What’s your biggest accomplishment? My biggest accomplishment really has to be ‘Cake For Breakfast‘ as a brand. I am so proud of the journey I’ve had with my business and where I am now. I never imagined being able to do what I love everyday, but with a lot of work and a lot of risks I was able to get there and I’ve never been happier.
What are three books you would recommend to our readers? I really haven’t read anything lately that jumped out at me enough to recommend! However, I do have some books on my summer reading list:
- Wheat Belly
by William Davis
- The Goldfinch
by Donna Tratt
- Onward
by Joanne Gordon
What’s the biggest lesson you have learned since launching? To not be afraid to take risks and to not compare yourself to anyone else. In January of this year I took the biggest risk of my career and my life and decided to quit my full time job in marketing to pursue Cake For Breakfast and see how far I could take the brand. I spent what felt like forever weighing the options, the pros and cons, making budgets and plans just to see if I would be able to do it. Then one Friday I walked into my boss’ office, trembling and feeling like I was going to be sick I told her that I was quitting my job. It was the scariest yet most liberating moment of my life. It was a gigantic risk, but I’ve never been happier.
In this industry it is so so so difficult to remember to not compare yourself to anyone else. You see how amazing someone else is doing or what someone else has done and you can’t help but think that they’re better than you. At the end of the day I’ve learnt to just keep my head down and my eyes on the prize. I saw a quote the other day that I loved, it said; ‘I’m not interested in competing with anyone, I hope we all make it.’ and I love that, and I do hope we all make it.
Marc Jacobs Bag
What’s your advice to someone interested in starting their own business? Don’t be afraid to START! When you’re first thinking of starting a business, you’re going to see what seems like a million road blocks in the way, and it’s easy to use those as excuses. You have to remember that every problem has a solution and it’s all part of the process, getting past each roadblock is going to make you a smarter, better business owner.
Where do you receive inspiration? Lately it seems like my inspiration has been more so derived from a feeling. It’s a little difficult to explain, but for example, my Spring collection was called Be In Love and was all about the feeling of love and being so in love with life. When I was designing the collection, with each piece, I found myself needing to take a step back and remember the concept – be in love. I wanted each piece to make girls everywhere want to celebrate, pop champagne, and kick up their heels. My darling fiancé proposed to me this year and I derived a lot of inspiration from that, and that feeling of being so utterly head over heels with the little moments and the hopes of the future – I hope that makes sense.
If you could have one famous entrepreneur as your mentor who would it be? There are so many girls like myself that own small businesses that I would love to sit down with and chat business, goals, and self motivation. Ashley Brooke from Ashley Brooke Designs, Taylor Sterling from Glitter Guide, Emily Schuman from Cupcakes and Cashmere to name a few.
Do you feel your life is balanced between work life and your personal life? The one challenge I’ve found since becoming self employed with Cake For Breakfast is figuring out what exactly ‘work’ is. I was always giving myself a hard time for blogging or shopping for shoot outfits during ‘business hours’. I would feel bad and think that I should be at my computer answering emails, but I’ve since learned that these types of things are equally as important and at the end of the day need to get done. Also with working for yourself, you tend not to care if you have to work 16 hours a day. I absolutely love what I do and I love that I’m building something for myself and for my future, of course some days are busier than others, but I never mind having to work long hours to see success.
Soundbytes:
What is your indispensable gadget: Definitely my iPhone, hands down. I’ve got everything at my fingertips with this little device – a definite necessity for any business owner!
What’s your favorite app? INSTAGRAM!! (obviously)
What’s your favorite account to follow on Twitter: That’s a tough one. I don’t know that I can pick out just one person. I love browsing through my newsfeed and reading what everyone has to say! Lot’s of fabulous information, highlights, breaking news, tips/tricks, the list goes on!
What’s your favorite item in your closet: Besides my CFB tees of course! My favourite item hasn’t even arrived yet! It’s a cross body Tory Burch bag in a porcelain pink. I can’t wait to use this fabulous new bag when I jet set off to Vegas in June!
To learn more about Tessa and her company check out her website + blog. Stay connected with her via social media Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
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