Last weekend was a total blast! We went on a food tasting walking tour [Melting Pot Tours] of the L.A. Farmer’s Market and of adjoining 3rd Street in L. A.’s Fairfax Village. I highly recommend it.
While on the tour we were introduced to Chrysta Wilson, owner of Kiss My Bundt Bakery on 3rd Street. This is a woman who is breathing her brand.
Chrysta has a great story that I want to share with you. Even if you aren’t able to enjoy and fall in love with her yummy Bundt cakes this very second, what she does and why she does it is very inspirational.
Chrysta told our walking tour group about her Southern [U.S.] background and that she had studied public policy and worked as a “grass roots” community organizer. Her love of baking desserts was like returning to her “roots.” So at one point, she found a supplier where she could get a mini-Bundt pan, only there was a minimum order the company required. So she thought it over and decided to place the order, dedicating her “weekend out” money to her hobby.
Some hobby. She bought something like twenty mini-Bundt pans! So Chrysta figured she had better get baking, and the rest – as the saying goes – is history.
What’s really more amazing is how Chrysta is committed to keeping it simple and delicious. She told us how she couldn’t understand why she started getting all kinds of press for mixing simple ingredients like flour, sugar, butter, and fresh fruit. She thought everyone else would make food the same way. Well, apparently not because Kiss My Bundt has been featured on NBC, and in the New York Times, even as one of the Top 11 businesses to follow on Twitter.
Chrysta is making deliciously simple cakes [in three sizes!] in multitudes of flavor and frosting options. Somehow her baking brings people together, creating a community of cupcake fanatics. Even her desire to use locally grown and sourced ingredients is a reminder of Chrysta’s “grass roots,” community based background.
What I love about this story is that Chrysta didn’t feel like she needed to totally reinvent herself. In fact, she’s involved in her local community and business association. Chrysta got closer to her brand. Meeting her, it’s obvious how it flows through her veins, beats through her heart, and she expresses it with every breath she takes.
She even has that look that says, “yeah, I’m a baker.”
We all have what it takes to be committed to our personal brand like Chrysta. All that’s required is to see the truth and to be true to your own “natural ingredients.”
Need help and direction discovering your personal brand? Let’s talk. I can help you see your truth and dress for it, too.
Joseph Rosenfeld helps high-profile individuals revitalize, manage, and be secure in their personal visual brand. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.
