This business is one that is very dear to my heart (and my belly!) as Casey is one of my dearest friends and one of the most incredible creatives I’ve ever met. It’s not just in her business, it’s in her home styling, her passion for doing craft in her spare time, and her style as a Mum. Watching her create these incredible cakes is like watching an artist paint a picture but in hyper speed.
The cakes, cupcakes and biscuits she makes are decadent, luxurious in style and taste.
But what I most love about Casey’s business is she has truly designed a business to suit her life, not a life to suit her business. She prioritises family and travel time, she’s a natural with building an incredible audience and she seems to do it all with such grace and ease.
This is Casey, an incredible woman with an amazing business.
When did you start your business and what made you start it?
I started my business 7 years ago. It was after maternity leave for 2 and a half years and I couldn’t wait to get back to work. If I sat at another park and watched my daughter play I was going to explode! I needed some more stimulation. Unfortunately pastry chef-ing isn’t very family friendly with 1am finishes in restaurants or 2am starts in patisseries and hotels. So after a few family members suggested it I decided to start making cakes from home.
What makes your business amazing for you?
I’ve built it really slowly and organically. This has allowed me to grow with my daughter who is now 10. In the beginning it was just a few cakes a week and I could get it done while she was at kindy 2-3 days a week and then I slowly increased the days and the workload. I still work from home but I now have a stand alone cake kitchen under our house. This allows me to be with my daughter when she needs me and to set my own schedule. And when I go to work and finish at the end of the day I’m literally 20 steps away.
Was your business always amazing? What and when was the tipping point?
Yes definitely always Amazing! But in the last few years my reputation has grown and I’m now seen as one of the best cake makers on the coast and I’m really proud of this.
> Make sure you watch the video where Casey gives more background about how long it took for the business to kick off and become consistent.
Where does the majority of your business come from?
I would say it’s evenly split between google search, social media and word of mouth. Around 90% of my Instagram following is made up of locals (Gold Coast) predominantly women, so very much my target market.
In the beginning I thought it was all about the size of my following and overtime I've realised how it really is about the quality of your following. I spend most of my time on social now answering client enquiries. (Hear more from Casey on this in the video above)
3 Tips for Building an Audience
Casey, You have an incredible following on Instagram in particular, and we could go on for hours about your process there... But can you give 3 tips for women wanting to build their business following?
Thank you. Firstly I want to say it comes very naturally to me, I’m not sure why, I do like pretty things. I’ve always loved Instagram and being a very visual person I love following other businesses and seeing how they engage with their followers.
- Be yourself. People can see right through fakeness.
- But in saying that there still has to be a professional element to your posts and grid. Keep it tight and clean.
- Remember that stories, posts, reels etc should be used differently. Posts on your grid are your showcase. Stories are a bit more fun and can be added to highlights to show more of your personality. Reels are more for entertainment or informative, think TikTok.
Where are you based?
I am based in beautiful Gold Coast. All bookings are for Gold Coast delivery/pick-up only.
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Thank you for being here!
Each Thursday I'll be featuring a Business, a Book or a Podcast that I Love and gives you inspiration for your business. Newly named ~ Thursday Thrive ❤️
There is an Industry expectation that a business must be in the millions and packed with staff to be great but it's simply not true. There is no one version of success, for me an amazing business is one that you love, one that gives you freedom and one that makes the level of money that YOU want. What exactly that looks like is different for everyone and is why I want to share what different businesses look like.
The very best gift or compliment that you can give me or my business is to please share this with someone you think will love it too!
Leina xx
