Navigating your wedding business niche with Jenae Cartwright

Wedding Pros who are ready to grow - with Becca Pountney

Today I'm chatting with Jenae Cartwright of Cake and Crumble about navigating your wedding business niche.

When Jenae's daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease she started on a mission to find delicious treats that were safe for her to eat. In 2016 she launched a gluten free only bakery 'Cake and Crumble'.

In this episode we talk about how to own your niche and hear how Jenae has done exactly that.

The Cost of Being an Entrepreneur (00:00:00) Discussion on the hidden costs of being an entrepreneur, including the impact on personal life and mental health.

Introduction and Background (00:01:03) Becca introduces Jenae as the founder of Cake and Crumble, a gluten-free bakery, and shares their meeting in Las Vegas.

Meeting in Las Vegas (00:02:08) Jenae and Becca discuss their unexpected meeting in Las Vegas and the excitement of recognizing each other..

The first coffee shop experience (00:11:39) Jenae talks about her first interaction with a coffee shop owner, convincing her to try her gluten-free baked goods.

Approaching cafes and growing wholesale business (00:12:30) Jenae shares her advice on how to approach cafes and grow the wholesale side of the business.

Becoming the go-to person for gluten-free baking (00:14:37) Becca and Jenae discuss the importance of finding a niche and becoming known as the expert, using Jenae's gluten-free baking as an example.

The importance of personal development (00:22:44) Jenae discusses how personal development has been crucial for her business growth and overcoming imposter syndrome.

Dealing with competitors and building a sense of community (00:24:05) Jenae shares her perspective on competition, celebrating other bakers' success, and the importance of community over competition.

Future plans and focusing on wedding cakes (00:29:06) Jenae talks about her plans for the future, including focusing on luxury wedding cakes, traveling with wedding cakes, and potentially teaching.

Next Steps (00:30:45) - Moving into the education realm Jenae discusses her desire to move into the education realm, specifically focusing on creating a series on how to approach people and sit at a restaurant when living with gluten intolerance.

(00:32:12) - Super cook idea Becca and Jenae brainstorm the idea of Jenae becoming a "super cook" who advises and helps people in the gluten-free world.

(00:35:35) - Balancing cost and self-worth as a business owner Jenae talks about the importance of balancing the cost of running a business with caring for one's self-worth as a business owner and artist.