't jump on trends

Trends are as awesome as they are a risk - you can make quick money, sure, but you can also be stuck with an endless supply of Labubu boxes or Target crates. Let the more established bakers snag those trendy sales - they have the audience for it and the skills for quick turnaround (before the trend dries up). Focus on popular (repeating) holidays at Christmas or Halloween that are guaranteed to come back in style year after year (and use up that extra pumpkin-shaped packaging).

🙅‍♀️ Have an order intake form in place

With Google Forms being free and Jotform being essentially free for new bakers, you don't have to learn that you need an intake process in place by missing an order or spelling a name wrong.

Take a lesson from every baker before you and make a form that gets all orders coming in to one place rather than managing texts, emails, Facebook messages, and Instagram DMs (it's only a matter of time before you miss some important detail that will force a refund or catch a bad review).

🙅‍♀️ Don't offer everything

You may feel like offering everything everyone wants will get you every dollar they have. Fun surprise - it actually works the opposite. Analysis paralysis + loss aversion + expiring ingredients = offering everything when you're just getting started can be bad news for profit margins.

Start with the basics, master that, grow the customer base, then add the cake pops + bronuts + sourdough, etc. When you're just getting your sealegs under ya, it's not the time to be adding more boats to the fleet.

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 277 - First Timer Follies.

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🛑 How 2 Turn Down Orders - When you’re new and need orders.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 276 - How To Turn Down Orders When You Need Orders, the beginner baker needs to turn down orders - yes, even when they need orders. Sometimes the client isn't the right match, the client has expectations that exceed current skill set, or the baker just doesn't have the time to handle as much back-and-forth as a specific client needs to feel comfortable.

So how do you turn down orders when you need more orders? The typical recommendation is to say you're booked - which works pretty well for an established baker who is well... typically booked. But for the new baker, it puts them in a bind. They reject the client by claiming they're booked today, but are posting in a Facebook group looking for orders tomorrow. It's a fast way to lead to an upset client and an awkward conversation.

We have a better strategy (actually copy templates) you can steal.

❌ Client is coming from another baker

Issue:

"I recently had a potential customer who has been a little strange and kind of insulted my work. She normally gets her cookies from another baker who has been doing this for a decade, but tried my cookies at a market and likes my flavor better. So when we discussed her cookie designs, she kept saying whatever “I’m most confident in” that I can make look like this other person because “she’s been doing it for a decade so you should check out her work.” Basically saying my designs aren’t up to par with this person who has been doing it for much longer."

(this was an actual thread posted in the Sugar Cookie Marketing group)

Response:

"Hey client! I really gave this order some thought, and while I appreciate your confidence in me, my goal is to ensure my clients are 100% happy - even if that means referring them to another baker.

I don't believe my current skillset will knock this out of the park in the way your order deserves, and having a client that I've missed the mark with is far worse than losing a sale. Thanks so much for considering me, and I hope XYZ baker can really stick the landing on these! In the meantime, I'll be in the kitchen working on new techniques, and I'd love the chance to work with you on a future order when I've had more time in the saddle!"

Now, I understand my wording puts a lot of the "accountability" on you and not on her being high maintenance, but we feel like this delivery softens the blow of "I don't want your order." Tweak, delete, or steal it!

❌ Client needs some babysitting

Issue: Client is asking for too much babysitting back and forth.

Response:

“Hey client! Love the direction we’ve gotten with this order - it’s going to turn out really amazingly. Let’s firm up the details in the next two emails so I can make sure I meet your due date on this order - I don’t want any snafus with the postal system causing any delays.

Here’s what I need from you: [list of outstanding design choices]

Once I get that, I’ll start gathering the supplies for your order. We’ve got your invoice paid, and then I’ll be in the kitchen! If you want to reply to this email with any outstanding questions about your order, I’ll knock those out in my final response, and we can finalize this!"

❌ Client is asking for a more advanced set

Issue: This person is asking for designs outside the skillset you’re comfortable with:

Response:
“Hey client, thank you so much for considering me. I just reviewed your cookie inspiration photos you sent over, and I want to be 100% with you and my abilities. I don’t think I’ll be able to nail the look you’re going for, but I also know you deserve someone to knock this set out of the park for your big day.

I wouldn’t be comfortable with taking your order, but I do have a few bakers I’m going to recommend that could probably nail this specific look for you.

I don’t know their availability, but here’s the link to each Facebook Page so you can see their past work and review it before reaching out!

Thank you so much for even considering me. I’m going to work hard on my decorating skills so I can be confident in this look and earn your business down the road!”

❌ Client is anxious about the order

Issue: Client is anxious about the order process and feels distrustful of the baker.

Response:

“Hey Client! Thank you so much for trusting me with your big day and cookies. I am so excited to bake these up for you!

I just want to let you know how the process goes so you can feel at ease and know that your cookies are being taken care of and are my utmost priority.

Since we booked you already and we've got about 2 weeks before I start prepping your order, what I’m doing now is reviewing everything, and I’m going to send you an update email 1 week out from pick-up. After that, I’m going to start the prep process by getting the dough mixed, finding the corresponding cookie cutters to the ones we discussed, and then I’ll begin baking.

I don’t send update photos as I go since they won’t make sense until I’m done. An eye-less Elsa isn’t for the faint of heart! Once I finish the set, I’ll send you an email with an order update, a look at your finished set, and we can nail down a pick-up time for the next day."

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 276 - How To Turn Down Orders When You Need Orders.

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👟 Big Shoes Battle - How to compete with the big bakers.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 275 - Big Shoes Battle, we're back on our beginner baker series, and good news - even if you're new and it feels like you're takin' on the Big Dog Bakers who have been in the space for 5+ years, you can still play ball.

Here are five ways that being the underdog actually gives you the home-field advantage over more established bakers regarding your marketing approach.

👟 Followers Don't Matter.

Ten years ago, we wouldn't be able to tell you that followers were just a made-up number that doesn't affect marketing. Today we can tell you that. Yes, having a base of followers adds social proof and signals to a customer that you aren't a made-up cookie business out to steal their money and disappear into the abyss.

But you can now reach far more than your follower count - it's the plus side of algorithm-based reach. So even if you have 100 followers, a quality post that reaches the right audience has the potential to reach thousands of would-be clients. Post in a local Facebook group, and their followers are now wide open to your reach - and you didn't even have to make and run a Facebook group.

The potential to reach more in your audience has never been higher - and you don't have to get 1,000,000 followers to do it (remember when you could only reach the people who followed your page??).

👟 No group tags? Tag yourself.

If you're new to baking, you're not going to get as many tags as a more established baker with a long-term network of referrals and word-of-mouth. But guess what? You can be your biggest fan right out of the gate. Put the blinders on if seeing the other baker tags affects you negatively, but always tag yourself. And be honest about it too. None of this, "I hear [myself] is a really great baker!"

Approach it this way: "Hey Mary! I'm Corrie with Mixing Bowl Cookies [tag page], and I'd love to have the chance to work with you on your event! Here's a picture of a set I've done similar to what you're looking for. If you want to work together on this, here's how to get started [how they place an order with you]." Don't forget to include a picture, emojis, and line breaks.

👟 No email list? Start now.

A small but engaged email list = better than a large email list that the seasoned baker has forgotten to email for over a year (55% of bakers said they haven't emailed their audience in the last 12 months).

A quick win for a new baker - starting (and staying consistent with) an email list. Email is the final frontier of chronological order, and even if the clients don't open it (20% is the industry open rate standard), they still saw your brand and know you exist for their next order.

👟 No incoming orders? Make content.

That big baker who is fully booked doesn't have time to make content that could go viral, get shared, or reach that next order from someone who otherwise wouldn't know you exist. While they're busy baking it up in the kitchen, you get busy recording content. In the world of Reels, you can quickly grow an audience just from a few decently performing vertical videos.

Stream this week's pod to see our solution for bakers who are so new, they have no reviews. Yep - you can take the big dogs on here too!

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 275 - Big Shoe Battles.

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🧙‍♂️ Your Yodas - allow us to be...

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 274 - Your Yodas Allow us to Be, we're back on our beginner baker series, and what better time than to reintroduce ourselves, tell you a bit about our background in marketing and sales, and how we got into the wild world of Sugar Cookie Marketing and The Cookie College.

🧙‍♂️ Hi, I'm Heather

Born and raised in Northern Virginia right outside DC, I recently moved to West Virginia - as wild and wonderful as the adage says. But before that, I worked in B2B sales for a property restoration company. Who knew there was a billion-dollar industry just hoping your house burns down during a hailstorm while your toilet overflows?! Wilder world than West Virginia ever could imagine.

While working in B2B sales, I also managed the company's online presence - a lot of the same stuff I talk about today (with a 15-year update on the materials). While doing that during the day, I started an e-commerce website solely to understand more about how online sales, product sourcing, and marketing worked. It was a wild time where spending literally any money on Facebook ads pushed the ads out to just about anyone and everyone on the platform. From there, I started flipping websites - fancy way of saying creating a website that generates either traffic or conversions, then listing the site on a marketplace for someone else to take over.

All of this "dabbling" prepped me for a phone call from Corrie saying we're jumping into local, service-based marketing as our own company. Built that up for half a decade focusing on websites and SEO, along with ads and social - then BAM, a global pandemic that threw half our client list into a holding pattern. Badda-bing badda-boom, twin says, "Hey, we're bored - wanna help some cookie people with their marketing?" That was October 2020.

Since then - I'd like to say I know a thing or two because I've worked with tons of bakers over the years who have real-life seen a thing or two. With our powers combined, we're captain... wait, I mean - we can learn from each other, and thus - I'd like to help you learn how to win at cookie business.

Our goal is to help you through our own experience and the experiences of other bakers we've worked alongside, solving problems, talkin' strategy, and celebrating wins for the last 6 years (SCM's bday is October - can you believe it's been 6 years?!).

🧙‍♂️ Hey there. I'm Corrie.

I'll write this on behalf of Twin 2. Corrie got married at 19 (or 20?? I forget), had her son Archer at 21. She moved to Ohio for like 6 months, moved back to Northern Virginia, got divorced, and a few years later remarried to a really great guy who works as a police officer by day, weight lifter by night.

When she was in her twenties, she got into car sales - 🚗🚙🚕🛻 which she cites as one of the most complex sales funnels most people would ever experience. It prepared her for a transition to home services sales for the rest of her twenties until she decided to stress her twin by saying, casually one afternoon, "Hey - quit that job, we start a business tomorrow. See you at 8."

No one works harder than Corrie - I call her the locomotive. She'll head in a direction and only stop when she runs through a brick wall. 🧁🍪🥧🍴 When Covid hit, she decided to try out the hobby of sugar cookies, and the rest is history. You don't have to be the best at decorating to be really good at business, and failing forward is a part of the recipe for success. With her baking experience and my affinity for tech, we make a decent pair of Yodas to help guide your bakery business in efficiency and profitability.

Basically, 💍 *gets down on one knee*, we're asking if you'd let us be your Yodas.

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 274 - Your Yodas Let Us Be.

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📹 Content Cookies - For the beginner cookier.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 273 - Content Cookies for the Beginner Baker, we acknowledge there's an issue between when a baker gets started selling and the amount of content they have... or, well, don't have.

A lot of the content that bakers post comes from the orders they take, and they get orders from the content they post. So when you're new to selling, you've got a bit of the 'chicken or the egg' going on - how can you make content if you don't have orders?

There are a few strategic approaches that won't have you burning through (baking up?) your margins when money is at the tightest point for any startup - at the beginning.

📹 Point #1 - Segment the Cookies in a Set

One single cookie set order of a dozen cookies featuring 4 different designs can get you a lot more content than that one photo you posted. Use the zoom and crop features! Corrie will turn a "jungle birthday" into a single cookie for National Lion's Day (hey - did you know Monday was National Lion's Day?).

Stage it multiple ways and take pictures of each design. Have a "pyramid" setup and then do an isolation setup on a white backdrop. The more you make your cookies work for you in the beginning, the less you'll have to stress when it comes to "what should I post today?"

📹 Trends don't require experience

Most popular trends on TikTok and Instagram don't require being an expert decorator as much as they require you figuring out what's trending and posting before the trend dies down. TikTok even has its own trend tracker.

August's "I never told you this, but" trend could easily be done with your business partner or spouse - throw on an apron and make it bakery-themed, and there's a lot of potential there.

📹 Behind the scenes content

No one has better (butter?) behind-the-scenes content than a new baker with actual time to make decent B-roll featuring behind-the-scenes of starting a bakery. From finding a cake pop cart (all the rage these days) to figuring out a new type of floral piping strategy to setting up at your first farmer's market - it almost works in favor of the new baker.

Behind the scenes should be one content bucket you're constantly pinging with videos. Vertical video format will be your quick-win way to cut the line in front of more established bakers.

📹 Notta Cookies

Regardless, the new baker needs to get time in the proverbial saddle (er... apron), so practice, practice, practice. But instead of having to fire up the oven for cookies you'll pitch anyway, check out "notta cookies" - the original concept came from the creators of CookieCon, and it's literally a plastic practice cookie - that way you're only losing on the ingredients cost of royal icing while still being able to tackle new techniques. Heck - make the "notta cookie" practice into videos - hey, did we mention make more videos?

Listen to the strategies behind our last time - turning practice into give-a-w-a-y-s to increase brand awareness, grow reviews, and get real-life taste testers so you're "wasted ingredients cost" actually hits your marketing budget.

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 273 - Content Cookies for the Beginner Baker.

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👩🏻‍💻 S Tier Lead Gen - For cottage bakers in 2026.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 272 - S-Tier Lead Gen Sources for Bakers in 2026, there's a new trend where people rank things they like and hate by tiers - 🟨 S-tier being the elite. For the oldie goldies like me, "S" apparently stands for superior.

Following down the rankings, 🟩 A-tier means really good, 🟦 B-tier represents what's probably good to have around, 🟪 C-tier is a take-it-or-leave-it, 🟧 D-tier is more of a leave-it, and 🟥 F-tier is the "I wouldn't waste my time."

So this approach to ranking sugar cookie bakers' lead generators is opinion-based, but that opinion comes after years of watching where bakers are getting their leads, how they get those leads, and if those leads seem worth the hassle.

🟨 S-Tier Lead Gen

S-tier lead sources (superior, as the kids call it) are the lead gen sources we'd ask bakers why they aren't on them. These methods of generating leads are what have proven to work in 2026 for cottage local bakeries. Now, will we say the same thing in a year? Maybe not. But if you're on the fence about one of these, consider jumping both feet first - it's working well for your coworkers.

• 🟨 Facebook Groups
• 🟨 Email Marketing
• 🟨 Google Business Profile
• 🟨 Website
• 🟨 Word-of-Mouth / Referrals

🟩 A-Tier Lead Gen

Our A-Tier choices were Facebook Business Pages - not because they're not S-Tier important, but because they're very restricted by algorithms. Thus, we knocked it down a peg. That said, you definitely need one to get those juicy analytics you can only get through Business Suite dashboard insights - it'll really allow you to understand exactly who your audience is. Something you can't capture in Facebook groups unless you're an admin.

SMS (text) marketing is a newer form of marketing, and in the right hands with a solid strategy, can really get conversions going. Spamming SMS is a disaster though (lookin' at you - Paula's Choice).

🟦 B-Tier Lead Gen

B-Tier could be a few bakers S-Tier, so just because we don't see it mentioned a lot in the groups, doesn't mean it can't move the needle.

Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, and a personal Facebook profile used to sell can be a treasure trove for bakers willing to deal with the trade-offs, like Marketplace tirekickers and removing your privacy to make a Facebook personal profile sale.

Instagram can be extremely rewarding if you invest time into cultivating an audience (and recording those darn Reels!).

🟪 C-Tier Lead Gen

LinkedIn, TikTok, and NextDoor have their places and can be a great lead gen for digital downloads, corporate orders, and local business (when your NextDoor is active), but if you're torn between investing your limited time in an S-tier lead source or a C-tier, we'd recommend focusing on the S-Tier before even glancing at the direction of the C-Tier.

LinkedIn works when you hit the pavement and attend networking events; TikTok is starting to gain more local foot traffic (it may become a B or A-tier by next year for local business leads), and NextDoor is tightening the belt on business reach (so we may lower its ranking by next year - who knows what the wild work of marketing holds).

For the D-Tier and F-Tier hot takes, snag this week's podcast!

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 272 - S Tier Lead Gen Sources for Bakers in 2026.

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🎤 Cookier Interview - Taylor Gandolfi with Taylor'd Cookies.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 271 - Cookier Interview - Taylor Gandolfi, continuing on with our cookier interview series, we snagged Taylor Gandolfi this week. She's been baking as a side hustle (more on her Italy trip below) since November, and comes from a UX degree, working a day job in public sector user experience design. When asked what she could bring to a podcast interview, her write-up explains this episode perfectly:

"My journey into cookie decorating comes from a lifelong artistic foundation; 🎨 I have loved to draw and paint since before I can remember. I wanted to be an art major in college, but my parents steered me towards a UX design degree.

Before cookies, 🐱🐶🐕🐈‍⬛🐾 I previously had a commissioned painting side hustle and painted whimsical pet portraits primarily (ex: a customer's cat playing drums for his favorite band, a dog playing for a customer's favorite hockey team, a fancy dog drinking a cocktail, etc.). 👶🏻 Unfortunately, this side hustle became unfeasible when I started having babies.

I picked up cookie decorating when I was struggling with postpartum anxiety with my second baby. 🧸 🍪 🤎 I found it to be a wonderful creative outlet, very therapeutic, and got me away from doomscrolling.

I decorated a few sets for my preschooler's class, and the preschool director saw them and was very encouraging. She approached me with an idea to partner with the preschool on presales and give back 20% of the proceeds to the preschool. 📈 From there, I was able to grow my portfolio, get other custom orders from preschool moms, and grow my social media.

I also work full time as a product designer, ✨ with specialized experience in AI tools. As a product designer, my day-to-day looks like listening to users (or customers), honing in on what they need, translating that into concepts for digital experiences, 🚫 while mitigating risk. ✅ I use that same framework with my customers when designing cookies.

I believe for the podcast, I could provide a lot of insight to listeners on how to scale 🙍‍♂️ human-centered design practices into their cookie business. I can also speak to how cookiers can leverage tech and AI as a tool to help with their process (ex: run lean experiments to mitigate risk, then scale what works well).

As someone who works in AI, 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 I believe that the world is craving human-created products and is really tired of AI slop. With that said, AI is not something that will replace cookiers, 🛠️ but a tool to help cookers do the best job possible when embraced."

If you want to snag her prompt parameters - here it is. C-A-R-E

• 👾 C - Context. Provide as much context as possible
• 👾 A - Action. Be very specific in the actions you want it to take.
• 👾 R - Rules. Telling the AI exactly what to do and not to do, giving it constraints.
• 👾 E - Examples. Attach screenshots of what you like, AND what you don’t like. Hate something the AI won't change? Export it to Canva and make adjustments.

She adds a really good trick for getting AI to play ball: using talk-to-type - you tend to talk very conversationally, and you talk more. The more information you provide the AI (both positive and negative), the more it has to work with.

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 271 - Cookier Interview - Taylor Gandolfi.

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🦶 The Right Foot - When getting started.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 270 - Getting Started on the Right Marketing Foot, we're continuing with our "back to baking" basics - this time getting started on the right marketing foot.

What used to work - even just 3 years ago - doesn't work today, or at least not as effectively as it once did. As marketing pivots with algorithm updates, platform feature changes, and the introduction of AI, so must marketing.

And this is great news for new bakers looking for their cut of the market share. Because those ol' timers that have been around for half a decade don't have those bright eyes and bushy tails of the new baker who is still hungry for those leads.

🦶 Make the Facebook page

• 👣 Wrong: A personal Facebook page is where you started, but you are restricted from growing here - you can have a creator profile now, but you still won’t have the business metrics and options a page will give you - like running ads.
• 👣 Right: Your Facebook page is where you collect people - it doesn’t mean your content will be shown, but it’s a nice collection that separates business and personal.
• 👣 Pro-Tip: You’re not going to get as much engagement on your Facebook page, so you’re going to feel like posting to your personal - stay the course. Because you still have that following on the personal account, you’re going to share from your business page back to your personal profile. We’re not posting organically (or you’ll end up with DMs in your personal messenger to order), but we’re going to slowly migrate that audience over.

🦶 Open the business bank account

• 👣 Wrong: Mixing business with pleasure is an accountant's worst nightmare. You’ll never know if you’re robbing from yourself to fund your business (working at a loss). Also tax season - say it ain't so!
• 👣 Right: Get the EIN number from your state (when you register your business). In VA, it’s just $50. Open up a business account with a local credit union - you'll get more help from them + you can start building that baking-banking relationship.
• 👣 Pro-Tip: Use an app like YNAB to help you budget. Cookie supplies like cutters can eat your profits up and leave you working for nothing. Make it so the business funds itself over time. Sure, you invest for startup costs, but we’ll want you paid back too. You and the business are two separate entities mentally (and financially).

🦶 Jump on the video content bandwagon

• 👣 Wrong: Posting just photos doesn’t work anymore - at least not standalone. And posting AI photos definitely won’t cut it.
• 👣 Right: You get to start in 2026 - where videos are NEWLY the flavor of the month, and the algo is rewarding that. You can cut through years of someone posting photos with just consistent videos.
• 👣 Pro-Tip: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel here either. Find what’s working for someone else, tweak it to make it your own (noooo copycats), record and post. You don’t have to be the original; you just have to be uniquely you and consistent.

🦶 Get consistent with content

• 👣 Wrong: It’ll be tempting to try something for a short period of time, then claim it doesn’t work, and pivot (or stop altogether). Marketing doesn’t work that way - especially online. Consistency is rewarded over flash-in-the-pan viral content.
• 👣 Right: The algo rewards consistency over loooong periods of time - think months. Yes, you can tweak your content along the way, but it can’t just stop and start and expect to pull numbers.
• 👣 Pro-Tip: Using apps like Facebook Planner or Claude Cowork (an AI) in a way that doesn’t replace you in your content (no AI flyers, folks) but helps you manage posting consistently are great tools to keep you ahead of the business burnout.

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 270 - Getting Started on the Right Marketing Foot.

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🍪 Sugar Cookies as a profitable side hustle.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 269 - Sugar Cookie Side Hustle, we wanted to take it back to the beginning - specifically to those folks who know they want to take on a new hobby that not only covers itself, but also pads the pockets for some decent fun money.

🚗💨 Sugar cookies as a side hustle is an awesome concept because it doesn't require cars, insurance, fuel, or oil changes. You're also in control of your schedule more than those "overlord apps" that ding, and you have to jump to accept the request or face a bad review and a possible account restriction.

Even better? A lot of us already have the basic tools needed to get started - so even the startup costs are lower than most hobbies (just ask me about rug tufting... I ain't had none of that stuff lying around!).

💰 You have 2 hours a day you can bake

Imaginary Example: You're a stay-at-home-mom.

You have about two hours a day that you can dedicate to baking, and you don't need to carve out anything extra to find them either - stay with me. They're already "baked" into your day during your kids' naptime or right after you put them down for bed. Since decorated cookies only need about 8 hours to dry, this schedule works pretty well for a sugary side hustle.

Here's what an example day could look like:

• 🕓 Your kids wake up at 6:00 AM, and by 6:30 you're prepping them for the morning.
• 🕓 At 7:00 AM, while the day is still quiet, you plan out your designs.
• 🕓 When naptime hits at 2:00 PM, you make your dough and prep your icing.
• 🕓 Then at 8:00 PM, once the kids are in bed, you settle in to decorate.
• 🕓 By morning, your cookies are dry and ready for packaging and pick-up.

🥶 Add in the ability to freeze your sets a week or more out, and you've got a nice little time runway.

💰 You’d like to make fun money

You're not trying to replace a full-time income or build an empire; you'd simply like to make some fun money (💸 an actual sugar m-a-m-a lol - u). Whether it goes toward date nights, a family vacation fund, or a little guilt-free spending of your own, cookie decorating can give you a way to earn extra cash doing something creative on your own schedule (🚗🚗🚗 without having to be in a car delivering). With the flexibility of sugar cookies, you could scale this thing up to a brick-and-mortar or tone it down to a seasonal thing you do around the holidays.

💰 You already have half the supplies

Chances are, about 50% of the supplies you need are already sitting in your kitchen already - talk about a start-up cost WIN. A hand mixer, a baking sheet, a plaque cookie cutter, and the basic primary colors for coloring will get you started. And for anything you're missing, you don't have to spend much if you're willing to check your local buy nothing groups, Facebook Marketplace, or simply ask around in a community group (also a great way to signal to a potential audience you're warmin' up the ovens). You'd be surprised what people are happy to give away or sell for next to nothing.

💰 Great recipes are free online

You don't need to invent anything from scratch either - could this BE any easier?! Some of the most popular tried-and-true royal icing recipes aren't even behind paywalls. Mike Tamplin's recipe, Sally's Baking Addiction, Haniela's. And if you want to get spendy, Etsy recipes are just a few bucks but totally not required to get out the gate.

Snag the podcast to learn what you don't need to get started (hint: artistic ability. Just as Corrie and her oranges 🍊).

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 269 - Side Hustle Sugar Cookies.

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🔄 Biting @ the Bit 2 Barter - How to barter as a baker.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 268 - Biting at the Bit for Bartering, Corrie has been running some 'bartering' case studies for podcast land. In these test runs, she's joined a local bartering group and exchanged cookies for a social audit with the group admin.

In another case, she exchanged her cookies for 👩🏻‍💻🎨 some graphic design work her twin apparently refused to execute in a timely manner (my bad, my bad). Her motive was, "I want to report back to the podcast," so here she is - reporting back on what she did, what she'd do differently, and if she'd do it again.

Bartering is the exchange of goods/services for goods/services - one of the oldest forms of commerce in the history of the world. Because it removes the monetary valuation from it, the exchange is made off of ever-changing perceived value - which means your cookies could actually be worth more than you're charging (or valued less - gotta watch out for that - did you know the word barter comes from a French word for "cheater"?).

🤝 How to ask to barter

Getting into bartering is as simple as asking, but ensure you're asking specifically for what you want, or you're going to be left writing a lot of rejection letters. Facebook groups dedicated to local bartering are popping up too - that's where Corrie found her two exchanges. Write something as simple as, "Hey followers! I want to let you know I'm always open to bartering with my cookies. I'm looking for anyone who wants to barter Botox, landscaping (spring cleanup specifically), and cleaning services. DM me if you're interested!" Some additional bartering tips:

• 🔄 Make a post saying you’re open to bartering (above)
• 🔄 Join a local bartering Facebook group
• 🔄 Post in a community group that you’re willing to barter

🤝 The benefits of bartering

Aside from what you get in the exchange, bartering can open you up to a new demographic, a potential referral source, and some good review opportunities. Consider that most folks in the bartering world tend to shy away from cash exchanges. With bartering, you can capture that new audience, and just because it's value-based instead of cash doesn't mean you can't get some high-quality connections (and exchanges) out of the deal.

• 🔄 Someone gets to try your cookies that they may not have normally ordered. You can reach a new demographic of people
• 🔄 This can turn into a referral source + review source
• 🔄 It works off of the perceived value, so there’s more flexibility in what's exchanged

🤝 The cons of bartering

Not every barter will be a win - especially if the exchange is for services. In Corrie's example, she exchanged for both graphic design and a social media audit. The social audit is shaping up to be AI slop, but the graphic design was enough that she was happy - however, the designer didn't provide the necessary print files nor design the front side of the cookie care card (don't worry, Corrie made me do it). The key is setting specifics when it comes to what you're exchanging and what you're exchanging for.

• 🔄 Not every barter is a win
• 🔄 You lose a lot of the protections that monetary institutions provide
• 🔄 It’s awkward
• 🔄 As with any client, they can be unhappy

🤝 Corrie's bartering tips

When it comes to bartering, be specific in what you're looking for. Worst they can say is no, but likely they'll attempt to renegotiate to find common ground for both parties. You're in control - if they're asking for more than you think is fair, you can (politely) say, "I can't do two dozen, but that'd work for a dozen." Look at the big picture - that one barter contact can start referring other clients to you, leave you a positive review, or barter with you again in the future. We asked bakers what they've bartered for, and here are some of the fun answers we got:

• 🔄 Car detailing
• 🔄 Snow plowing
• 🔄 Website
• 🔄 Photography
• 🔄 Dental work
• 🔄 Botox
• 🔄 Haircuts
• 🔄 Childcare
• 🔄 Taylor Swift Eras Tour Tickets
• 🔄 Oil Change
• 🔄 Tattoo
• 🔄 Brick Mailbox for a future credit
• 🔄 Kayak
• 🔄 Laser hair removal

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 268 - Biting at the Bit for Bartering.

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🗣️ There’s Such a Thing - As bad publicity.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 267 - There's Such a Thing as Bad Publicity, if you've not lived under a rock, TikTok is buzzing with some cake pop drama between two bakers. If you have no idea what we're talking about - congrats, you likely have a life and aren't chronically online. The drama is easy to find, but it's lesson-worthy in terms of how your hyper-local small bakery can take some nuggets on how to approach negative press.

Because sure - if you're paid per view, maybe there's no such thing as bad press. But if you're selling at a local farmer's market and someone is upset with you, bad press can cost you clients, your booth, and your good standing with the market host.

There's a lot more at risk when you're the little local guy - so what can we take from the incident, and how can we apply it to our own bakeries? Here's what we've got in this week's Baking it Down podcast episode.

💢 Pause Before You Post

There's simply no better tip we can give you than to take some time before your reply. I'm not talking 30 minutes; we're talkin' a minimum of 6 hours, but 24 hours (so one round of sleeps) would be the recommendation. What you say on the internet lasts forever. Yep, even after that dirty delete or ninja edit, someone out there has screenshot proof of what you initially said. There's no anonymity to hide behind. The pause matters even more on a local scale, because you'll likely see this reviewer (or their friends) at the market next Saturday or at the grocery store tomorrow.

💢 Respond to Your Audience

A lot of times, when we get worked up about an unfair piece of content pointing at us, we're prone to see the argument as a back-and-forth debate, when in reality, we're talking to more than just this one individual - we're talking to our entire audience. And our followers aren't judging who's "right," they're judging whether you seem like a pleasant person to buy a dozen cookies from.

💢 Speak Once then Go Silent

If you followed the protocol and replied without defensiveness, with a response that acknowledges the hurt, and that fully encompasses the public apology - post it and then step away from the keyboard. Back-and-forth debates, more response videos, comment replies, dirty deletes, DMs - that look like someone who isn't confident in their stance. Be short, be kind, then be quiet.

💢 Don't Be Right, Be Good

We'll be the first to say the customer isn't always right - but in the courtroom of public opinion, it doesn't really matter. Drama seekers don't want a clear-cut case - they want d-r-a-m-a. Eliminate drama by looking at the bigger picture here. Ask yourself what's at risk if you engage. Being right doesn't sell cookies; being the baker people feel good about does.

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 267 - There's Such a Thing as Bad Publicity.

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🤖 AI Inspo Photo 101 - How to handle client ai inspo images.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 266 - AI Inspo Photo 101, one of the top hot button topics we're seeing in not just the Sugar Cookie Marketing group, but all baking-related groups is AI.

Specifically, this podcast covers AI-generated inspo photos sent to the baker by their clients - a niche aspect of the ever-popular AI debate. So, whether you're pro or anti-AI, your customers sending you AI is quickly becoming a part of the job (78% of respondents in a group poll said they've received AI-inspo from clients).

There are a few things we wanted to cover about AI-Inspo. How to identify it, how to address it, and how to incorporate it all make for the better baker. If you don't like AI, you'd still stand to gain from this podcast since we cover the response when someone sends you an AI photo (also, how to handle it in your terms).

🖼️ How to Spot AI-Inspo Photos

As AI gets better, 🔍 it's getting harder and harder for even bakers to spot the nuances of artificial cookie images. So, before we talk about how to address them when you're emailed them from clients, let's talk about 8 ways you can kinda spot AI (they'll have to check a few of these boxes to pass as AI):

• 🤖 Impossibly smooth flooding: zero flood lines (especially on lettering), no slight orange-peel texture, no settling marks.
• 🤖 Gradients: seamless airbrushed-looking color fades across a whole cookie. Possible to recreate with Eddie - but a tell nonetheless.
• 🤖 Detail finer than most marker tips: Even the finest edible marker still has some thickness, and writing with it creates variable line thicknesses, too.
• 🤖 Lettering: Probably the biggest tell - when the lettering is too perfect with no pressure variations (ya gonna know when Corrie has pressure piped something)
• 🤖 Physics-defying details: Shadows are the biggest giveaways, but the detail work that just wouldn't exist naturally on a planet with gravity. That said - always look for the shadow issues.
• 🤖 Too many colors per set: Not saying it's impossible, but the average dozen cookies isn't going to have 32 colors. If a cookie has that many colors, it's either AI or baked for content.
• 🤖 Lighting/reflection discrepancies: Reflections too perfect? That's a tell. Lighting sources not having a natural gradient towards darkness? Another tell.

🖼️ How to Handle the Client

🗣️ You may be considering grabbing your soapbox to preach to your clients that AI is a job-destroying machine eating up creativity and spitting out audible pollution in residential neighborhoods while burning through the water supply due to the open-loop systems that cool the faceless computers, but now is not the time to chastise, dear baker.

• 🤖 Validate, don't correct: "I DON'T ACCEPT AI IMAGES" would look like, "Oh wow - love this! What a cool concept. While this looks to be an AI-generated image, I think we can adapt it to real-life cookies. I appreciate you giving me your design direction."
• 🤖 Translate render to real life: "I think we can adapt this floral into a piped flower that looks like example." This way, they know what's possible (and within your wheelhouse) and what won't make the final cut.
• 🤖 Email examples: "Here are a few similar sets I've done that match your theme here. We can adapt these to your inspo photo to design a really unique set."
• 🤖 Agree before money: Add to your invoice - "Final design is based on the baker's quoted concept; online inspiration images may include AI-generated finishes that can't be 100% replicated." Don't just leave this hidden in your terms; bring it to their attention.

🖼️ How to Use AI as a Tool

"I'll never use AI." Yes, you will, and you already do. It's frankly now baked into my car's infotainment screen when I navigate to the nearest Olive Garden. AI is everywhere, so how can you use it to your competitive advantage?

• 🤖 Use AI to brainstorm complex theme ideas (I think Corrie had a "spaghetti rodeo theme" the other day that AI helped out with).
• 🤖 Use AI to help you mix color palettes or scale a recipe (Corrie did this the other day at the local grocery store, Giant).
• 🤖 Have AI help you with a copy outline - you go back in and write the content.

✈️ Letting AI ride along with your business journey is a good strategy, but letting AI fly the plane is a recipe to crash and burn 🔥 (well, you'll kinda just be forgotten and blend into the word salad).

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🎤 Cookier Interview - Sharon with Fabuela Q Cookies

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 265 - Cookier Interview: Sharon, y'all asked for some fresh blood... I mean, new perspectives... on the podcast, and Sharon listened!

Sharon with Fabuela Q Cookies recently found the Baking it Down Podcast - and at the perfect time, too. When her digital database of 3,000+ cookies glitched and deleted half her inventory, she caught the Nextcuses episode and approached the task of redoing this monumental undertaking again in a different way - by tackling her newest cutters first, finding a more reliable app, and giving herself permission to purge.

Sharon's story is common for a lot of bakers - a full-time job (as an SBA loan closer - very interesting to hear how that works on the podcast) and a side hustle of baking cookies. Her goal with the cottage bakery is to have it dialed in should she one day choose to retire (sounds like her bank will protest any resignation paperwork from Sharon - you go, girl!).

As such, she's in the business of balancing - from a full-time intensive job by day to baking up 30 dozen Christmas light-themed cookies by night, it's no task for the weary.

But Sharon doesn't shy away from a challenge either. She's closed 2 more loans than they predicted (totalling 3 - GO Sharon!) while also repeating the Main Street Collab concept to get new printed corporate cookie business (a time saver for those who have multiple hustles).

🔥🔥🔥🔥 If that doesn't put a fire under your behind enough, she's also recently completed the Cookie Videos Bootcamp, purchased a subscription to CapCut, got her best bud ChatGPT (goal... post...t - I got the order right, right?) to storyboard her out a script, and went and filmed the thing!

On top of that, 💻 she's taken on her website (Shopify being her platform of choice) to dial in her website and start getting more of that search traffic while better converting her audience (websites convert better than Facebook messages or forms).

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 265 - Cookier Interview: Sharon.