Sep 26, 2022
Hello, I'm Granger Forson and on this week's episode of ScaleUp Radio, I'm speaking to Pia Cato, the founder and owner of the Vanilla Pod bakery in Cheltenham.
It's a business that has evolved from making cupcakes cakes and now specialises in making bespoke wedding cakes and birthday cakes. Pia started the business in 2007 following winning a Dragons Dens type business pitch competition at University, which also came with some startup backing.
Our conversation covers her journey over the years, how she overcome recessions and the pandemic and scaling back and restart the business three times you'll hear about you can't be the centre of the business as it grows or you just burn out.
Finding key people that compliment you and can take on the roles as you scale are so important and learning from other business owners and even books to understand why your business failed and taking action so it does not happen again. It's so refreshing to hear just how passionate Pia’s for her business and her customers, even after all the ups and downs and shows how you can learn from falling into the valleys of death. Don't worry if you're not into the wedding cake industry. There is so much practical advice here for all business owners.
You can find Pia here:
Her website: https://vanillapodbakery.com/
Instagram: @vanillapodbakery
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/vanillapodchelt/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/piacato
And her recommendations here:
https://www.amazon.com/START-YOUR-NEW-LIFE-automatic/dp/B089TS15XD
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/run-like-clockwork-small-business-operations/id1455405517
https://www.denisedt.com/podcast