Hello everyone, and welcome back to The Professional Student! Today, I’ll share a YouTube video of an interview I just conducted with Beth Kellerhals. Beth is an entrepreneur and has years of valuable experience and expertise to offer. She was kind enough to share some of her story and offer many great words of wisdom!
This assignment was supposed to be for a PR/Marketing expert, but I covered much of that in my post regarding professional marketing services. I decided to go in a different direction, but I also discussed PR/marketing topics and how an entrepreneur can navigate marketing, as it can be costly, depending on specific goals and needs.
Please enjoy the interview, and don’t forget to leave me a comment. Thanks for visiting The Professional Student!
Innovative Leadership and Entrepreneurship: A Graduate Student's Perspective 
8 replies on “The Professional Student: Subject Matter Expert Interview, Pastry Chef Beth Kellerhals”
Shawn,
Thanks so much for sharing! This was really awesome and it was quite easy to discern how much you enjoyed this interview. There is something appealing about listening to an interview where you can tell the host is totally dialed in, interested, and engaged in the format. Beth has a really cool history and her experience is impressive. I have always admired chefs as there is something very powerful about being able to see the fruits of your labor once you are done and even better, being able to see others enjoy those fruits!
I loved that Beth talked about “side hustling” as that is often one of the first ways entrepreneurs get into owning their own ventures. They dabble, uncover demand or problems, and then scale to meet that demand. In Beth’s case, she seems to have been ahead of the curve in many ways, seeing trends and possibilities before the rest of the market, which has led her to being successful in moving around and dabbling with various products.
Finally, one of the most critical things Beth shared that I think often gets overlooked is attaching yourself to great people! Whether this is from mentors or colleagues, it’s so important to put yourself around others who can help drive toward success. While Beth may have done things differently with Roy, the reality is that experience likely benefitted her and gave her immense insights into how to succeed in the industry. She mentions going out on her own later to be successful, but may be overlooking that experience and how important it was in empowering that eventual success. Overall, great interview and I would love to know if you took any key points away from this that you might apply to your business?
Cheers,
Zane Breeding
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Zane,
I’m glad you enjoyed the interview, and I think we all have our “side hustles.” Regardless of what you’re doing, it’s nice to know you can make quick cash on the fly. Several times, I have simply decided to go on baking marathons, posted on my Facebook that I had fresh goods available, and sold out within the day rather than waiting for people to order from me. Beth does a lot of Farmer’s Markets and Tailgate Markets, which is something I am thinking about more seriously after our interview.
Kindly,
Shawn
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Hi Shawn,
What a wonderful interview with Beth! I actually had the joy of spontaneously working with her one day. At my last job we were closed on Sundays and Mondays, but since I was the baker, I would go in on Mondays by myself and do prep for the upcoming week. One Monday I was asked by my employer if it would be possible for a woman named Beth to come by and use the oven (hers had broken at home), and if I had space in the oven to share. I said for sure, and Beth came a little bit later. She was such a joy to work with in our tiny kitchen, we got to know each other quickly. I was in the early stages of starting my business, and had been waiting for too long on the inspection of my kitchen. She too had gone through the same situation and was able to give me a few tricks on who I needed to talk with to get the ball rolling faster. Beth was a great impromptu source of information that day, we talked about farmers markets, wholesaling, quiche, and biscuits. I told her my business’ name was “Fred and Biscuits Bakery” and I saw a little bit of panic in her eyes, thinking I was coming for her business (because she obviously makes a lot of biscuits and scones). I assured her I wasn’t, and “Biscuits” was just the name of one of my recently departed cats, although I do make a meeeannn cheddar biscuit!
She was such a ray of sunshine, and I really appreciated our few hours together.
Next, I am glad you brought up the topic of wholesaling with Beth, it is an area that I hope to wiggle my way into, as long as it is financially worth it. That is often what I hear from bakery business owners, “MAKE SURE IT IS WORTH IT!” You spend so much time making large quantities of items, at a lower price than you would normally sell it. So, when does it become financially worthwhile? Shawn, you then saying how there is money to be made in wholesaling lifted my spirits.
I couldn’t agree with her more when she said, “the best way to sell anything is word of mouth”. It is incredible how fast word and recommendations can get around. Just with my small bakery, the day I got my first order from somebody I didn’t know, I immediately thought it was fake, then I got over the self-doubt and asked her how she heard of me? She said she got my name from a bakery thread for WNC bakers. My name was put there on a recommendation by my sister-in-law who lives in Raleigh. The customer then said she is from Florida and coming to visit in July and wants to order a birthday cake for her husband. That whole situation just blew my mind and made my baker heart so happy! It was then I started my cookie referral program. If you refer my business to a potential customer and they order something, I send them a box of cookies to thank them. I have since had a few more customers who have found my name online and placed orders. For me, once I started making orders for people I didn’t previously know, and the joy it brings me, it really solidified my decision for continuing on this path I have started to pave.
Thank you Shawn for this lovely interview, I really enjoyed it – especially because I could relate to the conversation on another level more than some of the other interviews.
Well done!
Kindly,
Rachael Petty
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Dear Rachael,
It’s funny how folks who work in the food and beverage industry always seem to be connected one way or another. It really is a small world. I am glad you enjoyed the interview, as Beth has an amazing soul. Thank you for sharing the story of how you two met and your personal experiences regarding word of mouth.
Wholesale can be a loss or a profit, but it is really how you approach it. I wouldn’t consider selling custom desserts or cakes for wholesale, but think about it in terms of volume. What can be made quickly and in large quantities without sacrificing taste, flavor, or appearance? I love the 1/3 size of disposable aluminum pans, half pans, and full pans, You can bake cinnamon rolls in the deeper ones, ice them, pop a lid and label on them, and sell them as is. You can bake cakes, brownies, and quick breads, add frosting that can be quickly applied with a piping bag or offset, pop a lid on them, label, and they’re good to go. Cookies are pretty quick as well. Large batches can be made in advance, scooped, frozen, and baked as needed. Those are just a few ideas that come to mind. Cupcakes, muffins, etc. also come to mind. Bundt cakes are another great one because they look fabulous right out of the pan and glazing is a breeze. They can be decorated several ways and be dressed way up, or kept casual. I wish you the best should you choose to wholesale!
Kindly,
Shawn
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Hi Shawn!
You read my mind in regards to wholesaling.
Items like cookies, muffins, cinnamon rolls and even bundt cakes are exactly the items I would consider wholesaling.
Can we be real for a moment? Bundt cakes are my favorite. I love any and all bundt cakes, I love decorating them and the versatility of a bandt pan. I actually collect vintage bundt pans and hang them in my kitchen. I’m obsessed!
Thank you for your response, Shawn.
Kindly,
Rachael
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Rachel,
I love that you love bundts! I do, too, because they’re also easy to send in the mail. There is no worries of a buttercream disaster! I’m also glad I’m not the only one who has a bundt pan collection/addiction. Actively looking for Nordicware on sale is a favorite pastime!
Kindly,
Shawn
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This was a great “interview”. I say that loosely because it seems as if two individuals were just having a conversation. One of the statements that resonated with me was Beth stating that “Entrepreneurship basically boils down to the amount of risk you are comfortable with.” I feel that this is a very accurate statement. I know many people who are afraid to step into the world of entrepreneurship because of the risk that comes with the unknown and uncertainty of it. They choose to have a 9-5 because they feel that it is stable and predictable. For example, one knows when they will be paid, and how much. However, when as an entrepreneur (especially in the early stages) this could fluctuate; therefore, causing one to panic. Although the security of a 9-5 paycheck may seem safe, the potential rewards and the thrill of forging one’s own path can make the calculated risks of entrepreneurship worthwhile for those who dare to dream big.
Thank you for sharing!
GaVonne
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Hi, GaVonne,
Thank you for your comment and your feedback. Beth and I have known each other for well over five years and the interview reflects as such.
I agree with you that people are afraid to take risks associated with entrepreneurship and starting their own businesses. I think a safer route is to start doing a business part-time and as it grows, the decision to drop the 9 to 5 job can be made. There is always the aspect of uncertainty, but once you realize you can generate a certain amount of revenue per month to meet your business expenses, as well as pay yourself to be able to pay your personal expenses, that uncertainty will slowly start to go away. But I think it’s a smart move for any business to always be a little uncomfortable. The moment you get comfortable,the unexpected happens.
Have an amazing day, and thanks for stopping by The Professional Student!
Kindly,
Shawn
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