How to Overcome Loneliness in Business with Chronic Illness with Kelsie Delisle

Kelsie Delisle: 0:00

There are some flowers that I have made in the past and I'm like I will never make this again and then, like years later, I'll come back to it like no more and I'll try it. I'll be like this is the most beautiful thing I've ever made, like why wouldn't I make Delphinium, like? So, yeah, it's just a little bit of time and trying, and I've certainly had orders where customers are like this is not like up to our standards and that's very humbling. And also, the other thing is I try to stay in my lane, so that's why I don't do the animals and I don't do sea creatures, and these are all things that I've tried to do in the past and it's like okay, that's not, it takes me twice as long and it looks half as good. So a little bit of all of that.

Nikita Williams : 0:39

Welcome to Crafted to Thrive, the globally ranked podcast for entrepreneurs living with chronic illness. I'm your host, nikita Williams, and after being diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses myself, I figured out the surprisingly simple missing links to growing a profitable business without compromising my health. Since then, I've helped dozens of women just like you learn how to do the same. If you're ready to own your story and create a thriving business that aligns with your health and wellbeing, you're in the right place. Together, we're shifting the narrative of what's possible for entrepreneurs with chronic illness. This is Crafted to Thrive. Are you currently doing something that you love and you feel like you're the only one doing it? Or you feel like nobody really gets you and you haven't really found that many people who are like quote unquote in your lane as an entrepreneur. So you feel kind of like a fish out of water when you go to networking events or do different kind of things, and not to mention if you're living with chronic illness, nobody's really talking about that. So do you feel like that's another thing that gets in the way of you having your girl boss tribe, as we would say, in the online world? Well, this episode is for you. I am so excited because our guest is . She is an award winning sugar artist who specializes in creating handcrafted sugar flowers for wedding cakes. She doesn't make the wedding cakes, y'all. She literally makes these amazing, beautiful sugar flowers with her hand. What I love about this journey and what you're going to hear in this episode is that this isn't something that a lot of people do quote unquote and only do, and she, , will share with us how she found her tribe. We'll kind of workshop a little bit on how that came to be, as well as what has been a huge motivating factor for her to find more self-compassion for herself through perfectionism and posture syndrome and, at times, feeling alone. She's going to share how her business has continued to grow as she continues to push herself outside of her comfort zone while doing exactly what she's good at. We talk about things from discounts, finding your tribe, self-compassion, competition, to really just embracing who you are and loving that. This is the episode for you. If you've been feeling like what am I doing, who are my people and how can I thrive, stay tuned. I am so excited to help on the show. I just clapped, so if you heard the clap, that was my hands to help on the show. The reason why I am so excited is because she does something I never even thought was a thing, and it's like the most beautiful thing ever, and it has to do with cake. You guys know I like to bake, so, knowing that is this wonderful artist that she's going to introduce herself as Can't wait for you guys to learn a little bit about her. So please tell us who you are, what you do, where you're from, let's get into it.

Kelsie Delisle: 4:11

Yes, thank you, that was a beautiful introduction. I'm . I'm the owner of Sugar Flowers by Cakes, so I make flowers that go on wedding cakes, baby showers, birthday cakes all the things. I just make the flowers so other people, like Nikita, can do the baking, which is not my favorite part. So I love that. I can just do the decorative, artistic part and focus on that and combine it with other artists and makers who are good at the other parts of cake making. So I've been doing that since 2015, part time and then full time. For the last two years. I live in Tampa, florida, with my husband and my toddler, and we're expecting our daughter at the end of the year, and so my life is just a lot of making things and watching Sesame Street and trying to stay cool in this ridiculous hot July weather. So that's what I'm doing right now.

Nikita Williams : 5:12

Yeah, I used to live in St Pete, so I don't know. Though, we are in Atlanta and it's like hot breath, exhaustion heat. I was just as we were in Florida a few weeks ago and I was like I can do this, I can do this ocean breeze coming through here. There is no breeze like that, it's just like hot breath, hot.

Kelsie Delisle: 5:36

Yes, yeah, so St Pete is nice because I have the breeze. I'm more inland, so we don't get that, we just get the oppressive humidity. Yes, and I grew up in Atlanta, so it's very similar.

Nikita Williams : 5:48

Yeah, maybe that's why we didn't go to Tampa much.

Kelsie Delisle: 5:54

Yeah, my mom lives in St Pete and she's so funny. She doesn't put air conditioning on, she just leaves the windows open and lets the breeze come in, and it's nice but not in July.

Nikita Williams : 6:05

Yeah, it's still hot, and I mean legitimately it's hot, it just feels a different kind of heat. So, anyway, that has a lot to do with sugar flowers which is the reason. I feel like, because it does the humidity Sugar flowers in the Tampa heat right now. I could not imagine how challenging that is.

Kelsie Delisle: 6:24

Like I spend way too much time thinking about like is the air conditioner set right? Like do I need to buy another dehumidifier? Like how's the ambient temperature inside? Like yeah, it's definitely a thing. And like I feel like it's worse this summer than it has been in the past. Either that or like my hormones make it feel worse.

Nikita Williams : 6:42

Like what are the two? It's probably a little bit of both. Yeah, I think so. Well, I would love for you to tell us how did you get into selling sugar flowers Not sugar cookies, sugar cookies, but sugar flowers. Ok, I just need to know how did we get into that world and how? Let's start there. How?

Kelsie Delisle: 7:06

did we get there? Ok, so if we're going to start all the way at the beginning, when I was in elementary school I would read those like Better Home with Gardens and Family Fun and Mars and Stewart magazines and like they'd have these cake designs and I'd ask my mom to make them for me and she'd be like I don't have time for this. So I started making them and so that's how I got into cakes and sweets and stuff and my aunt gave me all of her old like Wilton cake decorating supplies and lessons and stuff. So I started teaching myself and then I'd go to my goals and I would get the 50% off coupon and like slowly, like build up my collection. And so in high school I bought a gum paste flower making kit which was like this booklet that was written in like the 1980s and like a bag of gum paste and then a bunch of cutters and like a rolling pin and stuff like that. So that's like where I started with the flowers.

Nikita Williams : 8:02

Wow.

Kelsie Delisle: 8:02

And then how I got into making them. I was like a job I was working in a grocery store bakery. It was not creatively fulfilling, it was a lot of just you know like go fast, it's commercial, like you know. Focus on your speed more than anything, but also make it look pretty. But also you have to use like exactly 60.4 ounces of icing Just not what I was wanting creatively. And then one day my manager was like complaining that he wanted to make this cake for his friends wedding and he couldn't find decorations for it. He was going to go on Etsy and buy sugar flowers. And I was like I didn't even know that was a thing and so I was like I could do that. So I just started like doing it at home on the side after work, and I started an Etsy shop that year and it just sort of like snowballed, like the more I did it, the more I liked it, the more sales I got. And then, after my son was born, it was like I don't have time to work a full-time job and a business and have a baby, so I had to stop working my full-time job and now I just make sugar flowers all day.

Nikita Williams : 9:18

I mean, what a story, what a story to be like. Like this is like a craft that was like passed down to you that you didn't realize was a thing that's now like the thing you do for work that you would do I know.

Kelsie Delisle: 9:33

And like I never would have thought, like I always thought in my head, like I'm going to open a bakery one day, like I'll be like at the hotel making the fancy wedding cakes, and like that's not where it comes in the house.

Nikita Williams : 9:45

So what was it about the flowers? Like making flowers or just making like these decorations, that was so fulfilling for you.

Kelsie Delisle: 9:55

I think part of it was that it was easier for me to make the flowers than like the little sculptures, like the animals and stuff like that. Like, definitely think being easier for me was part of it. And then just like always kind of gravitating towards flowers in like other parts of my life, like when we lived in Atlanta I was very into like gardening and like planting roses and sunflowers and like all of those things. The deer ended up eating anyway.

Nikita Williams : 10:26

but yes, they do do that.

Kelsie Delisle: 10:29

But I like that was always really fun for me. So it was like this combination of like interests that just sort of like built upon itself.

Nikita Williams : 10:41

And that is so cool. I think it's such a really good thought. I like to tell my clients, like to think back sometimes when they're like in that stuck place or frustrated with whatever they're doing in their lives, like what comes easy to you, which is like I feel like we get a lot of conflicting information about this, like don't stay in your comfort zone, and da, da, da, da. And I think there's like a seesaw experience with this, like a fine line you have to find with being in your comfort zone and still being able to grow outside of that comfort zone in the space that you like, right, so it's not like you. I guess the question I would have for you is like when you were like I love flowers and this is perfect and I do this perfectly, was it perfect? Or has this been like something you enjoyed but have to really put in the time to make it part, like to make it what it is today?

Kelsie Delisle: 11:29

Yeah, it definitely was a lot of like time and trial and error and like I mean, part of it was also just like the naivety of doing something new and like being excited about it and being good at it and like looking back now and seeing what I made 10 years ago and I was like, oh, I would not, I would not sell that now. But it's like I didn't know better back then because, like, I wasn't as good and like the industry is also kind of evolving along with me. So that's been really cool to see how, like, as my skills improve, other artists skills improve and like we're all growing together. And I took a lot of classes. There are a lot of books, I watched a lot of YouTube videos and, yeah, like there are some flowers that I have made in the past and I'm like I will never make this again and then, like years later, I'll come back to it and I'll like no more and I'll try it and I'll be like this is the most beautiful thing I've ever made, like why, why wouldn't I make Delphinium's, like? And so, yeah, it's just a little bit of time and trying, and I've certainly had orders where customers like this is not like up to our standards and that's very humbling and also so yeah. The other thing is I try to stay in my lane, so that's why I don't do the animals and I don't do sea creatures, and these are all things that I've tried to do in the past and it's like, okay, that's not I, it takes me twice as long and it looks half as good. So, yeah, a little bit of all that.

Nikita Williams : 13:03

Yeah, I love that you shared that because I think, like you said, like we were talking about, like you can gravitate to something that comes easier, more passionate to you, and still have to get out of your zone. And, like you know, you were telling me right before I call it the green room, right before we were talking, like doing competitions, right. Like doing competitions that's not necessarily something you probably would say is in your comfort zone Exactly Right. Like it pushes you to do something that you may not have ever have done before, right, exactly so I. So I think it's like one of those things I like to tell folks all the time. I'm like, yeah, you can do what you love and like be really good at it and still learn and grow in that craft and beyond it by pushing yourself in other places. And I love that you're sharing that, and I feel like there is there's an art to staying in your lane and still growing.

Kelsie Delisle: 14:01

Yes, definitely, because I think it makes you focus on going from like I'm really good at this to be like I'm amazing at this, versus like trying to do more things outside of your niche and like being really good at all of them, but not like excelling, I guess.

Nikita Williams : 14:22

Yeah, so this makes me like go back into the thought about like mindset when it comes to this kind of a business. It's so niche, like when, when it like when it was, I can't remember it was something, was it, babe? Craft it you.

Kelsie Delisle: 14:36

You know what I was trying to get me through and I was doing like a.

Nikita Williams : 14:38

I was doing like a thing on credit, illness and growing your business, like how to find ease doing that, and when you put the call with me, I was like sugar flowers, cakes and sugar flowers. And many times as I've been around the baking role, nothing dawned on me that you could literally just buy sugar flash. When we got on the call with each other I was like oh my gosh, I ordered it for like cupcakes and then my pound cakes. Like all my brain was like oh my goodness, I don't have that skill of knowing how to make beautiful flowers out of sugar. No, I don't know how to do that. I admire people on all of the shows like is it cake and be? like wow, that's amazing. What has been the mindset challenge around starting a business that's so niche and also just with your own? You know, health and life challenges.

Kelsie Delisle: 15:30

Like there's definitely been a lot of challenges and I'd say the majority of them are all like in my head because I am a perfectionist, so that has, I think, slowed down a lot of my growth. Probably not a bad thing to do, but just thinking like this isn't good enough, this isn't like, yeah, food network challenge worthy, so I can't put it out there and just and being so niche is like a blessing and a curse because it's hard to like. I guess find my support group Like for the longest time I felt very like alone in what I was doing because there's other Etsy sellers I tried to like connect with, but like it's very different, like if you sell crochet or crochet patterns versus sugar flowers. But then in the cake world I was like kind of adjacent to that and so I've kind of just had to be like less, I guess, picky about who I'm like connecting with business wise, because it's like, yes, it's a very specific niche in what I do, but then the business challenges are still like what we all deal with. Yeah, so like even if I'm talking to a wedding planner or I met with someone the other day who did she helped international businesses create wholesale accounts in the US and like that's very different from what I do, but like we were still able to talk about like our different challenges and like work, like balance and all that stuff, and so like finally realizing even if my business was really niche, that didn't mean I couldn't find support or community. That was like mind blowing, yeah, because yeah, it was like I felt like I was on an island and like the other sugar flower sellers online, like I felt like I was either the only one who is just doing sugar flowers and not doing cakes or I was the only one doing it like as customized as I was doing it, because there's also like wholesalers and like mass produced factory cake flowers and stuff like that. It's definitely an option because it's like more cost effective for people, but that's not what I'm doing, right? So, yeah, it's just like trying to figure out my place while still like not completely isolating myself. I guess Does that make sense? Yeah?

Nikita Williams : 18:01

I took no, it totally totally does. And I'm about to tell you why. As for me, it's the same thing I have to experience, like any time I tell people like yeah, I'm a coach, I work. I work with a lot of people. Like half of my clients are not women who technically identify living with chronic illness, but that's who I like speak to in my marketing is those who live with chronic illness. And I have been told on many times like that's such a small niche and I can't believe you do that, and like this is a whole complete. I often, especially years ago, started feeling like I'm the only one doing this, like how do I make this make sense? And like how do I find quote unquote my community? And one of the things that has helped me and I'm wondering if this has been something you found in your own journey is like I realized that it was more about what my values were, which is, who made my community Right. So the things that I was, really things that really matter to me, like customer satisfaction, like customer loyalty, like really community, like stories and how really connecting to each other from a like more than like hey, what do you do? Thing, but more like who are you? And like embracing who we are was like a really important piece to me and that's who I usually would attract or find and connect to and they became my posse, like they're not just all coaches that they literally there are no coaches that I know that like specifically work with women with chronic illness, except there are more now. But when I first started this journey there really wasn't, and so are you finding that like more, like identifying more to your core values of who you are has helped you to kind of like not feel so alone or be so alone in this journey.

Kelsie Delisle: 19:44

I never thought about it like that, but I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it is.

Nikita Williams : 19:48

Yeah.

Kelsie Delisle: 19:49

Yeah, because I think I joined Babecrafted this summer. Finally, because I was like I went to a couple of events and you know I did the virtual events and I was like you know what, like this is a good group of people and, yeah, I do feel like we have similar values and just a sense of community, feels very welcoming and I think, also because it is so many different kind of business owners, it made me feel more like welcomed than if it was just like only wedding people or only makers, like it's a little bit of everything. And then I also went to a conference at the beginning of the year that was put on by photographers but they invited, like all creative business owners. And I think that was the first time I realized like, oh, like I am part of this group, like I am a creative business owner, like you know, we all have the same not the same story, but you know the same connections and stuff like that and like so. That was the first time I realized like, okay, I can't find my people and it doesn't like I was the only sugar flour artist there. I think there was one other baker there and then everybody else was a photographer or a jewelry maker or a calligrapher and it's, but we all you know connected and it was awesome.

Nikita Williams : 21:10

I mean first, of all, I think that's awesome for you to go to a conference and you're like I'm the only one who makes sugar flour, so you can't forget about me, right? Yeah, that's awesome. Right, I think that's pretty pretty cool, but I also think to your point like creative is very much so. We definitely have a very unique set of reference when it comes to like business, and it's not just about like making money right Throwing at this huge scale and a lot of different ways. It has a lot to do with like how we work, what we do when we're working and we really enjoy it and that's a really important piece to us, and we're also hypercritical and perfect. Yes, you know perfectionists of ourselves. So being around people who are like, no, but you're really great, it's like, oh, these are other perfectionists, they think I'm really great, oh, wonderful.

Kelsie Delisle: 21:57

Right, exactly. And then I can say like no, you're really great, wait a second, we're both great OK.

Nikita Williams : 22:04

Yeah, exactly, exactly.

Kelsie Delisle: 22:05

Yeah.

Nikita Williams : 22:06

So let's, let's shift gears a little bit. So you've been doing this for like over seven years, like like as a business right.

Kelsie Delisle: 22:13

Yes, I think almost eight years now.

Nikita Williams : 22:16

Oh, wow.

Kelsie Delisle: 22:16

It's hard to say exactly, because I, like, opened my Etsy shop in April of 2015, but I didn't list anything or sell anything, so I feel like that doesn't count yet, but that's the only like, official, like date point I have is 2015. But yeah, 70 years.

Nikita Williams : 22:33

OK, you're like me. I know everyone's like how long I'm like. Well, I was doing digital marketing before I was coaching, but technically my clients felt like I was coaching them then, so I don't really you know, I see around that timeframe as well. So what has been changed, like what has changed in your life and your business in the seven years of like doing what you do? Everything?

Kelsie Delisle: 22:58

Like when I first started, I was working at a grocery store. I had just moved to Tampa full time, so I was still like I don't know. I felt like I was not really an adult yet. Even though I was, I was. You know, I had graduated from college and moved out and lived on my own and had my own job and all of the adult things that I didn't like feel that way and like a lot of job changes and life changes since then. Like definitely don't always feel like an adult now, but now I can like point to the proof you know that I run my own business. I have a kid, I have a husband, I have a house, like these things that adults have. You know, like I file my own taxes, I have an accountant like that makes me an adult, like that counts. So funny how we were like that. So like when I was, yeah, working at the grocery store and like just starting, I was still very I don't know, I guess self-conscious and felt very, I guess, small in what I was doing, like it wasn't, it was just this thing on the side and I had a business degree but I felt like it didn't count because I was just doing it part time and I wasn't so I wasn't happy at my job and I like switched jobs a lot and I had a lot of really terrible bosses. That is just like a whole I mean, that could be a whole other podcast. But like just going through all of those transitions and then finding a job that I loved and like bosses who treated me like family and actually encouraged me to keep growing my business while I worked for them was like definitely a game changer, because it kind of it has validated what I was doing and that it mattered, and like that they were these really incredible talented bakers and they loved what I was doing and like that was huge. And then like I guess, yeah, it would have been. Two years ago, after my son was born, I was diagnosed with post-partum depression and anxiety and I found out I had ADHD and I was like learning all of this mental health stuff that I kind of ignored for my whole life and like I think like that was more of a game changer in my business than I realized, because there was so much going on that I was either ignoring or pushing aside, that I was putting energy into instead of like owning that I was a business owner and feeling confident and like putting myself out there like that. So that has been a huge shift.

Nikita Williams : 25:55

Yeah, do you feel like now that you've well, do you feel like you've accepted that these are all like parts of you and that in their own ways, they have like helped you to like just like live and get through things, like maybe differently than you would have thought about yourself before?

Kelsie Delisle: 26:15

I do think so, and it's definitely taken me a while to like get to this point because, like for a while there I was just kind of in survival mode, but now I can kind of look at it a little more holistically and be like okay, so my brain's a little different than I thought it was, but that's not a bad thing, and my therapist and I talk a lot about self-compassion.

Nikita Williams : 26:40

So important.

Kelsie Delisle: 26:42

I was like I'm a therapist and I didn't even realize, like it wasn't something I was missing, I guess. So like learning about it and like building up that skill has been really helpful to like stop wasting energy, like beating myself up and being a perfectionist, like I'm still a perfectionist, but I'm a lot less like intense about it now.

Nikita Williams : 27:08

Yeah, that's such a good point. I find for myself and like you're sharing, like that self-compassion piece is such a muscle that we haven't learned and the society that we live in doesn't teach us, and especially as women, we're not to this level of like. How do we not like, do all the things, and some things fall through the cracks and some of those things are us right, and then we beat ourselves up for those things, and so when we have that self-compassion, it's so powerful in our lives that we can finally see, oh, this is totally human of me. Yeah, exactly Right. And I wonder do you feel like the years that led to this have been the reason why you've been able to heal?

Kelsie Delisle: 28:05

Probably Like I don't know yeah, that's another thing, I hadn't thought about that way. But I mean, yeah, like I don't, I think I would have been okay, or I would have thought that I would have been okay just coasting along, but I needed that extra, I guess, responsibility or pressure or whatever it was, to say like this isn't a sustainable way to live.

Nikita Williams : 28:33

Well, I mean, you said it and this is the thing that I realized myself and the same thing I talked to other folks about. I'm like we don't realize how being like not self-compassionate is so much heavier, like energy wise, like spoon taking wise. Then, like you know, I don't know, like for you, like you know someone saying I don't like the flowers, like that is that's, that's that hurts your heart. Right, like that hurts your heart. But then at the same time you go back and you like beat yourself up some more like that's a lot of weight that's a lot of energy that like takes away from. Okay, I'm human, I need to improve. That's okay, because that's what's human about me is that I need to improve and it doesn't mean that I'm not making this so much about me and not like getting to a place like where you are now and, I think, where a lot of us either want to be or currently getting to of being like, yeah, that sucked, but I'm okay, like I'm okay and I don't have to make that mean that I'm all these other things that I think I might be.

Kelsie Delisle: 29:39

Yes, yeah, exactly, and I think, yeah, I can remember times, you know, in the beginning, where I would get a bad customer that didn't like what I was doing or was just like really demanding and rude or whatever, and it would just like put me at a commission for like a week. Like you know, I would just wouldn't want to do anything on the couch and play video games, like let me just ignore my real life because it's too hard. And now that happens and it's like, well, let me vent about it for a little bit and then I'll move on because, like that's their problem, that's not my problem. Love that, love that, and it's because you've given yourself that self compassion you can write like I can finally see, like this isn't about me, like I am okay with what happened, like I don't have to second guess, like every decision that I made leading up to it because like that's so much energy.

Nikita Williams : 30:36

So much is so much energy, and then we get stuck in that and we literally don't do anything. We like are like in quick saying, like this feels like it's like quick saying just kind of keep sinking and sinking, because we keep fighting with you and them and they're not even there anymore, and it's like I'm in the sand, it's over.

Kelsie Delisle: 30:54

You know saying so.

Nikita Williams : 30:55

I love that. You've kind of come to that, and I never think it's 100%. We all have our moments when we go back to the quick stand and relax, but I think, do you feel like it's less now because of like embracing this, this journey? You've been doing this for a while now.

Kelsie Delisle: 31:11

Yes, I do think it is a lot better now and like I don't feel this like gut wrench every time someone says, no, thank you, you're too expensive. You know, like that in the beginning I'd be like, oh well, how can I, how can I lower the price for you? Like I want to be like me and I'm like, okay, well, this is not like, this isn't meant to be. So I'm going to focus on the next thing.

Nikita Williams : 31:39

I'm going to tell you something, kelsey, you're like my clients right now and people that I've talked to are probably like the Nikita script this for me, but like I promised, I didn't, I don't, we don't script this. This is all real, like we have all been like. There's a question I like to ask my clients, who always like, tend to discount or think it means something about them when it comes to the pricing why do you feel that you like? Why do you feel compulsive, or like like compelled, to discount your offer or your services without and this happens sometimes without even people asking? right, like you're like oh, you just assume. Like right, oh, and I'm going to, I'm going to discount this for you, like before you even get to that place. Have you been right?

Kelsie Delisle: 32:25

for me I'll see the like. I have a spreadsheet that helps me calculate the pricing and I'll get to the end and I'll see the number. I'll be like, oh no, that's not right, I must have done something wrong. Let's do high.

Nikita Williams : 32:39

That's legit, seriously, exactly, yeah yeah.

Kelsie Delisle: 32:42

So then I have to like step back from it and it's like like I can't look at it anymore, because then I want to just change it. So I have to like come back to it later and say, okay, this is why this makes sense. It's gonna take me three weeks to do it and that's a lot of work.

Nikita Williams : 32:57

I love that you just gave that work through to like there's a reason why it's this cost the cost.

Kelsie Delisle: 33:01

Exactly yeah, and like sometimes I forget that because I enjoy doing it and, yeah, I'm good at it, but it's like no, this is still work, though.

Nikita Williams : 33:09

Yes, yes, I. This whole section right here is going to be like in a in a highlight like this is what we all need to hear often, so I love that. You share that. I love you so much for sharing that. So what have been some inspiring things for you in your life to do what you do? Who are some people or what are some things?

Kelsie Delisle: 33:33

I feel like inspiration is everywhere and that sounds really corny.

Nikita Williams : 33:36

No, it's totally not. It's every creative, like. A lot of creators feel this way. Yeah, you're totally right.

Kelsie Delisle: 33:42

Yeah, where do I get the inspiration? Like, I mean, I could say working with Marie and Carlos, who owned the bakery I worked at, have been huge inspirations, because I've watched them build their bakeries from the ground up and see how incredibly talented they are and how hard working they are and it just like inspires me to work really hard. And like it's been cool to like watch each other grow as artists together and even gosh. There's just like so many like. Like even like watching other artists online that I don't know personally has been really cool to be like holy cow. Like I remember like ordering something from you like four years ago, and now like your prices are tripled and it's incredible and I'm like saving up to buy from you again and like that's been really inspiring. Just I mean it's. It's like every person I meet that owns a business. I'm just like.

Nikita Williams : 34:41

I can do it. Yeah, right, I mean, how are you or you to court like me? Exactly what? Yeah, I think people have a lot of people we get into entrepreneurship sometimes thinking, oh, it's easy, mm. Hmm, and I'm like there are parts that are easier because we enjoy them. Right, man, it is not easy to stay in it for more than a year, like, really like, if we do the statistics, like most businesses don't make it past the first six months. So the fact that you've been doing this, even whether it's part time or full time, for like over seven years is wildly successful and impressive, especially going through like the life hurdles and the postpartum and all those different kind of things. Like it's not a sad thing, like we should have anniversary parties for our own businesses, just like, yeah, for, like you know, marriage, yeah, yeah. Every year.

Kelsie Delisle: 35:37

Right, I see other people do it. You know they get the cake and they get the big number of balloons and I'm just like, oh, that's so fun for them and I like, wait a second, why don't I do that?

Nikita Williams : 35:45

Like yeah, yeah, so it's such a big thing.

Kelsie Delisle: 35:48

Yeah, and like a year ago almost, I relaunched my website. I hired a branding designer and I like took a copywriting course and rewrote everything and like changed everything, and so I'm like this deserves like like a anniversary something. So I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but it's at the end of August and I'm like I threw a little live stream party last year when I launched the website, so maybe I'll do that again, or I'll do like a giveaway or something. I don't know, but it's just like either I don't know if it's because that date's more recent in my mind or because it's like an actual date that I remember, but that feels like very, like pertinent to me and I want to celebrate it, as opposed to like, yeah, some time in October I made my first sale, I think.

Nikita Williams : 36:36

Yeah, when you like, I guess maybe more fully embody the business. I feel like I do the same thing. When I did my rebrand from like whatever Nikito did by herself on Canva to like hiring someone to do something, I was like this is real. You know, it's so funny how we have to like certain things, mark like quote, unquote realness for us, right, so interesting, even though, literally, kelsey, you've been a flower designer since you were five. Like exactly, yeah, really. So anyway, tell us for anyone who's listening, who's like maybe dealing with frustration or exhaustion and that their business being like the only niche or trying to figure out, like, how to bring their story and their passion to a profitable business, like what would be three things of advice you would give them.

Kelsie Delisle: 37:32

Oh OK. So I would definitely say talk to other business owners. And after talking to you, I would add that share your values and philosophies, because that definitely is a game changer. And like I still can't believe I never put those two things together. But like, obviously that's, that's what it was. Because, yeah, like talking to other business owners isn't that's not necessarily going to like fill your cup or like help you, but talking to people who, like value the same things you do, like that is going to help and like it doesn't have to be in your niche. And then, at the same time, like you do meet someone who's in your niche or adjacent to it and you connect with them. Like don't be afraid to reach out. Because I was also really afraid of like talking to competitors the longest time, but now I'm like this is ridiculous, like why do you feel like this is?

Nikita Williams : 38:34

ridiculous. Now I got to dig into this for a second. Like what do you feel like is ridiculous that you like try to avoid competitors?

Kelsie Delisle: 38:42

Because I think for the longest time I felt like I could do it better and talking to them was going to like take away my sales and it was going to negatively impact my business and customers were going to go to them instead of me. But now I'm like let's be realistic here. There are certain styles that I don't do well. There's certain like flowers that I just don't like making. There's, I mean, a million other things, but also I just don't have time to make everybody's flowers. So if someone else can do it like I should absolutely be like meeting other people who do this so that I can refer out to them when I'm not available. And like back in the day, that was like so boring to me, like no, I could never. I'll just work twice as many hours, you know.

Nikita Williams : 39:31

That is such a. I feel like that thought process, though, is such a like a masculine thought, like a very masculine like you know, back in the day I was watching, what was I watching? Dr Quinn, you know that's a long time ago and like competition back then was like, right, oh my gosh. And it's like, dude, you need competition, right, you need to learn, and it pushes you in such a good way and then you can refer to each other because, like you said, you can't do all the things, but I definitely think that is from a very what are the state, patriarchal or? just a masculine mindset around like business that we as females have taken on into the business world of being like, yeah, competent. I'm like literally all my coaches are people who do in some way, shape or form what I do.

Kelsie Delisle: 40:16

Right, yeah absolutely Like I'm not trying to build you like the Rockefellers or whatever and like take over the world. Like I just, you know, want to do what I love and if other people want to do that too, like I should encourage that instead of not. And like, yeah, people used to ask me, like how do you do what you do? And I'm like I can't give you my secrets, but like there's no secret, it's just like working really hard and practicing and you know, like there's, there's no, I don't have a secret sauce that I am afraid to give away.

Nikita Williams : 40:49

I love that, your secret sauce though, honestly, everyone's secret sauce is their own story. You can't literally can't. You can't literally can't give that away. You can tell it, but nobody can like go back through your life and be you like. There's no way. Exactly Right, yes.

Kelsie Delisle: 41:02

Exactly Like. I can teach you how to make sugar flowers, but you're not going to be. Yeah, the baker slash gardener who, like, decided to make sugar flowers and like has type one diabetes, but like doesn't eat sugar, like that whole. Nobody else has that story.

Nikita Williams : 41:21

Yeah, yeah, so awesome. Okay, so you said, find your people, basically the values number two, like don't be afraid of competitors, lean into them.

Kelsie Delisle: 41:32

You know, number three would be I don't know something about self compassion. Figure it out Like learn it. Practice that muscle, like I feel like that's, that's always what it comes down to. Like the more like, the deeper I go into it. It's like, oh, this is, this is a self compassion thing, isn't it? Like it's always what it is so, like, even when it's really hard or I'm in a slow season of business, like it is a lot easier now to say that doesn't mean I'm a bad person or a bad entrepreneur or a bad artist, because things are not ideal right now, and so that gives me, like, the space to figure it out or to take a break instead of, yeah, working myself into the ground.

Nikita Williams : 42:22

That's such a good one. Those three are like awesome. I love all three of them. Thank you, they're all good. She's like girl, I just came up with that, but yes, I love that. So now someone's listening to this and thinking, oh my gosh, sugar flowers. One, where can we find where Kelsey does her sugar flowers and could I do this? Like, how do I get into this? Like if they are bakers, I honestly I love flowers. Like I think I would just do it for fun, like just from my aspect, I'm one of those people who like to draw and all of the stuff, and whenever I draw it's flowers. Don't ask me to draw people, Don't ask me to draw animals. They're going to look like stick Right Aspiricurations or something Right Flowers I can do if they want to like. Step into this very unlike. It feels like very strange world where you don't want to make cake, but you want to make flowers. How do they do that? How do they do that? Yeah?

Kelsie Delisle: 43:18

So I suggest, if you can take a class in person that's my first like recommendation just because the in person classes I've taken, you get that immediate feedback, which is really great. And also it's just really cool to take classes with other people who are at the same or similar levels as you and like see, they guys are a really intensive like two-day class. One time it was like 10 hours a day and it was just really cool. It was intense, but it was like really cool to see all of us at the beginning feel like I'm sorry, we're gonna make what, and then at the end like we all lined up our roses and they looked amazing together and it was just so cool to have that experience and like Encourage each other and watch each other. But I also know that in-person classes are expensive and hard to come by, so I still recommend books and YouTube. There's so many free lessons out there and then there's also Paid tutorials and things. So I say go with whatever your level of interest and financial ability is, because I've done both and they're both helpful. I'm starting to sell tutorials. Oh, it's very new it's. I have one baby breast tutorial, it's. There's another imposter syndrome thing going on, because I'm not a cinematographer, I'm not a videographer. I can make flowers, but I'm like I'm doing this on my iPhone, so it's I.

Nikita Williams : 44:51

Think movies at these points now. Oh, I know, I'm sure it's fine, it's good, put it up. Yeah, I think.

Kelsie Delisle: 44:59

Exactly. Yeah, so I've got all my website and I'm like slowly adding them and I'm I'm trying to focus more on the quality of what I'm saying versus how they look. So you know, there's my disclaimer.

Nikita Williams : 45:11

I love that you're saying it and talking about it. Anyway, that's a huge, big like Leap of faith of being like hey, yeah, I'm doing the same that. I'm really scared and really not comfortable with anyone seeing it, but I'm doing it anyway. I love that you're doing that, yeah.

Kelsie Delisle: 45:25

Well, I also have to shout you out, because when I talked to you last, I Was complaining about how editing videos was like a big obstacle for me, and you were just like what if you just didn't edit them? And I'm like, what do you mean? So I'm like, okay, let's go for it, let's just hit record and see what happens. And I think I Think of my first one. I even, like my husband interrupted me at one point and I was like we're still recording.

Nikita Williams : 45:50

So I love it. Yeah, I'm a huge believer and like. It will always look and start messy, and the growth it will turn into this beautiful Pianese flower that is in the wild that looks amazing. You're like oh my gosh, I don't know how I would have not seen this flower. It looked like a hot mess a couple of days ago and now it's gorgeous, like you know. So I'm definitely a component of like if it make it easy. Let it yeah easy is my phrase.

Kelsie Delisle: 46:21

Yes, absolutely, and that's kind of how it is in making the flowers to like they're not gonna look great, when you make them at first and Just know that and know they will get better, like I still have days where I'm like what did I just make? I gotta start over.

Nikita Williams : 46:39

That's crazy.

Kelsie Delisle: 46:43

Oh my god, like someone will ask me about some flower that's like trending or something, and I'll be like I have never even heard of this, like let me Google it, like what the heck is this? And then I spend a day just playing with it and Eventually it either looks really good or email them back and say can we just see else?

Nikita Williams : 47:00

I love that. I love that there's play in your work like that. Yes, oh, yeah fun, just to do it for fun. It is no pressure, yeah, and that's okay right.

Kelsie Delisle: 47:10

Yeah, like there's definitely days where I have like a full production schedule. I'm just like, oh, like again another rose, but then, but then I'll try to, yeah, make something Just for fun, like this cake back here. I Made that for me, like that wasn't an order, it was just I had this design in my head and I was like I'm gonna, I'm just gonna see if I can make it. And yeah, just doing that made me more motivated, more inspired, more excited and to like keep going. So definitely recommend Just playing around with it some days.

Nikita Williams : 47:46

Yeah, I love that you just shared that too, because some of my clients get so stuck and I'm sure you've experienced this too like in your business, and you're doing the monotony of your business, this thing you care about, but you do anything that you really did this because you enjoy it, you it's right and it doesn't. You lose the funness of it when you're, like always in the business brain. So I like clients to take times where they're like not taking any business or there is just for fun. Right is the thing that you need to fill you your soul, and Then the rest of your business grows from there, right, and I right that's pretty cool, that that's just a fun looking. Yes, yeah.

Kelsie Delisle: 48:26

Right, yeah, and that's honestly kind of what the competitions are for me too, like it's just an excuse to do something for me, like, and also try to put myself out there, because I know I'm getting feedback for it. But Mainly it's like how can I challenge myself, how can I get out of my comfort zone, like how can I do something cool and different that I'm proud of? And then, yeah, I can't even think about these like Judging. Part of the competitions is that. I'm just like I can't do it, yeah.

Nikita Williams : 49:03

So what well? Two more questions. One question what has been your most Easy and profitable marketing strategy for Selling your sugar flowers?

Kelsie Delisle: 49:16

Oh, that's a good question. Easy and profitable. Definitely not advertising. That's easy but not profitable. Honestly, I feel like it's just Well, I say just, but like doing a Lot of different flowers, taking pictures of them and putting them all over the internet yeah, like Pinterest, instagram, etsy, my blog, you know, cake decor, calm like just Sharing it everywhere and like putting it out there because that's, you know, the pictures kind of speak for themselves. Yes, so that is Is probably in the grand scheme of seeing the easiest. I will say like taking product photos is not Easy by itself, but, again, iphones are amazing. You can buy backdrop, you can use like.

Nikita Williams : 50:13

Your trip mode is like yes, oh my gosh.

Kelsie Delisle: 50:17

the first time I discovered that I was like, what have I been doing this whole time? Like, yeah, I have a DSLR camera. I haven't touched it in years, honestly. Like I'm not a professional photographer and shout out to everyone who is because that thing, they're amazing, something else. But yeah, portrait mode it gets the job done. And then I've got my professional photographs from my brand photographer. We're like my website and everything but when I'm just making a flower and I snap a quick picture of it, like I Just got to put on the internet so people could see us, yeah, I love that.

Nikita Williams : 50:52

There's many reasons why I love that, but I'll talk about that in a solo episode about. Why I love that well, tell us how everyone can find you. I so appreciate having you in the show and you coming to share your story and your journey. How can we love on you online?

Kelsie Delisle: 51:08

Well, thank you. I am very glad to be here and that we got to have this conversation. My website is cakes calm and all of my Social handles are cakes Pinterest, instagram, facebook, twitter. That I don't post on, but it's there. I think my tiktok is Sugar flowers by Casey, because cakes is taken, but everything else is Kelsey cakes. Email me . cakes calm. Also cakes on YouTube. That kind of makes it easy.

Nikita Williams : 51:42

Website and fine all of her.

Kelsie Delisle: 51:45

All of the links are all of my socials. My blog is there. My shop is there. I do custom orders. I also have ready-to-ship flowers on my shop so you can do last-minute orders and, yeah, you can find me there.

Nikita Williams : 51:59

Awesome. And of course y'all have all of her links where you can find them, show notes and Thank you again. Thank you so much.

Kelsie Delisle: 52:08

Yes, thank you. It's good to get to talk.

Nikita Williams : 52:11

That's a wrap, y'all. Thanks for tuning in to Crafted to Thrive, the podcast that helps entrepreneurs with chronic illness To thrive and build a holistic business and life. Check out our website at crafted to thrive. Calm for this episode show notes and all the gifts and goodies. Connect with me on Instagram at thrive with Nikita for more tips and behind the scenes and more. Tag me to share what you loved about this episode and I'll feature you on an upcoming episode. So until next time, remember, yes, you are crafted to thrive.