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Breaking the people-pleasing habit to build a business that lasts with Laurie Petrolino

This Santa Barbara cake artist turned her side hustle into a brand featured in Vogue Weddings and People Magazine, and she did it without a huge social media following. In this episode of Unbreakable Business, I sit down with Laurie Petrolino, baker, business owner, and Honeybook member. 

Laurie owns Room For Cake, where she creates stunning cakes for special occasions (and even some high profile clients). Listen in as she shares how she grew a thriving cake business by leaning into systems, setting boundaries, and breaking the habit of people-pleasing.

The Unbreakable Business podcast is powered by HoneyBook, the AI-powered CRM platform  for anyone with clients. Scale yourself and your business with all your leads, clients, projects, and payments in one place. Use the code PODCAST to get 20% off your first year as a new member.

latform  for anyone with clients. Scale yourself and your business with all your leads, clients, projects, and payments in one place. Use the code PODCAST to get 20% off your first year as a new member.

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Wearing multiple hats as a baker and business owner

Before she was a business owner, Laurie baked cakes for other bakeries. When she decided to go out on her own, her role multiplied. Today, she still bakes the cakes, but she’s also the accountant, social media manager, and CEO. 

A ton of hours go into baking her cakes, which are all unique creations, and most of the labor isn’t seen. Laurie has to balance the time spent in the kitchen with the time spent on the day-to-day operations of her business. Her story is an example of how working ON your business is different than working IN your business.

To make everything work, Laurie has set up smart systems that automate tasks. She uses Honeybook to send contracts, collect payments, and send automatic responses to client inquiries. Using these systems has created a big uptick in her revenue because her clients feel cared for and not ignored.

Maintaining your boundaries as a business owner

Another way that Laurie balances her role as a baker and business owner is by maintaining strong boundaries around her time, energy, and resources.

Laurie has learned to say no to some projects in order to serve her clients better and create work-life balance. When you’re just starting your business, it’s common to say yes to everything out of necessity, but it’s important to learn that it’s okay to walk away from opportunities that are not the right fit.

Breaking the people-pleasing habit

When it comes to taking last minute requests, Laurie has learned that she doesn’t have to please everyone or solve everyone’s problems. As a baker who is part of her customer’s big life moments, she gets easily invested in their stories. However, she has to be careful about how much she takes on so that her attention isn’t too divided. 

Like many entrepreneurs, people-pleasing was a default. But over time, she realized that not every client or project was the right fit. She learned to politely walk away, trusting that aligned opportunities would come.

Enforcing boundaries as a business owner isn’t always easy, but it can help you serve your clients better, work with the right people, and protect your energy.

Focusing on relationships over social media growth

As a baker, Laurie focuses more on partnering with people in her community than she does on social media growth. The bulk of her business comes from referral from past clients and the relationships she has with other people in the wedding industry in her town. 

What does having an unbreakable business mean to you?

For Laurie, having an unbreakable business means being adaptable and evolving in the face of challenges. 

Important sections of the conversation

  • [1:26] Wearing Multiple Hats as a Baker and Business Owner
  • [6:46] Does being a people pleaser hinder business growth?
  • [10:48] Maintaining your boundaries as a business owner
  • [15:00] Focusing on relationships over social media growth
  • [26:00] Rapid fire questions 
  • [30:23] What does having an unbreakable business mean to you?

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