The Vicki Kotris Podcast

Ep 62: The Accidental Baker Who Took Over TikTok with Alejandra Olivas

• Vicki Kotris

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Ever wonder how a failed birthday cake could lead to over a million TikTok followers and a booming cake business? 

Join us as Alejandra Olivas shares her incredible journey from self-taught cake decorator to full-time content creator. Discover the resilience, creativity, and community-building strategies that turned her passion into a successful career. 🎂

✨ If you’re sitting on a creative dream or looking to leverage social media for your business, this episode is a must-listen!

Thank you again for tuning into another episode of the Vicki Kotris Podcast! I want to support you, cheer you on a HYPE you up!! If you're celebrating anything (and I mean ANYTHING), send me a DM and let me highlight you on a recent episode.

If you're looking for support in building a social media content strategy, I'm your girl! Send me an email to vkkotris@gmail.com and we can set up a FREE account audit.

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Vicki:

Today's guest is proof that sometimes a failed birthday cake can change your entire life. And I am sitting down with Alejandra Olivas, a self-taught cake decorator, former teaching assistant, and now a full-time contract. Content creator with over 1.2 million followers on TikTok and a cake business that is booked out months in advance. Alejandro's story is so much more than buttercream and fondant. It's about resilience, reinvention, and the power of showing up even when you're not sure where it's all headed. In this episode, we're talking about what it really took to grow her business from her home kitchen, where she built a ride or die audience online, and the advice that she has for anyone sitting on a creative dream. But scared to start. Spoiler alert, you are gonna wanna take notes. Alejandra, thank you so much for joining even through our technical issues today. I'm so happy to have you. Thank you. Absolutely. Well, we are gonna dive into everything Sweet ooey, gooey lovely about what makes Cakes spa Alejandra so special. I know that your story kind of started off with a failed. Birthday cake, which led you to hone your craft, get so much better. So talk to me about that. Making that first cake for your husband's birthday, what did it unlock in you that made you come back for more and want to really like lean into this?

Alejandra Olivas:

my grandma

Vicki:

So.

Alejandra Olivas:

she was always the cake maker in my family, so she made it look super easy. So it was just something like, oh yeah, she makes cakes. Me thinking that's something super common for. People to do at home. Um, so I always saw that growing up and she just made, you know, piping roses super easy and like, oh yeah, I'm just gonna make a cake in like 30 minutes. So to me it was just something like, yeah, that's something that sounds super easy, right? So, um, we had just moved to Arizona and we were actually staying with my aunt, so I didn't have. I didn't have my own kitchen, my own supplies, but I did have about$20 to, um, find a birthday gift for my husband who had just moved us here and he was working so hard. He had just found a job and I was at home with the kids. So, um, yeah, I just wanted to. know, celebrate him and all the hard work he had been doing with$20. So I'm sure I could have just borrowed, you know, borrowed money to get him a nice gift. But, I'm like, no, you know what? I got this. Making a cake is not hard, right? So I figured, let me just go buy some box cake, mix eggs. And then I started, you know how when you go down that like Pinterest. Rabbit hole thinking you can do the most, whether it's makeup, clothes, like anything. I'm like, oh

Vicki:

Yes.

Alejandra Olivas:

that, oh my gosh, that he loves sports, watching sports. Um, and we're from Texas, so he loves the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Mavericks, and um, the Texas Rangers. So I thought, oh my gosh, three tier cake should be, should be easy, right? And I'll decorate each tier, um, you know, one of his sports teams. And I, my grandma had never worked with fondant. I know that. So she heard it was always like whipped cream. So it was always, you know, tasting the whipped cream. And that's all she would frost cakes with like those, like more like grocery store type of cakes, like sheet cakes. And they weren't tiered cakes. They weren't

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

cakes, but like I said, just whipped cream floral basic. There I go trying to make a fondant cake, which I've never seen done before. Nor have I ever done before. But I had confidence, right? I had all the time in the world and$20. So I bought some, I looked up how to make, um, your own fondant'cause store bought fondant. Insane. It's like$20 for like. I don't know, like a little tub one color, and you have to obviously either color it or buy all the colors. So I'm like, huh, how do I mix? I googled like how to make homemade fondant. It was literally just two ingredients. It was powdered sugar and um, marshmallows put it in a bowl microwave and mix it, made it with the sugar. It was super, super easy process. I'm like, okay, got that. And then I looked up like, what do you put under, because I said, I, I don't have, I didn't have any experience making cakes, but I knew you can't just cover. The cake itself, like the spongy cake in fondant. So then I go like, no experience, just like

Vicki:

Okay.

Alejandra Olivas:

Like I got this with YouTube and Google. So I Google like, what do you put under fondant? And it said buttercream. in my head I'm like, oh. So all I know is whipped cream. You can't put whipped cream. How do you make buttercream? It's just, I looked up all the stuff I needed, went and bought everything. Um. My aunt actually, she had, um, a really nice mixer. She goes, she doesn't really cook too much or bake at all. And she goes, I have it. I bought it when I got the house. You could definitely use it. I'm like, okay, perfect. So make my buttercream. Make the fondant like four hours in. I'm still nowhere, like where I need to be.

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

um, oh my gosh. I like ruined her counter. Like it was just such a mess. My husband was at work all day long. He comes home like at eight o'clock. Still not done. So I'm like guys like hide him. Hide him. So that way I can finish. It was like the worst looking put together cake at the very end is when you realize like, oh, I never bought a cake board. So I just like grabbed the biggest plate. She had put the, it was like such a mess. It was such a mess. Um, I think I posted it before and people are like, that's your first cake. It's so good. But I'm like, okay. so yeah, that was his cake and it was like. I di I wouldn't say I enjoyed the process because at the time it was such a headache. But

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

I mean, the end result for it being my first time was like, okay, like, you know, if I practice even just a couple times, like it can't get any worse. Right. um, yeah, soon after

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

son's birthday, so I thought maybe just like, it was his first birthday actually, and you know, like smash cakes were just starting up as a thing. Um, he's nine now, so.

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

So I thought, hmm, I could just like pipe him a really cute cake. So it was just kind of like, it started off with like my husband's cake, my son's cake. And it was never at all intended to be like a business or maybe I can make these to sell or to make money. It was just like, I know I can get better at something. So that's honestly how it started. And then.

Vicki:

that.

Alejandra Olivas:

you know, word of mouth or you know, just one family member telling someone else like, oh, you just need something. Not a big deal type of cake, but just like, oh, just something for the office. Like, yeah, she can make it for you. Or, you know, it didn't have to be perfect. They just wanted a cake. And it just honestly was word of mouth to start off and like from, I wanna say from the cake that I made, and again, they were not. Like good

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

It was around the 10th cake I made where, you know, people just kept like, oh yeah, can you make me for this? Or can you, can you make my, my sister, my daughter? Like just the babe, you know, like nothing, not a big deal. Around the 10th cake where I'm like, okay, like I'm starting to get a lot of, you know, just orders, I guess. Um.

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

I had to make, um, I think it was Instagram. Instagram and Facebook. I don't know which one was, maybe it was at the same time, but Instagram and Facebook were the, were, they were the first things I made just so people could message me, easier and I could start posting like the one or two pictures I had. And the second I made my Instagram and Facebook, I started getting regular orders and not like the 10 that I have per weekend like I do now, but. They were consistent, even if it was one a week. You know what I mean? Like it was that honestly, like social

Vicki:

Yeah,

Alejandra Olivas:

insane.

Vicki:

I know. And the two things that I love about what, just even your intro and what you described is just the ambition that comes from wanting to try something new and looking at, looking at it from the lens of I'm not. Building a million dollar empire. I'm not trying to do something crazy. I'm just literally trying to get better at something and seeing where the ride takes me. And then secondly, it's not being as afraid to share that with people like I'm sure even you describing it. That your work today is not reflective of your work then, because it's so much better and so much more creative, and I'm sure so much more technical. But you gotta put it out there if, if you ever wanna, if you ever want to have that kind of create that community or sell yourself, you have to be willing to kind of put out the crappy stuff first. And. I it sometimes it takes like a lot to do that. So, you know, at that time when you were early and how many years back was that? I should ask.

Alejandra Olivas:

I wanna say like six, seven years ago, seven. seven. Yeah.

Vicki:

Okay.

Alejandra Olivas:

it's so crazy

Vicki:

So.

Alejandra Olivas:

around that time, so I had just started my, my social media right. With my, my five pictures of horrible looking cakes. but I mean, I had just started out I remember like we were in such a not good financial situation that this was not something I could just. Go out and buy a bunch of stuff. Like I didn't have a mixer. Like I didn't, oh, actually we had moved, we finally moved out of my, um, aunt's house. We weren't even there for a year, so I wasn't like, well into my cake journey. We had, we moved out and I, I, I had started my social media right when we moved out, so again. Little to no experience making cakes out on our own like still trying to get there. Um, only had enough to cover bills. I had two little kids. My son was not, not even two, my daughter was three or four. Um, so here I am, like starting up this thing and it seems like so far out of reach to even get remotely to where I wanted to to be. Right. had no money to like fund that

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

just try to, you know. I wanna sculpt a couple of things, or maybe just like if I just had a couple of content cakes, you know what I mean? Like, oh, like here's my ability.

Vicki:

You know what I mean? Like Yeah. Like here's my ability.

Alejandra Olivas:

to practice. Like it was really just like, oh, can you make me a cake? Yeah, I need a deposit. Use that, like, that's the only way I can like go out and practice was

Vicki:

Like that's the

Alejandra Olivas:

I couldn't

Vicki:

only way I can go out and

Alejandra Olivas:

didn't have the funds to practice on

Vicki:

with. I couldn't

Alejandra Olivas:

getting better. And then

Vicki:

practice

Alejandra Olivas:

as they came

Vicki:

getting better and like it was just as I came and that was my practice. Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

that I had.

Vicki:

myself,

Alejandra Olivas:

And I remember one time having a conversation with my aunt who we had just moved out,

Vicki:

aunt,

Alejandra Olivas:

or from. And, I remember like I

Vicki:

and

Alejandra Olivas:

'cause we were talking about cakes and she goes, you know, like, um. She was just being, I don't remember the exact words she said, but you know, she was just talking me up and, and telling me, you know, like, you, you, you're gonna get there or, you know, you'll be great. And I remember putting her on speaker and hopping on Pinterest I would just type in like, you know, like basic cakes or, you know, like, oh, I would love to do that. And you know, you, like I said, you go down that rabbit hole and it was like the little mermaid, like sculpted, like these crazy cakes. And I just remember like thinking like, this is what I wanna do. Like this is what I wanna make, um. But I never, I never thought like, one, I would even as good or two, you know, have the, social media

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

the customers to trust me with those orders.'cause I don't think, wouldn't say I didn't trust myself. It's like I knew I had a skill, but it took so long to get there because of the financial situation.

Vicki:

But you know what's I, I'm a big proponent of not doing things for free unless they speak to you. Unless they call to you. And I would never say like, you shouldn't give things away because there is, uh. There are situations in growing my own businesses and I, so I own a food truck and a catering business, and I owned a ice cream shop. So I've done a lot of things where, um, you know, there you wanna help your community and there are certain causes that touch my heart, but I am a proponent of. When you are really trying to enhance a skill, I think giving it away for free almost cheapens yourself because you, there is just a psych, there's a psychology behind it. When you're exchanging money for goods or a service,

Alejandra Olivas:

Mm-hmm.

Vicki:

it more seriously. You come at it from a different angle. You put pressure on yourself to make it good. Whatever your skill level of good is at that time, and it always keeps go getting better, but. I, but I a hundred percent agree with you. And I think that's how businesses are built. They're not by creating a hobby, by just, um, giving things away because you're afraid of saying like, Ooh, this isn't good enough. But it's really by upleveling yourself through each individual customer and challenging yourself with each

Alejandra Olivas:

Mm-hmm.

Vicki:

new project. So I'm curious, like when in your journey. Over the past six or seven years, did you say like, okay, this isn't like a small thing anymore. Like this is my, this isn't a side hustle. This is my main hustle and I am good. And I am ready.

Alejandra Olivas:

because at that time, I'm telling you, when I had just started, I just, um, created my Instagram, Facebook with like. I don't know, 20, 30 followers. Um, I was

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

at, um, a school, at an elementary school actually at, I was, um,

Vicki:

Yes.

Alejandra Olivas:

Moved on to like, um, attendance and like clerical stuff at the school. But I kept that job at the school while making cakes up until three years ago. So for about four years I was making cakes, running my business and two little ones, and also a whole full-time job. It wasn't a part-time job, it was a full-time job

Vicki:

Mm-hmm.

Alejandra Olivas:

Um, that was insane.

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

now and I don't know how I

Vicki:

Mm-hmm.

Alejandra Olivas:

but, but um, yeah, I, uh, I would say when I thought it was like my full-time was the day that I decided I couldn't

Vicki:

Mm-hmm.

Alejandra Olivas:

both anymore. And it was like the biggest risk leap of faith. And it was my husband, honestly, who told me, like, um, he was like, I, I got it. Like if, if you know, like we're my job's good enough to where. Even if it fails, which it won't, you know, we'll be fine. Like, stop worrying because it's such a risk leaving a steady income. And this isn't, I mean, it's not really like you don't know what cakes you're gonna get. You don't know what people are. Am I gonna get a wedding cake this month? Like, how many am I gonna get? And it's just,

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

the unknown. And I can't believe it took me that long to leave my job. Like it's insane. same year

Vicki:

Hmm.

Alejandra Olivas:

I blew up on social media, like I already had a TikTok. Um,

Vicki:

Oh.

Alejandra Olivas:

you know, like three years after, um, being at the school, like, I started my TikTok and I had several followers, videos went viral and stuff like that. But, um, it was when I finally decided it was over the summer.'cause we don't, we don't work over the summer. So I finally was like, you know what, I, I physically, mentally, like I cannot do both anymore. And this Arizona traffic is no joke. So getting off of work. At like three, four o'clock, getting my kids from school. And the drive is like, with the traffic, it's crazy. The, and then the heat, like it is just, ugh. Um, so driving home, getting home like at 6:00 PM to start. Like running my business, making my list to go

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

Um, you know, like eggs and, and what orders do I have? Answering messages, taking orders, posting on social media, editing videos. Like it, I said, I, I, I, I know I did those things. Dunno how, looking back. But, um,

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

yeah, that's when finally I, my husband just, just do it. Like if you're thinking about it, just do it because I can, you know. I, I am the safety net, like in case anything happens and, um, yeah,

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

it's so crazy full circle. Um, just last month I had the same conversation with my husband about him leaving his job. Yeah.

Vicki:

Really? Yeah. That's awesome. It, it's, it, well, it helps to have an, an amazing partner with you and someone who says like, even if the worst happens. I got you. We'll figure it out. Um, and, and so my husband and I run our business together and I feel very much that same way is he can take slack off and, you know, if like any kind of support that I need and it just gives you some kind of creative freedom to say, okay, then I know I can play, I can bring in like a new energy. And that's why I'm not surprised that you said that your business blew up on TikTok and you became a content creator. From your job because when you, I'm a big, I, I believe this so much. When you kind of start shedding some energy or shedding some things in your life that take a lot of energy that aren't, you're not super passionate about, I really feel like you invite so much more energy. In an opportunity in, and I noticed the same things, like I had a personal experience with that where I left I same, I have the exact same story as you. I worked my job for four years while running my business. So my nine to five and then my five to nine, and then it like really I working 12 to 14 hour days without even noticing it for so long and. After I quit my j my corporate job, I ended up getting pregnant two months later with my son. And I still credit this to the day that it was because I was like removing things from my life that didn't serve me or serve my future. So I, I fully believe in that and I think it's so helpful. Um, and then this is kind of a good segue to talk about how. You became a content creator because that doesn't happen on accident. I think having one viral post is a happy accident, but having dozens and dozens of viral posts and becoming kind of a voice of being a very successful home baker is something completely different. So when you first started on, even with Instagram and Facebook, before you started on TikTok, what was your. Focus on posting, or what kind of content did you just really focus on creating?

Alejandra Olivas:

just wanted to build like my Instagram especially. I wanted, you know, I just wanted. Beautiful cakes so that way I can get more customers. Like, hey, like I said, even today, like, like I said, every new order, that was the first time, you know, like, what did I make last week? I made an amplifier and a guitar. Had I ever made an amplifier and a guitar? No. Like even today, with every order, like it's a new, you know, a new experience, I'm still learning like, um, yes, I know what

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

know, making the fondant, making the cake. I know how to sculpt. Um, but that specific thing, like it comes with practice. So I just wanted to make as many, I wanted to post as many cakes that I made as I could, like, take a picture of every single one, because I do wanna post them. And that was mainly for, to attract new customers, you know what I mean? Like when you post a higher, I guess like a better cake. A nicer cake, a prettier cake, higher skill you attract. The, a better clientele, I guess you could say. so, you know, like if I keep posting like old cakes and, you know, like not quality level or at least what I know I can do, um, yeah, I'm gonna keep those same customers, or you know, the ones that, you know, like they, they want a, a deal or a discount or, you know what I mean? So like the higher quality, the

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

the customers that you, you want. So I just was trying to, you know. Pump out as many cake pictures as I could on my social media for new customers. it's so crazy to think because now, um, yeah, my social media is um, yeah, to create content a whole other income is me posting. It's insane. Um,

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

but. I would say the video. Yeah. So I had social media, like especially TikTok. I had TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and everything. Business was full up and running. Orders were coming in while I was working it's so crazy'cause I was working, um, at, right before I left I was. Now in the nurse's office, we didn't have a nurse, so I was like the assistant and the only one running in the nurse's office. Um, oh my God. Yeah. Insane. While

Vicki:

Oh my God.

Alejandra Olivas:

answering cake messages. So like, I mean, kids are not there all day in and out. So there was a couple, you know, times where there was no kids and I'm sitting there like, hi, can I have a cake? Sure. How many people would you need this stuff? Like it was crazy. Crazy. Um. Or, you know, my TikTok would be blowing up over here, videos going viral. Like, hi, yes, you need a bandaid. Like, lemme, lemme get you a bandaid. Let's clean that up for you.

Vicki:

That's amazing.

Alejandra Olivas:

Um, so yeah, I was doing that for a while, but, um, so I left school over the summer, so let's say June or July. And then, um. November that same year, is that video, that one video? I mean, again, like I said, I had viral videos before, but that was today. That video sits at over 60 million views. I posted it in November of

Vicki:

Wow.

Alejandra Olivas:

I quit. So it was like a really big reflection at the end of the year. Like, whoa, I left and it's already insane. Um, yes.

Vicki:

Wow.

Alejandra Olivas:

So

Vicki:

was the video of?

Alejandra Olivas:

wedding cake. It was a Hello Kitty and Batman wedding cake. um, so that order came in. So funny how things work. somebody messaged me on Facebook and she says, hi, I am getting married. I actually was, uh, recommended to you. I know your aunt, the aunt that brought us to live with her in Arizona that gave me her mixer. I still have her mixer in my kitchen. Dunno why I didn't give it back. I bought two KitchenAid still in my kitchen.'cause that's how I started. That's the one I started with. But she go, she tells me that, um, she goes, your, I actually know your aunt. I used to work with her and when I messaged my aunt, she goes, oh my gosh, yes. Like we go way, way back. Like she worked there for the longest time and she's getting married. So she, um, right away I was going to, you know, I was gonna make it work for her because she knew my aunt. So, um, she tells me everything she wants, right? Which was very detailed. Very intricate. A lot of serving, a big serving size. Um. She said that she wanted a nice, elegant, all white cake with floral, a traditional wedding cake. And her husband or fiance wanted a, I guess,'cause he's really into Batman, she's really into Hello Kitty. And they, on their first date, they went and bought, I guess it was around Christmas time. So they bought these like little ornaments, like really pretty detailed that man in Hello Kitty. So that became a thing that man, hello Kitty. Well he wanted, you know, those character themes. And she wanted the traditional, she goes, so I'm, I don't know which way to go. I told him I was gonna do traditional, but I'm requesting, you know, to surprise him and make him happy with the Batman ha kitty. So I said I got a great idea. How about we do one side of the cake? Like if you're only looking at one side, um, it's the traditional and when you completely flip it, it's split. That meant, hello Kitty. She was like, oh my God, I love it. So I went and, you know, downloaded, did my research and you know, it's been done before. I'm not saying I created it, but um. grabbed, you know, those inspo pics and you know, just like kind of colored it, just a quick like edit. Nothing professional. Just like with my drawing tool. Like, this will be pink, this will be black, here's the Hello Kitty, here's the, and I kind of sent her like I was gonna, how I was gonna do it, and I sent it to her and she's like, oh my God. Yes. Well, by then I was pretty well into my, you know, having my business. So I didn't charge, didn't give her, know, a lower price. I gave her my price, was a lot. And. Because it was a very detailed order, and she goes, honestly, like, oh my gosh, I would love to do this. I'm gonna order from you, but I don't think I can do that, can we, you know, like lessen the serving size And yeah, I was working, we were going back and forth on how we can make it work for her, right? Um, so finally we agreed on what I was gonna do when the weekend came to make her cake. I still went all out. I probably did everything I originally said I was gonna do other than the serving size. I did all of the details, I put everything into it. And because of that, I, um, I knew I was gonna record, like for content, I was gonna record that specific order. I was like, you know what, if I'm gonna go all out, like I'm gonna try to, you know, have this video do well, or at least post it on social media. I did, um, before I posted that video, I think I had, um. Like 40,000 followers, maybe 30, 30 to 40,000 followers a month after that video, I hit a million. Like that video just kept

Vicki:

Wow.

Alejandra Olivas:

and going. And even, yeah, like I said, currently to this day, it has over, I think 63 million views. Um, and that was like three years ago.

Vicki:

Crazy.

Alejandra Olivas:

But I just, and it's so funny, I, um, just finished watching a video. Um, you know who Keith Lee is, right?

Vicki:

Is he the one who does all the food reviews? Yes.

Alejandra Olivas:

of that, you know, just because like he, he started reviewing these pages, just these places just to attract more business like restaurants that are going. At the point of being, you know, like they have to go to business because they have no customers, clients. And he just

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

just, that's how he started it. He didn't get anything in return and he's always been an advocate for, you know, you have to do things from your heart, like not, you know what I mean? So,

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

obviously we all, we all know Kely, he blew up, well, I just saw a video recently and he, I think went to, I don't wanna say the wrong place. He went on vacation. Um, oh my gosh. Turks and Caicos, I think is where he went. um, he, him and his wife went on like some boat and he made a video talking about, um, this instructor, I guess, like they went scuba diving, they did something. And this kid, he was like a 19, 20-year-old kid, was like the best, like he even their phones died and he even offered to like. Take them to like drive them himself back to their room. And he was just like going on about how this kid was like, exceptional. Like he was, he lives on his, he, he grew up on a boat and now he grows up. Like he grew up to, to, you know, take people around on his boat. Like that's his life. He lives on his boat and he has the most exceptional, um,

Vicki:

It's cool.

Alejandra Olivas:

know, customer service. And he, he, he was a genuine kid. So Keith Lee makes this video and, um. was just going on about conversation he had with this kid at the time on the boat saying, you've been amazing. And the kid asked kind of like for social media, um, advice. And Keith Lee told him, you do exactly what you're currently doing, like just who you are and be a good person and do things like for nothing in return. already got it. Like that's it. And I immediately got taken back to that cake because. Like I did everything to make it work for that lady.

Vicki:

Everything.

Alejandra Olivas:

you know what I mean? Like, I

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

have to take, oh, and I was fully booked, I believe, like it was the craziest way that that cake happened. Like everything should, the way everything played out, like that cake shouldn't have happened. I think I was booked. What she wanted was crazy, insane, Um, the price that I gave her was nowhere in her budget. I still gave her, and none of it. I had

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

idea it was gonna go viral. No idea. And yeah, it just the way everything, and then the fact that she knew my aunt, like it was crazy. And that's the one that, that blew up. Um, yeah. So

Vicki:

That's so cool.

Alejandra Olivas:

taken back. I'm like, whoa.

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

yeah.'cause I, I posted that with nothing I. Yeah, I wanted to post it, but just to show my skill, not, oh my gosh, I'm gonna go up and go.

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

Like,

Vicki:

Not expecting.

Alejandra Olivas:

I always posted my cakes was, oh my gosh, I just wanna show like, look, I can make something. Look this pretty, look, I've gotten better. Like, that was my thing. Like, look, I posted this, I've gotten better. Not, oh look, it's gonna go viral and I'm gonna make X amount of money. Like I'm not, I don't post videos on a dollar

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

Um, it was.

Vicki:

And I think what stops people, I, I, I didn't mean to interrupt, but I think what stops people who are service providers or have a business outside of just being a content creator is feeling like, well, that would just take so much time. Or What would I post? Or what would I share? And I think it's, it's. It's easier when you're product-based business because you can show the process of making the cake and this is the end result. But I guess keeping all of that in mind of like any business that you run, what, how do you make it, how do you make the content production part easier for yourself? Or, or maybe it's, maybe you feel like it is a another job to maintain it, but I'm just, I, I wanna hear your thoughts about that and how you're able to make it work to just be a sales engine for yourself.

Alejandra Olivas:

oh, geez. Uh, I do feel like it's definitely full-time job now. but. mean, at first I didn't, I, I look back and see how many videos like I was pumping out. I'm like, holy cow. Like, and like I said, I was also working, so I don't know, but I do take on a lot more

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

now. maybe that's why I feel that way, but I, I don't know the process. Um, gosh, I don't know how to answer that. Um.

Vicki:

And maybe it, maybe we shift it and say, is there something that you have found that makes it easier for yourself? And it could be like you use a certain equipment to film yourself in the kitchen, or you have a certain editing tool, or maybe you outsource it to someone else to help. Is there something. Something that you've kind of picked out that helps you the most to continue to create content?

Alejandra Olivas:

I mean, if there's anybody that like wants to, it's hard thinking back, speaking on my experience, but then when, you know, like. trying to pass, you know, and for people who want to create content, much easier to think that way. You know what I mean? Like, oh, here's advice rather than, Hmm, how did I do it? Because like I said, you look back and you're like, how? I don't know.

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

if I were to pass along, you know how, like the process and, and what I would recommend and not recommend, um, honestly, I know people say it all the time, like just post it. Like, just do it. Don't even. Ah, don't, don't think too hard on it, which is honestly the truth. Like I was actually just getting my lashes done recently, and, um, way I found her, she messaged me and she was like, oh my God, I love your content. I would love to do services for like of charge. You know, just come in and she wanted to do them. She's now my last girl. but. She just, this last time she was telling me, um, we were talking, you know, social media because she, she's really good with her social media. She was giving me, um. Advice on like, which new apps? She's much younger than me. She's like, you're your millennial. Heart is showing. I'm like, no. So she was giving me like, the new apps to use, like she was giving me all the, all the deeds. So I'm like, okay, cool, cool. And then she goes, yeah, because your brand is your voiceovers. And I'm like, oh. Like no one's ever told me that. You know what I mean? Like I, it's something like, you know, but she told me, she's like, no, your brand is, is your, your voiceovers. She's like, everybody post cake videos. You post a song to it. She's like, but yours, like, everyone recognizes your voice. Like that's your brand. I was like. Like, that was like kind of nice to hear because it's like, you know what? You're right. so if I, when you're gonna start, like, don't put that pressure on you, because if somebody, you know, if I had that mentality when I first started, like, oh my gosh, my voice has to sound like this, like the, you know what I mean? Like you overthink it so you just have to do it. Like, honestly, you just have to do it because it just leads you to somebody telling you one day your brand is your voiceover. Like, oh, okay. When I first started, was so hesitant. Like I didn't wanna show my face my, they weren't gonna be videos. They were just gonna be, you know, like, oh look, here's a quick video of like a five second video of my final creation. Like, look after like 10 hours of hard work, like a little 32nd, not even 32nd, like five second, like, oh look, top to bottom. Here's what the cake looks like. that was not creating any engagement obviously. So I think that they just, like comments started trickling in, you know, like, oh, how did you make that? And it was like, you can only type much as a comment to where it's like, you know, let me just show you still, you don't have to see my face, but like I can show you how I made it. And honestly, it was just, you know, like the viewers or the comments will lead you in the direction, you know what I mean? Because they are the ones. That are watching the content, so why not give them what they want? Like they're telling you what they would like to see. I'm sure lots of other people wanna see it too. So if you just kinda, you know, it'll, it'll lead you there. So I had no idea I was gonna be doing voiceovers when I first started. I just wanted to show my cakes like I did on Instagram. Like, Hey, look at this. Beautiful thing. This finished product,

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

process part, because again, I was too scared to record stuff. and I didn't know how to edit. Like, I don't know nothing about, like none of this. I know how to take a picture, post it on Instagram, not edit videos and voiceovers and all this that

Vicki:

That's the millennial in us. What, what did your last girl tell you was like the most useful apps to know for a content creator?

Alejandra Olivas:

wasn't. Using it already. Um, she

Vicki:

What is it?

Alejandra Olivas:

she was showing me, um, something that she did. She's like, yeah, girl, just do it on Canva. I was like, I know what it is. I know I'm like, five years too late, but I've never used Canva. She's like, you don't use Canva. She's like, how do you make all your posts and your Instagram stuff? I was like, on the Instagram app and she's like, girl, that's when she's like, you're your millennial is show. I was like. I know what it is. Like I know everybody uses it. It's one of those things where like TikTok, when it first came out, like I know what it is. Everyone's using it. I haven't hopped on though. that's what it was. So just recently, like I just actually made my Mother's Day invitation on Canva. I am about to do my Easter flash sale poster. Um, I'm going to do that, figure that out today and post it on Canva. But that was

Vicki:

Okay.

Alejandra Olivas:

one she told me was, is it good notes? Um,

Vicki:

Okay. What's it for?

Alejandra Olivas:

was also shocked. I hadn't used it. And same, I'd never heard of it like she put me on, um,

Vicki:

I haven't either.

Alejandra Olivas:

she said that nurses use it a lot to, it's basically like, uh, I don't know. I don't know what it's called. Um, you know how like you can scan documents and kinda like keep, like filing or keeping stuff, but.

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

I guess like on the, not on the cloud, but on through this app. she goes, yeah, how do you keep, how do you keep, what

Vicki:

Okay.

Alejandra Olivas:

your cake orders? Like you have order forms, right? I go, yeah, I have like physical, like paper ones that I print out, like thousands and thousands. Like I have, I'm not gonna, it's gonna take me like two years to get through the menu that I ordered. But I don't, I don't give those to my customers.'cause I don't, it's all through, I don't see the customer until they pick up their cake. Nobody's ordering me in person. Like it's all through. Uh, a phone, like my phone, that's my lifeline. they place

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

and she's like, well, you have like physical forms. And I go, yeah. She's like, well, what do you do with them? I'm like, I keep them. And she's like, girl. She goes, no. goes, you have to take a picture of them and then you send it to the Good Notes app and it'll keep it there for you. And

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

now when that customer, it stores, you can search anything. Like, let's say, let's say you ordered a Sesame Street cake. a certain day, you wanted this stuff. Here's your name, here's your Instagram username that you ordered from, like all the details, right? All you have to do is go in the app, type in Sesame Street, and it will populate all the Sesame Street cakes I've done. Or if I type in your name, it'll gimme all those people. Like it'll, if the search. that app is insane. So she goes, yeah, look, let me show you. And then I turn around. She hadn't taped my, she hadn't started yet, maybe she had it finished, I don't remember. But, um, she's like, look, and she turns grabs her iPad, she types in my name. She gives me all the times that I've gone and the sizes that she's used. She's like, yeah, and you can draw right on there. So she put like, she like, you know, lash mapping and she gave me all my sizes I've gotten previously because it's right there. Like, she didn't have to go find a paper, go find, like, she's just

Vicki:

That's amazing.

Alejandra Olivas:

oh.

Vicki:

I love business tools. I love new business processes. I'm already thinking of how I can use that in my own, so that's awesome.

Alejandra Olivas:

all my, like, I don't have to keep them anymore. They could just be there and next time, you know, somebody might order a cake from me through Instagram and then they order it, you know, they could, they have my number now, so maybe they'll text me so that way it'll populate like all of them. And I don't have to go, nobody wants to go scan through. Not that I would have to, not that I do for every order, but let's say they're like, oh yeah, the same as last time. I could just, rather than spending 45 minutes trying to find her vc, you just type in her

Vicki:

Look, anything?

Alejandra Olivas:

I already, in 10 seconds I can see what you ordered, what flavor you ordered last time. Yeah, yeah. So I

Vicki:

Yeah. Yes. Everyone needs a customer attention.

Alejandra Olivas:

those

Vicki:

good.

Alejandra Olivas:

things that she, that she put me on

Vicki:

I,

Alejandra Olivas:

okay, okay. I, I don't know, but because I don't. Like, I live in my kitchen, don't go outsourcing, you

Vicki:

yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

Like these tools. So I'm glad she told me because she's, she's really good at what she does and running her business and social media and

Vicki:

Yeah. I.

Alejandra Olivas:

yeah,

Vicki:

I think about that a lot. It's like we're all really good at the thing that we do, like being, we already know we we're great at baking or we're great at like the catering process or great at like at, fill in the blank, whatever it is. But we don't know the, the backend of running a business and I felt like this has just been trial by fire. We've learned everything as we've gone. Um, so it's always something new and I, yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

Yeah,

Vicki:

No, no, no. You go,

Alejandra Olivas:

um. Another good thing'cause we're speaking of running businesses. I also had to learn, know, like policies for me, the first two, three years, like, eh, they gave me money, I give'em a cake. It's not a big deal. But throughout the years you have like,

Vicki:

yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

have to learn the hard way. And it's like now all of my policies are set in place. They are made clear before you even like, you know, you have to cover yourself because yeah, you have, you honestly. either do that or you learn the hard way. Like me,

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

it hasn't happened often, but every single policy that I have in place, whether it's on my website, on my Instagram, placing your order, is because of an experience like that I had to go through and learn to put it like, um, know, um, what's one of'em a good one? this one actually happened while I was, I clearly remember working in the nurse's office and it was a or Friday. there's a bunch of kids, and I get a message, I look down and it says, hi, what time can I pick up my cake today? I'm like, I'm here till five. I don't have no cakes today. What are you talking? Like I was free full, full on freaking out,

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

away. My kids are in school. Like, I don't know what you're talking about. So I messaged her right away and I'm like, um, hi. I don't have your cake until tomorrow. Um. Like, let me know if there was miscommunication, like trying to figure it out. Right? Like, cool. And she goes, oh no, I moved it for today. I'm, yeah, I moved it for today. Um, I moved it for today. Please let me know. I'm like, uh, that's not how it works. So. So, um.

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

I was full on freaking out. I left early. I, I said, okay, I have two. I could go one of two ways. She had already paid me a deposit. I either tell her, sorry, can't do it, and she just doesn't have a cake. what, you know what I mean? Like, totally

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

able to help her or reschedule, scramble all of my day to get her cake done when it wasn't my fault. She. her date and didn't tell me it that same day. So I'm like, I have one, one or one of two ways. Like she doesn't get a cake and she loses her money, or I can go outta my way and help her. I chose to help her and I said, you know what, um, I'm not able to to do it right away, but I can get it to you today. What's the absolute latest you can pick it up? Like what time does your event start? And me thinking like if I leave right now. And decorate it. Like maybe I can get it done by six or seven. And if her event starts like later,

Vicki:

Oh my gosh.

Alejandra Olivas:

like those Peter Piper, Chuck E Cheese type, like evening parties, I think it was a Friday. Um, you know, you'll have your cake today, but no, it's gonna be you, it's gonna be late. And it wasn't a delivery, it was a pickup. So like, if you can have somebody, you know, like an uncle brother at a party, like, come pick up your cake because Yeah. You know what I mean? Like I was still

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

willing to do it that day. But. She was also gonna have to bend. So I was like, you know what, you could come pick it up, but like, this is the timeframe. You can pick it up and you can't pick it up any sooner because I, I can't make it, you know, like that. So I left early, got home, got started. I usually eat after, after I get home. Like from being at work all day. Didn't even, I remember not eating that day. Made her cake two, three hours later. Um, I'm messaging her and she's not answering. And was mm-hmm.

Vicki:

No.

Alejandra Olivas:

And I was like, hello, like your event is today lady. Like, I'm more concerned about your event today than you seem to be concerned about your event today. So, and it was, I think it was for like a first

Vicki:

Oh my God.

Alejandra Olivas:

I, like, I have two kids, like I know how, or at least. I made a big deal outta their first birthdays. I know some people are, they're one or the other. They're like, ah, it's their first one. They won't remember, or some go all out because it's their first one. And I was the one that made a big deal. So I'm like, lady, I care more about this cake than you. So I was doing the most to get it done, and it finally was done. She wasn't answering. An hour after I messaged her saying, okay, it's ready. oh my gosh, actually,

Vicki:

Okay, ready. No.

Alejandra Olivas:

was like, I was so mad. I don't think I responded for like 30 minutes. Um, that's when it hit me. Her party's tomorrow. She just wanted to pick it up early. Mm-hmm.

Vicki:

Yeah. And the, I think there's, I have two thoughts about this. Number one is when you go into business for yourself, you realize that it is about your roles and you bend for customers as much as you're comfortable with. But the beauty of running your own show is creating your own boundaries. And I have learned that the hard way. Same as you gone through. Everything, every kind of stressful situation to realize that no, I, if they can't follow my guidelines or my boundaries, they're not a customer. This is not, you know, I can only bend so much. And number two is Amazon culture has kind of screwed the small business owners in a way because people just expect changes to happen overnight. It's like, oh, I have Amazon Prime. I'm gonna get that baby in four hours. And that's just not how, it's like working with. Small businesses. So, um, it's definitely, it's definitely like a change of

Alejandra Olivas:

Yeah,

Vicki:

too.

Alejandra Olivas:

so with the policy that I had to put in place for that one, um, long story short, she ended up, um, the next day came, had her cake ready. It was a PAW Patrol, I remember Paw Patrol, and it was like the weekend before Valentine's Day. So it was already a hectic week. Um, and the next day came, I'm like, okay, it's ready. never picked it up. She never picked it up, and I remember reposting, um. I took all of the Paw Patrol stuff off and because it was like a blue, blue, blue bottom tier and white top tier, I took everything off and I redecorated it as a two-tier valentine. It was super cute. Valentine's cake. All red hearts, all red decor, like trim everything. And I resold it for like half the price, but I'm like, okay. She paid me for half of her cake. I

Vicki:

Oh my God.

Alejandra Olivas:

percent of her cake. So my new policy that I've had for the last, what, three years, is I require half of the total as a deposit to reserve your date. So if you really want a date, the only way to get it is to put half down. And the remaining balance is due two day, not the day of, um, but two days before your pickup. And that will avoid me not getting my full, you know, my a hundred percent payment for a hundred percent of my work. So that

Vicki:

Amazing. Yes. So let that be a lesson to the listeners.

Alejandra Olivas:

like, I know policies when you first start out seem like something so far away, like to even think about. But I mean, if you don't, you're gonna learn the hard way.

Vicki:

Yeah. Yeah, I totally agree. Well, I know since we're wrapping this up just a little bit, there's one question though that I did wanna ask, and it's just to circle back to the, the content side. Um, because you mentioned this earlier too, of. That even though TikTok has be have has kind of become a second job, it is something that you make income from. So we're not looking for numbers or anything like that, but sharing how specifically you make money from content creation and social media posting, I think is helpful and gives a little bit of insight to service providers who maybe wanna do the same.

Alejandra Olivas:

I, well, you mean like the specific programs or like how.

Vicki:

Yeah, so if you're like in the, um, if you're in the T TikTok Creator Fund or if on Instagram you are signed up in a certain way or your account is created in a certain way, I think those things would help.

Alejandra Olivas:

TikTok used to be, oh my

Vicki:

Um.

Alejandra Olivas:

it used to be called something else. The, yeah, it used to be called the Creator Fund, and now it's called like the, oh my gosh. It's called something. They switched up the name a couple years back and that was really scary because before I believe they were paying. Because I was in that original one, and I believe, and you have to have like three qualifications. I think you have to have a certain amount of followers, a certain amount of views over the last like. Time period. Like in the last month, you've had to have had certain amount of views on a video, certain amount of followers, and shoot, I think the other one's easy. I think you have to be like 18 or something. Like something's word simple. Okay. Um, and

Vicki:

Okay.

Alejandra Olivas:

you qualify, you join the the Creator Fund. That was the first one. And I believe that one paid you one to 3 cents per thousand views. And that I was on that one for a while. Um. And that was right after that. Hello Kitty. That viral. That's the one that made me be able to get onto the Creator fund. but then I wanna say less than a year later, they rolled out a new one. So like, I opened the app one day and it was like, you are, you've been invited to join the, oh my gosh, I wish I knew the name. I'm so sorry. Mm-hmm. Okay. Well the new

Vicki:

okay.

Alejandra Olivas:

um. Sorry, I'm so mad. I'm trying to remember what it's called. Um, when it gave me the option to join the new one, it didn't give any like, like dollar amount, like details. It just said it's a better opportunity, which

Vicki:

Okay.

Alejandra Olivas:

vague. Like, let me just risk everything that I'm, I'm make, which it wasn't a lot. Like for example, for example,

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

to 3 cents per thousand views is really not a lot because when I cashed out, like on that old um, creator fund, that Hello Kitty Batman cake, the most viral cake. was like$900. I'm not saying it's not a lot, I'm not saying I'm not grateful, but like now knowing like what that

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

me like on YouTube or now on that, the fund that I'm at now, like I life, that would've been life changing like Yeah. Um, so yeah.

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

just for, for example, like for reference, that's how much on the old creator fund I got for the most viral video I've ever made. Um. And this new one, it rolled it out like very vague. Like it said, it's a new, better, new opportunity to make more income, for creators to make more income. And once you go this, once you select this new option, there's no going back to the creator fund. it was the most vague thing and it was like the biggest risk. I'm like, like I, I dunno what to do. And I kind of like, it was in the beginning when they first rolled it out, so there was no reference to like, let me google which one's better. Like, nobody had joined it yet, like maybe one or two people, but they hadn't seen the, the actual, what it earned them yet.'cause they were probably just joined for like three days. I did it. I took the risk. And it was the best thing ever. It turns out this one, which is the current one, I think it's the only one you can do now. So if you decide to join now, I think this is the only option that you have right now. Um, it now pays you anywhere between, and they decide. I don't know how they decide, but it's after it's posted, they will give you what the actual number is for that video, but now they pay anywhere between. I am gonna do my number specifically.'cause I, I know other people have like lower mine specifically, they pay

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

90 cents to a dollar 25 per thousand compared to the 1 cent per thousand. Wow. Yeah, I would

Vicki:

Wow.

Alejandra Olivas:

yeah.

Vicki:

different is that? That's insane.

Alejandra Olivas:

if I get a

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

on a video that's a thousand dollars. Yeah. Or like a hundred thousand

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

it's, yeah. So it's crazy to think. sorry, like that. Have a kitty Batman cake. If I would've been in this fund, like, oh my gosh, that would've been 60 grand. Yeah. Um, Insane.

Vicki:

God. It's insane.

Alejandra Olivas:

but it's all based on, I don't know how they determine that dollar amount because I've seen people have like super viral videos, like they get like 20 million, but they're, um, our RPM, which is that rate per, I dunno what it stands for, but it's that amount you're getting per thousand. Their RPM was like 20 cents.

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

mine is sitting at like a dollar 10,

Vicki:

Um.

Alejandra Olivas:

20 mil. It got like K. You know what I mean? So I don't know how they determine. TikTok determines you don't determine, and it changes per video. It's, yeah,

Vicki:

That's so interesting.

Alejandra Olivas:

So if like,

Vicki:

Okay.

Alejandra Olivas:

I go to my analytics and it'll give me like, oh, this video, this was the RRP MI got 1 25 per thousand. And then this video you got 80 cent, 80 cents per thousand. It, I don't know how it determines, but that's what it's, so that's what I'm on. Um, I'm gonna try to pull it up real quick. I wanna give you the name. Um, I.

Vicki:

And I think the long story short is what you're saying before, when I was asking your advice, you were like, just post it. It's like, yeah, I'll post something for the chance of making. Even$900. I mean, that's, it's,

Alejandra Olivas:

yeah.

Vicki:

top of everything.

Alejandra Olivas:

morning of this girl. She posted herself eating a lemon. She made the funniest face. went viral. It got like. 3 million views. She's like, all I did was eat a lemon, guys. She's like, you can do this.

Vicki:

Oh my God.

Alejandra Olivas:

creator fund or whatever it's called now. Um, it's called the Creator Rewards Program. That's what it's called now.

Vicki:

Got it.

Alejandra Olivas:

she, every month she updates how much TikTok has paid her. Now she's making like two to three K off of a video of her eating a lemon. Like yeah, she looked really silly and nobody, like, she made the funniest faces. It was embarrassing, but. It sound embarrassing to cash it out every month. Like

Vicki:

It's insane.

Alejandra Olivas:

like post. Even if somebody were to post, like even if you, let's say you wanna make cakes, you're not there yet. Post your journey. Hey, this is my first cake. I'm gonna take you with me. Look at

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

disaster I made. It was funny. Now let's go to my second cake. Like post

Vicki:

Yeah,

Alejandra Olivas:

not the end result. Like have everyone go along with you.

Vicki:

I totally agree. I totally agree. And I, I regret that when I started, when we started our business seven years ago, that I didn't take more videos because I felt embarrassed about that, what we looked like. And I, now looking back, I wish I had that, that to show, to really show like how far we've come.

Alejandra Olivas:

like if you're trying to make money on social media.

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

People wanna see the process, whether it's cakes, whether it's starting a business, whether it's, um, like, you know, those videos where it's like, oh, artwork, like, and they show like a time lapse. Like you don't wanna just see the end result, which is what

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

and what I intended to use TikTok for. Like, oh, look at this pretty cake. No, they would love to see the process, like the

Vicki:

Yeah.

Alejandra Olivas:

it. Why you put this here, why you chose these colors. Like people wanna see a start to finish, not just the finish. Like, yes, it's pretty good look at, but it's, you get more engagement.

Vicki:

I totally agree. I totally agree. Well, I have loved our time together today and. Learning more about you and the business that you've built and the community that you've really built behind it, because ultimately that's what social media helps you do. Build your community around what your true passion is, which for you is making amazing delicious cakes, which I've had the privilege of trying at my sister's baby shower, which was so delicious and even more beautiful. Um, so it was just like, it's such a wonderful thing to hear your story and, and I think a lot of people can relate because I know working in the food and beverage space now, there are so many entrepreneurs who don't take those kinds of leaps, and they're so talented and they create amazing products. So I hope that this episode would be a reminder to anyone who's. Cooking something out of their kitchen who's making soap in their bathroom, who's like, has any idea of wants to start to just start and record that journey and record that process because it is, will be so invaluable to you down the road. So I'm so glad that you were able to share that today. Alejandra.

Alejandra Olivas:

comfort zone. If you are not scared, you're not doing it right.