The Mentor Effect: Unlocking Growth Through Guidance

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of the You Can podcast. I'm your host Sarah Jolly Jarvis and today we are going to be joined by Savannah and we're going to be talking around mentoring okay and the value of mentoring.
Obviously I'm a mentor and Savannah's a mentor and I'm going to let her introduce herself to you and before we get started. So over to you Savannah.
Lovely to be here, thanks so much Sarah. Yeah I'm Savannah, so I am a mentor for cake business owners.
So I initially started as a cake maker myself which I've been doing and still doing actually for the last sort of 13 years and in the last two to three years I've moved over to coaching and mentoring and actually online courses as well so a bit of everything but yes slowly stepping away from making the cakes to now teaching. Sounds good, sounds good.
Okay so what got you into making, let's start with with the profession in itself. So what got you into making cakes? Kind of fell into it.
It wasn't a decision that was consciously made. I just found myself bored one day.
So I was like, right, let's just make some cupcakes. And I'm pretty sure that's how all cake makers start.
It's like, I'm bored. Let's just make something.
So I made some cupcakes and they looked horrific, but they tasted really nice. And I really enjoyed doing it.
So I just did more and more and more. And then I got really good at it pretty quickly.
So I was like, do you know what? I could do this as a side hobby. I had a full-time job at the time, so corporate job.
So I was like, let's just do this as a side business and make some extra money and that's what I did for years and then I slowly graduated from cupcakes to cakes celebration cakes birthday cakes that sort of thing and then slowly moved into the wedding sector so now I am solely wedding cakes and that is actually well was my full-time business um before moving into the coaching. So how long have you been doing this for? So the cakes, I had 13 years and then the coaching for about two years.
And as a hobby before you started taking it seriously? Honestly, it was only about six months. No way.
Yeah, it was one of those things that I just loved doing. And I could never really see myself in the corporate world at all.
So it was just one of those things you're told to go out and get a job. So I did.
Didn't enjoy it, but found something I did enjoy. And I loved feeding people these cakes and then sort of watching their reaction.
And that was what hooked me. It was like, oh, they really like my stuff.
I'm going to make more and more and more. And I think my husband at the time, he was like, yeah, they're nice, but you'll never be able to sell anything.
So it was, I'm going to prove you wrong. And I did.
And now he, well well he loves everything because he gets to eat all the offcuts nice and so does is that what you find most people do they kind of fall into it and then do it as a side hustle and then move into it full-time is that the normal pattern for your kind of client base yeah from what I've seen yes that is the normal pattern from I'll make some for like kids birthdays you know most people start with that it's like oh I want to make a cake for my child's first birthday and they will cobble something together usually from a box they'll love the process of the decorating more than anything and they're kind of like right well I did it last I'm going to do it this year. So I'm going to make an even better cake than I made last year.
And then their friends sort of say, oh, can I have one? That cake was really lovely. Do you want to make my kid a cake? And that's usually the pattern that happens.
And then they sort of start doing more and more and more. And before they know it, they've created a business almost for themselves.
and then they sort of start doing more and more and more. And before they know it,

they've created a business almost for themselves.

And then next, obviously, next progression from that

is to start making money from it.

So that's what I normally see.

It's very rare that somebody comes along and says,

I want to start a cake business

because I want to start a cake business.

It's usually they've fallen into it somehow.

Yeah.

It's kind of an evolution of a hobby, isn't yeah that's exactly what it is definitely I mean it certainly was for me um I never thought from making those first cupcakes that I was going to start making money from it let alone have that as my main business um it just wasn't something that I pictured but and and I think that's the case for so many others as well. It's, it's something to do in the spare time.
You know, we all have these corporate jobs or most people do and spare time baking is really relaxing. Um, and I think that's how they start.
And then the more you do it, the more you enjoy it and the more you want to do it. And then it's that.
So exactly the same as me watching other people enjoy something you've made is incredible it just gives you such a high um and that's what most people fall in love with not like the baking itself it's more the feeling that everyone else gets from what you've made the outcome that makes sense yeah that makes sense and so what is the biggest pitfall that you see people falling into when they come from that because coming from that place I I my kind of client base tend to come more from a I don't want to work in this in this environment I want to work for myself whereas I think your guys it's interesting and that's why I kind of wanted to chat with you because they've kind of accidentally ended up with a business. Whereas my client base tend to want a business, but what they actually end up selling isn't so fixed, particularly when it's kind of service and it's skill-based.
They're kind of then looking at what the market wants rather than what, you know, this is my thing. So what for you is the biggest pitfall people have when it comes to changing their hobby into a business? Treating it like a hobby.
That is, yeah, absolutely. Even though they've registered and they've said, right, this is going to be a business and I'm going to make money from this, they treat it like a hobby they still undercharge everybody because they're new to it or you know then they're not as good as that person over there and that's all they do is they keep treating it like a hobby and my job now is to make them realize no this is not a.
If you want this to be your full-time job,

which is always inevitably what happens,

is they will start this as a side business,

treat it like a hobby, and never go any further.

They'll stay in their corporate job,

dreaming of making cakes full-time, but never getting there.

And yeah, that's the biggest thing I see.

And it's trying to educate people. It a business no longer a hobby so you have to do things differently that's that's the number one issue that i have with cake makers is switching that mindset yeah absolutely yeah yeah that makes a lot of sense and i i do feel like with my client base is predominantly female, presumably yours is too.

It is.

And I do feel like we have a bit of a problem with enjoying something and charging for it.

It's like we're being greedy. It's like, oh, wait a minute, you know, because I like this, I shouldn't really charge somebody so much.

Whereas the guys that I work with are very comfortable to charge, you know know for the value of what they provide and then enjoy the process as well whereas we feel it almost like we I don't know we're stealing taking advantage of people because we're also getting this like side you know hit of of happiness and enjoyment from what we do um that I find it exactly the same and I completely agree it's this whole mindset for women is I'm enjoying what I'm doing so surely I can't charge for that you know this is fun um whereas yeah men obviously they are just programmed to just go and sell sell sell it's just so much easier for them but um and and I wish it wasn't the case but but it is. It is, it is.
And so, you know, I've talked before because I've come across clients who, they've had competitors who are doing things as a bit of a side hustle, a bit of fun. And even to the level of vets and them having vets who are mobile vets, so they come to your house rather than have a clinic.
And they were doing it as kind of like, oh, kind of keep me busy. And that actually can have a really negative impact on the market that they're in in that area.
Because you're undercutting everybody else. And then that makes it that your competition, they just, you know, it's a very good way of removing competition from an area.

It really is.

But it's actually quite damaging, isn't it?

Yeah, it's really damaging to the industry as a whole, not necessarily just in your area.

For cake makers, we find not only that people are undercharging because they don't want to sell.

We're finding that a lot of people are selling as if they're a business, but aren't. So they are charging mates rates to everyone around them where they've not even registered.
They don't have the qualifications. They don't have the insurance.
And it's a really difficult thing to tackle. so educating everybody to charge what should be charged helps you know as soon as you start charging the right amount you don't have the people that are looking for cheap cake and you educate the area that you live in the cake isn't cheap it is a luxury if they want cheap cake then there's a supermarket down the road this is you know it is a bespoke item and we have to sell it as such so you know when when somebody says but that cake maker charged me half the price you're charging it's like okay that that cake maker needs educating because it's first of all they're probably not even making a profit and again it comes back to is this a hobby or is it a business because if it's a business you need profit yeah and they're probably not making profit so um it goes back to everybody's still treating it like a hobby and the person that is out there charging their worth and trying to make this a really successful business is constantly getting people saying you're too expensive and it's just not the case yeah that makes sense and so what you know where do you fit in how can you help somebody with something like that as a mentor so my job as a mentor is to basically I've been through all of it you know I did start as a hobby and I did transition into a business and I did keep it going like it was a hobby for years and it wasn't until I really understood that to make this a success and to be the full-time cake I wanted something had to change and I started to look to other mentors in completely different businesses because there aren't many cake makers out there who have turned into a mentor.
So, you know, I was looking at other businesses and I was like, they're treating it like a business. So I need to do the same thing.
And I did that for years and I built my business to what it is today, which is a full-time wedding cake business and making the money that supports me my family my lifestyle and then I saw everyone else not doing that so I needed to do something to boost this business because it is declining um you know whether it's the economy or anything like that, it is declining. And unless the cake makers

themselves are willing to change, it's going to disappear and nobody's going to have a business. So for me to educate everybody, they don't know what they're doing wrong.
First of all, I have to make them aware of what they're doing. So, you know, that is my priority.
First of all, it's like you're looking at that cake maker over there who is successful,

who charges their worth, who has so many followers on social media and you're complaining you're

not as good as them.

You're not as successful as them.

Well, it's likely you're not doing the stuff you need to do as a business to have that

success.

So it's changing mindset.

First of all, I think.

Thank you. it's likely you're not doing the stuff you need to do as a business to have that success.
So it's changing mindset, first of all. I think for me, mindset is a massive thing to be coached on.
And most people don't even think they've got an issue until you start telling them. So that's where I start.
I start with the whole mindset of this is a business. Let's get you like that so you know do you want this to be a full-time business do you want it to be a hobby you need to make a decision and then that's once they've made that decision I can then coach them on what comes next obviously there are so many different cake businesses out there whether they want to do celebration cakes or wedding cakes or luxury or anything.
Knowing what they want, first of all, is the first step. And then once we know that, we can move on to the next step, which is running a business.
Okay, that makes sense. And then, you know, we had a bit of an exchange over Instagram on like mentoring and what, you know, what constitutes a mentor.
And for me, it it is that real you've been there done it like you're able to guide that individual through it whereas coaching tends to be more of a of a supporting that person to come to their own thought process on it what is your take on that yeah completely agree with that um I would say I am a mentor because I support them and direct them in the way that they want to go. Whereas a coach will listen to what they want and pretty much just listen and help them talk stuff through and come to their own conclusions.
Whereas I'm not that person. I am the person that says, right, you want to do this.
This is how it's done. Go and do it.
And for me, that works better rather than just listening to what they want. And I mean, you are kind of guiding them as a coach, but you're more leading them with questions and getting them to come to their own conclusions.
Yes. Yeah.
mentor I want to see them succeed and having that experience of doing it myself I would never go to a mentor who has never done what they are teaching essentially so um knowing that I've been through all the struggles and it's not that I can only coach or mentor cake makers who do wedding cakes,

because I actually started with cupcakes.

Then I did celebration cakes for about eight years before going into weddings.

I've done it all.

Yeah.

I've gone through all the different stages that typically everybody goes through.

So I am in the position where I'm able to say to them, you're this wrong if you want this you need to do this yeah and that's my impression of a mentor um coaching is a little bit more hands off it's a little less assertive I feel isn't it like that's that's yes that's why I kind of I went towards the label of mentor quite early because I am quite opinionated. And I just can't sit there and be like, well, I'm not sure you should do that.
And I'd be thinking that, but not saying that and doing more sort of guiding. And my thought process is I've worked with mentors.
I've only worked with business mentors and I really like the fact that you are behind where they were you're on the same sort of journey you're doing the same sorts of things um and they're able to say well actually this is what worked for me this isn't what worked for me this is what's going on you probably want to look at this and you can only get that through experience and when you look back at your own journey and understand the processes that you've gone through and the understandings that we we started out i our first business when we came back from from traveling was um cupcakes we did cupcakes um and then from there if we evolved into different stuff and a food subscription box and all sorts of stuff um it was very much a kind of starting out which is why I was because when I was following you and you had that that amazing little fondant machine and I was like that is epic I love it it's like basically it's like an electric mangler isn't it it's like basically yes um but I was like that is epic um because you just feed it through and it was you know it is a journey and and that person that started on that journey to where you are now it's like you know if you had somebody that you could tap into who's done all those things and I think that's where the mentoring comes in is this person has done it um they've made those mistakes you can avoid mistakes, they'll help you to avoid those mistakes.

And so you're tapping into that knowledge of somebody having been doing that for, you know, 10 plus years, which is a totally different scenario to working through and talking through and kind of looking at particular subjects and being supported in that. It's a lot more directional, isn't it? Very much so, yeah.

I wish I had somebody back then who I could just get in touch with and say,

look, I'm thinking about doing this.

What do you think?

And actually get some advice

about whether I should or shouldn't do it,

or at least give me the pros and cons

rather than just trying to figure it out myself.

And a lot of times failing,

obviously I learned from all the failures and I got to where I wanted to go but I got there slowly yeah and if I had somebody to help me to give me answers to give me support and be direct then I would have got there a lot quicker so has a having a mentor is essential I mean I've had I've got one now. No, they're not in the cake business, but they are where I want to go eventually.
They've done it all. So, you know, they've done the mentoring and they're further along than I am.
So having a mentor that's done what you've done has got to a place where you can see yourself is is so important but a lot of people don't see that unfortunately no and and that's the thing is and I think when you are looking for a mentor one of the places to start is to look at the social media and look at what that person is doing now and you know because for me a lot of the time people are the elements of marketing sales and marketing that need working on That's why people predominantly work with me. And when you look at their social medias, if they're marketing themselves in a way, I always liken it to, we had a client from the agency side of stuff or the ad side of stuff, that business that I've got.
And we had a client who would go on TikTok and she would stand on her dining room table in a Wonder Woman outfit and do all sorts of dancing and all sorts of stuff. And she was really comfortable with that.
And when then the team were like, Sarah, how about TikTok? I'm like, I'm absolutely not getting on a table with Wonder Woman outfit on. And that was to me was like, that is what you have to do on TikTok.
It is obviously not. That's how that person did TikTok.
But it's looking at the way that that person markets themselves. If you're like, you know what, I can see myself, I'd be comfortable doing that.
That's within my kind of parameters of willing to do. Then that's great.
If they're doing stuff, if they're doing practices, if they're saying things, if they're making claims, if they've got structures and funnels and things like that in place that you wouldn't want to go down that route then they're probably not the best person for you um and so you know what what could you add to that what would you like if you were saying you know people were saying to you how do I go about finding a mentor what would be kind of your tips for finding a mentor that's the right fit for them? I think essentially it's looking at where they ended up is that the direction you can see yourself going in because I ended up as a wedding cake maker which doesn't necessarily mean my um the people who choose me as a mentor don't necessarily want to end up as a wedding cake maker, but they can see that the end result was a full time cake business. So I would say if you're looking for a mentor, the final stage before they started becoming a mentor, essentially, is the point that you want to go to.
yeah if somebody is wanting to have a shop selling cakes and things like that, that's probably not for me because I've never done that. That was not my path.
That is not what I wanted to do. I work from home and that's my specialty.
Running a cake business from your own home, making it your full-time career is the point where people need to be to choose me if they do want to do it maybe alongside their full-time job they don't ever want to quit their full-time job or they want to open a physical shop and or do online orders then you would find somebody who's been there and done that and been successful at that to be your mentor. So top tip is just find somebody who got to the point where you can see yourself getting to.
I mean, everybody changes over time. So in five years, you might actually change the way you want to go.
Your direction could change. But that doesn't necessarily mean you have to know that now so find somebody now yeah who is your goal who is your and then in five years time if you've if you've changed find somebody else who's doing the new thing that you want to do so yeah that's top tip absolutely absolutely so if people want to find out more about you is is instagram your main place is that the main place you hang out it is yes instagram uh the cake business academy uh same on facebook as well i'm not on tiktok because i am one of those people that will not dance on a table and do funny things i'm just not that funny i'm just not i'm no i'm just not that entertaining no i i did give it a go um it just wasn't for me so you know if know, if you're looking for a mentor that does TikTok, I'm not your person.
It's the thing, isn't it? Is where do you hang out? Where do they hang out? You know, that's the kind of stuff that you want to be looking at. But then, yeah, you know, if you do want to break into Instagram, then there you go.
Savannah's your person. Yes, that is my number one place, yes.
Yeah, nice. Well, it's been so nice chatting to you.
Thank you very much you for having me i will put savannah's um instagram link in the show notes so that you can grab it from there and find out more about her but thank you so much for your time savannah um guys i look forward to speaking to you next week where we'll have a solo episode where i'll be talking more around growing your business and building that business. That's it for me guys.
Bye for now.