As I sat and waited for Kelsy at Bluebird, the cakery that she built from ground up, I looked around and was awestruck at how beautiful the place was. The exposed brick, the big windows and the music tied the ambiance all together. It was the perfect place to sip tea and have an early morning convo.
But let’s be real, behind the chill facade, I was nervous to meet the mastermind behind it all.
My first impression of Kelsy was her warm smile and vibrant eyes. She had this aura of genuine love and authenticity about her and right away, I knew we were in for a great conversation.
After the initial chit-chat. We got down to business. Literally.
In our one-hour conversation, I asked her a series of questions. She opened up about her story, business journey and spilled some advice and practical tips for business owners. Below, is a summary of Kelsy’s answers for it all 🙂
Disclaimer: I tried typing during our conversation but it’s harder than you might imagine, so I did my best to summarize it as thoroughly as possible! You’re welcome.
What was her life like before bluebird cakery?
Kelsy landed an amazing Target position but after working 80 hour weeks for a few years, she felt something was missing. She followed her gut instinct and left her comfortable position at Target for her dream of owning a bakery.
What I found so incredible about her was the way she took action and made things worked. After she left target, she worked at a movie store and then worked on her business on the side. She made sacrifices but she knew what she was doing and did it was strategy.
What’s the story of how bluebird came to life?
Kesly baked since she was 16 and had jobs as a cake decorator, after working at a bakery in Australia, she realized that the “made from scratch” type of bakery was lacking in the states.
When she quit Target, she got herself a no brainer job. Then pursued her idea. After her first pop up at a farmers market (which turned out to be a huge success), she felt like this was the answer to it all. She found her dream business.
What are 4 lessons she’s learned during your time as an entrepreneur?
- Hire slow so you don’t have to fire fast (she looks for urgency, positivity, leadership)
- Write down processes, policies, procedures right away (have a manual for everything, it’ll help keep you sane when training)
- Hire people who supplement you, so you HAVE to know yourself (aka find a good accountant etc)
- Take feedback with grace (from mentors, customers, friends– listen but know your values)
What are some attributes that you think every entrepreneur needs to have?
You have to know how to take risks, do something without thinking, take action and stay humble – you don’t know everything. Be open and positive.
What’s your advice for someone starting their own business?
- Pay yourself first , give yourself credit [you deserve compensation for the time you’ve put in. there will always be another way to invest in your business so pay yourself!]
- It’s okay to say no [there will always be people, customers, problems asking for your attention, know how to say no gracefully]
- Self care— mindfully create time to fill yourself up. Kelsy chooses exercise mediation, nails , create time.
Book Recommendations:
Making Money Is Killing Your Business by Chuck Blakeman
Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott
Other tidbits & lessons sprinkled within our conversation:
There’s no end point, you must do your best to be positive and grateful. It’s easy to complain but that’s not going to get you anywhere.
Take criticism with graciousness and know that how you respond is important because your team looks up to you.
Get a no brainer job if you have to when building a business. Be the best damn cashier there is. If you’re committed to your business, don’t take up that promotion. Don’t add more responsibilities at work. Work at a job that’s easy, consistent and fun. Then after work, grind it out on your business.
Know yourself and your values.
Be aware of your time and money. It’s okay to say no.
Have an idea of your ideal lifestyle. Don’t create a job for yourself. Be strategic in what you’re building so that you don’t become a slave to your own business.
Be disciplined with your hours. There is limited time in the day.
Take action. The best way to learn is by trial and error. You can over analyze it so easily. “Ready, aim, fire=basic. Ready, fire, aim= bosses.”
She doesn’t take anything back and she’s grateful for all her experiences, they’ve led her to where she is now.
Oooofta. Yeah it was a fiery conversation am I right? Kelsy dropped some real life and honest truthbombs that I needed to hear as a new entrepreneur. And I hope you were able to gain some insight from this conversation as well.
As we wrapped up our conversation, I jokingly told her to start a podcast or book. And she hesitantly revealed that her life goal is to write a book. I said “YES, YOU DO THAT 100%!”. If she built this cafe, she can do anything.
And you, my loyal reader, YOU can do anything. The biggest takeaway that I got from this interview is to be unapologetic. Listen to what your heart desires and CREATE that. Don’t wait around for “someday”, life isn’t a rehearsal for your big day. It’s happening and you have to capture every opportunity and make your dreams come true, today.
On that note, later this year, I want to start a podcast. Not because I need another thing on my to do list but because I want to and I really enjoyed this interview and I wish you were there listening to it all. So yeah, let’s make this happen (talking to myself now).
Thanks so much for reading this! Be sure to support local and spend some time at Bluebird Cakery if you’re in the Mankato or Fairbult area.
Let me know what your favorite business and life advice was from today in the comments <3
no brainer jobs and future podcast interviews,
Bella
