I have to say that I’m so excited to have a few more Girl Bosses and Mamapreneurs to introduce…I’d like you to meet Kimberly Turner today!! She’s the owner of Frosted Cakery and an amazing woman!

A funny little story about how we met….we have a mutual friend in our miltary community (yes, that’s how many friendships start for us)…that put Kimberly in touch with me when they were relocating to our area. I immediately made a great case for choosing our area over the others. I knew the schools, the neighborhoods, and told her that the community is so supportive and welcoming. Sooooo glad they took my opinion to heart and chose our sweet little town!!!! And how fabulous was it when they showed up at my kindergarten door for open house!! I had her sweet Addison in my room that year! This is such a precious family and I am so happy for their success with Frosted!!

Below is my interview with Kimberly. Read all about how she got started and how she not only survives….but thrives as a military wife, mom of four, and business owner!!!

Name of Business:
FROSTED CAKERY

Name of Owner/Owners:

KIMBERLY TURNER

How did you get started in your business?
MY GRANDMOTHER WAS THE ‘CAKE LADY’ IN OUR SMALL TOWN AND I GREW UP WATCHING HER DECORATE CAKES WHILE MY DAD DID CHORES ON THEIR FARM. HE’D DROP US OFF AND WE WOULD SIT IN HER KITCHEN AND JUST WATCH HER DO HER MAGIC. AFTER SHE PASSED AWAY IN 2006, I STARTED TO DABBLE IN CAKE DECORATING AFTER ACQUIRING A LOT OF HER TOOLS AND CAKE PANS. I STARTED DOING CAKES FOR OUR MILITARY FRIENDS AND IT TOOK OFF FROM THERE.

FROSTED CAKERY STARTED OUT AS A HOME BAKERY IN 2014 WHERE ANOTHER MILITARY SPOUSE AND I TEAMED UP AND TOOK CUSTOM CAKE AND CUPCAKE ORDERS ONLINE. WE ALSO SET UP A TENT AT LOCAL MARKETS AND FESTIVALS, WHICH HELPED GET OUR PRODUCTS OUT TO THE MASSES. AS MILITARY SPOUSES WE HAD A LARGE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, AND FRIENDS OF FRIENDS, SO WORD OF MOUTH ADVERTISING WAS HUGE FOR US.

What do you love most about your business?
I LOVE MEETING PEOPLE IN THIS AWESOME COMMUNITY. I LOVE BEING A SMALL PART OF SO MANY WONDERFUL CELEBRATIONS THAT LIFE BRINGS. WE GET TO KNOW OUR FAMILIES FROM THE BEGINNING… DOING BRIDAL SHOWERS, WEDDING CAKES, AND SOON, WE SEE THEM AGAIN FOR BABY SHOWERS, BIRTHDAYS, AND MORE! I LOVE THAT WE HAVE SO MANY LOYAL CUSTOMERS AND REGULARS THAT HAVE BECOME A PART OF OUR FROSTED FAMILY OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.

What do you love most about being your own boss?
IT’S A GREAT SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, KNOWING THAT YOU CREATED THIS FROM NOTHING. THAT IS GREW SO QUICKLY AND HAS BECOME SO SUCCESSFUL WHEN IT WAS JUST A LITTLE DREAM THAT WAS ALWAYS AN: ‘OH SOME DAY I’D LOVE TO OWN A BAKERY’…. AND NOW ITS REALLY HAPPENING.

What are some of the challenges of owning a small business and being a creative entrepreneur?
ABOUT A YEAR INTO OPENING OUR STOREFRONT, MY BUSINESS PARTNER DECIDED TO LEAVE THE COMPANY, AND I BECAME THE SOLE OWNER, SO THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR ME THEN WAS TIME MANAGEMENT. I’M A MOTHER OF FOUR, AND MILITARY WIFE, SO ADDING BUSINESS OWNER TO THAT LIST WAS MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE. I LOVE WHAT I DO, AND THERE NEVER SEEMS TO BE ENOUGH TIME IN THE DAY TO GET EVERYTHING DONE THAT I WANT TO DO. PUTTING FAMILY FIRST AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE IS TAKEN CARE OF IS MY BIGGEST PRIORITY. SO RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS ALONG SIDE OF THAT HAS BEEN A TRUE TEST OF TIME MANAGEMENT AND I HAVE HAD TO SACRIFICE A LOT.

How do you hope to overcome those obstacles?
GIVING UP CONTROL AND DELEGATING HAS BEEN ONE OF THOSE THINGS I HAVE HAD TO LEARN TO DO. I KNOW THAT I CAN NOT POSSIBLY GET EVERYTHING DONE THAT I NEED OR WANT TO DO. SO IF IT MEANS THAT I NEED TO HIRE MORE STAFF, AND TEACH THEM WHAT I CAN DO, AND LEARN TO GIVE UP CONTROL OF CERTAIN TASKS TO ALLOW SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE THAT OVER, THEN THAT IS WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN. AND HONESTLY, IN THE END, I USUALLY END UP SAYING “WHY DIDN’T I LET THIS HAPPEN SOONER?!” I THINK PART OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH BEING A MILITARY SPOUSE, AND LEARNING THAT AT TIMES, WE ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO DO IT ALL.. SO IN BUSINESS I FIND MYSELF SAYING, OH ITS OKAY, I CAN DO THAT (KNOWING I DON’T HAVE THE TIME, BUT DO IT ANYWAYS) SO DELEGATE DELEGATE DELEGATE!!!
PAY SOMEONE TO DO THE THINGS YOU AREN’T THE BEST AT DOING. FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE A BOOKKEEPER, AND A CPA. I’M A BAKER, AND CAKE DECORATOR, SO FOR ME TO PAY SOMEONE TO DO THOSE TYPE OF THINGS IS SO WORTH IT, BECAUSE IT FREES UP SO MANY HOURS IN A WEEK FOR ME TO FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT I KNOW HOW TO DO. DEFINITELY WORTH THE MONEY SPENT.

What are your go-to resources for building your business and growing it- books, seminars, workshops, online resources, blogs?
BUSINESS RELATED: I HAVE WATCHED HOURS AND HOURS OF WEBINARS RELATING TO MARKETING AND BUSINESS THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO APPLY TO THE BAKERY THAT HAS BEEN SO HELPFUL. I ALSO FOLLOW SIMILAR COMPANIES AND SEE HOW THEY MARKET, WHATS WORKING FOR THEM, OR WHATS NOT. ON MY LIST OF TO-DO’S IS TO ATTEND MORE BUSINESS CLASSES AT LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN THIS AREA TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THE BAKERY TO HELP ME IN THAT AREA.
I DIDN’T SPEND ANY MONEY ON MARKETING FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST YEAR.. (NOT THAT I RECOMMEND THAT FOR EVERYONE, BUT IT WORKED FOR ME) I FOCUSED ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND HAVE DONE VERY WELL IN GROWING OUR BAKERY FOLLOWING THROUGH FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM. WHEN I DID START PAYING FOR ADVERTISING I DID ONE THING AT A TIME AND WATCHED TO SEE WHAT RESULTS EACH ONE RETURNED SO I KNEW WHAT WORKED THE BEST.

What other jobs have you done prior to owning this wonderful business?
I WENT TO COLLEGE AND GOT MY RN. AND WORKED AS A NURSE UNTIL I HAD OUR FOURTH CHILD. WITH DEPLOYMENTS AND EARLY/LATE HOURS, IT JUST GOT TOO HARD TO FIND A SITTER.
THEN I STARTED A HOME BUSINESS WHERE I WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL AND LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT MARKETING AND RELATIONSHIP-ING, SO I CONTRIBUTE OUR SUCCESS TO A LOT OF MY FORMER EXPERIENCE IN THAT BUSINESS.

Do you have any future plans you’d like to share or is there something new you’ll be adding to your current business?
I HAVE SO MANY DREAMS I’D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH THE BAKERY, AND RIGHT NOW ITS JUST A MATTER OF CONTINUING WHAT WE ARE DOING, AND SLOWLY ADDING TO THAT. THE BEST THING I’VE LEARNED FROM THIS IS TO NOT GO TOO FAST. LET THINGS HAPPEN. BE SMART ABOUT SPENDING, AND REMAIN A DEBT FREE COMPANY!

What are your favorite flavors? Most popular flavors in the shop?
MY TRIED AND TRUE IS RED VELVET, BUT IT SEEMS THAT AS WE CREATE NEW FLAVORS, I FIND I HAVE A NEW FAVORITES AS WE GO ALONG… SALTED CARAMEL, CARAMEL APPLE, TIRAMISU…

They have beautiful gift baskets too!

These ladies are hilarious and always smiling!!!!