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The Lessons

The First Lesson (Series of 3)

If you had a natural talent for something, that is awesome! I, however, did not feel that I had the natural talent for baking but I knew that I loved it. My dream job was owning my own bakery. As I started to really dive into my love for baking, I learned three big lessons that I wish I would have understood before. Stay tuned for the next two lessons by signing up for my newsletter!

Lesson #1: Make “Time” Your Bestfriend

If you want to start anything, make “time” your best friend. Why? Because time does not stop for you to realize when you want to pursue your dream. Use every second, minute, and hour that you can to pursue your love and talents. 

You may say, “But this is not realistic!” You are right, life tends to hit us with the hardest challenges when we feel ready to pursue something, but that just goes to show there is no such thing as the perfect time. Time became my best friend when I realized that it was valuable to my present and future. In 2020, while everyone was home and many turned to Instagram as their first way of launching their custom sweatshirts, sweet treats, or jewelry brands, I felt I was falling behind in what I had wanted to do. It took me 8 months to really launch anything and even then I felt that I lacked the communication skills. 

No matter how far apart you may be from a best friend, they will always be there. Just like your “time”. It is valuable but if you forget and come back to your passion a year or 20 years later, I assure you, time will be on your side the second you realize how important it is when pursuing your passion. So if you are wondering, I want to start but I don’t know how? The answer is simple: start it right now by valuing your time.

How I valued my time:

  • Every opportunity was a learning lesson 
  • I reached out to many baking businesses 
  • Shared my goals and in return received connections 
  • Dedicated a day to brainstorming my business idea 
  • Dedicated weeks to perfecting my treats 

Time will feel like an enemy because it keeps ticking, but make it your best friend. Value your time because the results are meaningful. 

Hope & Love, 

Casa Tlatenchi 

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How To Test an Idea?

3 takeaways to test your idea

I have enjoyed sharing the lessons I have learned, but here are some helpful tips on how to test an idea. These tips can apply to any idea, whether it is a baking business or a technology app that will revolutionize the world. 

When I was doing my master’s in communication Management at USC in Los Angeles, CA., I learned about Rob Fitzpatrick’s book “The Mom Test.” It is an easy read and if you are like me, you will love the Audible version because you will be able to listen to it as you are baking, driving, or washing dishes

This book breaks down the concept of speaking to customers about an idea through extremely practical examples. There are many takeaways from this book, but I will share with you three main ones that I have carried with me even after doing my first sales. 

First Takeaway: Overlook the “fluff”

  • Compliments are worthless because all it does is boost your ego. While it is nice to receive compliments, it is categorized as bad data. Why? Often times the compliments come from individuals who are close to you, so like any mom, they will always say their daughter is the best in anything. 
  • The reality is that not everyone will think the idea is great just because they know you. Therefore, overlook the “fluff” of compliments and ego-boosting feedback. Instead, dig deeper into the conversations and be purposeful to who you test it on. 

Second Takeaway: Be Purposeful 

  • Be intentional when you speak with others about your idea. who you speak with. In order for there to be a purpose, it requires time and planning. For example, seek those who are in the same field of interest. If you are a student, use that to your advantage when calling or speaking to someone about your idea, because they are more likely to share insights. (certainly helped me make connections) 
  • Also, before sharing your idea, go to the places that relate to the field of interest with the purpose of gaining insight into what their needs are rather than “fishing for compliments” for your idea as Fitzpatrick says. Think about who they are and their needs. Perhaps you can meet those needs, but you will not know that if there is no clear purpose when sharing or asking questions. 

Third Takeaway: Write with Intention

  • Lastly, take lots of notes. The practice of note-taking is like exercising a muscle, so in every conversation, you have about your idea, practice note-taking. Fitzpatrick recommends using labels that represent sections to you like a star means future contacts or an underline means a location to visit. 
  • Caution: When taking notes, don’t devote your entire attention to writing because that can be distracting to the person speaking.

Photo by Teona Swift: https://www.pexels.com/photo/plate-with-cookies-placed-on-wooden-table-near-books-6874175/

The Truth about Casa Tlatenchi’s Pie Lovers

Let me tell you about a time I won over somebody who disliked pies and changed them into pie lovers ❤ 

A family friend’s birthday was coming up and asked me to take something. She knew I baked and she had mentioned she was not a fan of fruit pies. They are too sweet and dense in her opinion. This was probably one of the first challenges I faced when baking pies. Was I willing to share them with those who were not fans of pies?

As the weeks went by, I started to look up pie recipes online and tried them out. As I did that, I reached out to my very own taste testers: my parents and my siblings. My parents said it tasted good but that it needed more flavor. I continued to refine the recipe and I reached out to my brothers to try it. They are known for their unfiltered opinions when they try something new, so I asked them for their feedback. To my surprise, they responded that they liked it.

It was enough for me to regain confidence, so I made the best version of my apple pie. My sister who loves apple pies, took it with her, and, while I wasn’t able to join, I was hoping to hear good news about the apple pie.

When I reconnected with her, she told me that the pie was gone by the time the event ended. To my surprise, she said everyone enjoyed it and the sweetness and freshness of the pie were unlike the ones she had tried in the past.

So what is the truth about Casa Tlatenchi’s pie-lovers? If I hadn’t let go of my fear of people trying my products, I wouldn’t have known that some people are open to trying something new. Even when it is something they once disliked. It was only because of this, that I knew our family friend now loved apple pies. That makes it special to me and if you’d like to know firsthand why she changed her mind, order your very own apple pie here.

The Lesson: 

Do not be afraid to share your creations with the world! For me, the process was starting at home, getting my parents and sibling to taste test before going out to a birthday party where I knew the stakes were high. For you, that might be the same or it might look different. However, do not allow that fear of rejection to take over, because it limits the growth of your idea, your capabilities, and overall success. You can grow so much with the feedback of others and if you are looking to start a business, this is a mentality I would suggest you hold on to. 

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