Have You Baked Your Cake?
Smart entrepreneurs make smart decisions.
This woman was no exception.
I was recently chatting with a potential client about her process to revamp and rebrand her website and shift the focus to the current services that she provides.
As we talked, she told me about her desire to make sweeping changes—colors, logo, overall feel and look, and, of course, the perfect content that would speak to her clients.
In an effort to do something, anything, she decided to just change the header on her site—you know, jazz the space up a bit—but as she was ready to engage with her designer, she felt something was amiss.
How could she change the header, or logo, or colors, without being fully clear on what she wanted to do with her evolving business and what she wanted to say to her clients and anyone who would visit her site.
She decided to wait on the fancy new header and focus on the heart of her business.
Smart woman, she.
Her little tale reminded me of a phrase I use occasionally, a little thing I made up to describe situations where business owners or entrepreneurs will want to cut corners, spend as little as possible, but want their brand to stand out. Like when they buy a cheap logo or hire a crappy writer, and then they wonder why they don’t stand out amongst their peers.
That’s because, “they are trying to frost a cake that has yet to be baked.”
So, what about you? What’s up with your cake? Is it baked? Or half-baked? Is it just an idea that you are trying to spread frosting on without fully fleshing out the core of your business?
This is where I come in (to the rescue!). I can help you get clarity around your budding biz, new services or offerings, or help you make that shift from here…to there.
Hiring a pro writer and branding secret weapon (me) and a business coach who is living the entrepreneurial lifestyle (me, again!), in conjunction with one of my design partners, is the way to build your business and brand—the way to bake that cake so the frosting sticks!
So, what are you waiting for? Isn’t it time you baked your cake? Let’s chat about how you can take your business from drab to fab—I’m ready, aren’t you?
more inspiration here!
10 Comments for this entry
shanna
Thanks, Cris! I was inspired to write this post because of all the inquiries that I, and my fellow creatives, have been receiving. People want cheap and fast, but the want perfection, too. A good brand and message takes time and skill–one truly gets (and deserves) what they pay for! Funny thing is, many people go cheap, then end up spending more $$ to fix it–talk about a time and resource waste.
Sue Ann Gleason
Love the “trying to frost a cake that has yet to be baked”! I think it is really easy to get caught up in the “package” without every giving thought to the contents. And so true, Cris, about the “I’m awesome, give me money.” piece. (Hysterical.) I believe we miss the boat when we neglect to INVEST in people who have a deeper understanding of all the pieces that have to come together to build a brand AND a following. Kudos to you, Shanna, for providing a deeper service and KNOWING how to articulate it.
Tracey Ceurvels
How true, Shanna! Being a food lover, I of course, love the cake analogy. And I’ve been witness to exactly what you’re saying: people wanting a shiny beautiful site without getting to the heart of the matter. How great that your client “got it.” If only they all did. Great writing and great message, as usual, dear Shanna.
Tracey Ceurvels recently posted..The joys of French cooking: cream of asparagus soup with fine herb butter
Tracey Ceurvels
Nice cake, too. I love the color orange!
Tracey Ceurvels recently posted..The joys of French cooking: cream of asparagus soup with fine herb butter
shanna
Don’t you just love orange, Tracey? Apparently, I do, too (my site is dripping with it!) 
J.D. Meier
It’s always amazing what we can do when we really step in, roll up our sleeves, and bake that cake.
While I’m a fan of iterative results and testing the way forward, I’m also a fan of making quality count and spending time on things that are worth it. I think that’s the key to life … knowing where it’s worth spending time.
shanna
Thanks, J.D., I agree. Knowing where to spend time AND money is a critical skill and can make all the difference in the result. Many people want a quick fix or a shortcut–some things just take time (and patience).
Kimby
Shanna, I LOVE this post! Excellent analogy, excellent advice. You made me think twice about tweaking the bells and whistles before having something substantial to promote. (The fact that you put it in foodie terms endears you to me even more.) Many thanks for a timely rescue!
Cris:Gladly
This IS so true and such good advice. So often people are trying to build castles on card house foundations. They want to skip straight to the “I’m awesome, give me money” part and not do the work to make sure their product/service resonates and truly serves.
frosting an unbaked cake. exactly.
Cris:Gladly recently posted..On Strong Arms and Gardens