Christian Sargent- Vicky Cakes- Turning up the Heat With Audacious Goals

Oct 13

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This week, I spoke to Christian Sargent, CEO & Co-founder of Vicky Cakes, the first black-owned, dairy-free pancake, and waffle mix made with wholesome ingredients. Vicky Cakes was named after Christian’s mother, who became a single mother of four after a divorce. Due to limited resources, Vicky wanted to offer her children restaurant quality food in the comfort of their home. She created a recipe out of necessity, and her mission was accomplished! And Vicky’s pancakes were not only a hit at home, but the word also spread around town; friends and family also could not resist the light and fluffy goodness.

In 2013, Christian’s husband Cortney had the privilege of tasting the pancakes while visiting Vicky and other family members for the holidays. His taste buds were delighted; he could not believe that the recipe had been kept a secret for forty years. Cortney instantly had an idea to sell the pancakes and name them ‘Vicky Cakes.’ Six years later, his vision became a reality. Vicky Cakes was officially launched on mother’s day to honor Vicky.

Christian spoke extensively about how relocating to another state ignited her passion for doing and being more. She never desired to be an entrepreneur, but she decided to step out in faith after consistent encouragement from her husband Cortney and being inspired by having a clean slate in a new state. She believes that the brand is bigger than her.

“You can’t love people more than you love your purpose and your vision” - Christian

Christian is on a mission to eliminate the competition and have Vicky Cakes become a household name. The vision for Vicky Cakes is to be the global leader in pancake & waffle mix by inspiring family values and traditions. While growing up, eating her mother’s pancakes was much more than a breakfast routine; it was a time to create memories and bond with her family. Christian wants to bring these same experiences to every home.

“She didn’t have a lot of money, but she had a lot of love” - Christian

Christian aims to create representation for the culture and build generational wealth. With her contagious drive and her husband’s superb skills, this power couple is well on their way to fulfilling their vision. Things took a turn for the better after Vicky Cakes was featured on Good Morning America, after which they sold 156,000 bags of pancake mix. This significant milestone led to them opening a manufacturing facility to keep up with the demands. Vicky Cakes is currently available on Amazon, Walmart.com, and in Jewel Osco stores.

In This Episode You Will Learn:

Getting out of the comfort zone: relocation (8:51)
A clean slate, a whole new world (13:24)

An incredible journey - the origin story (16:54)
Crushing the competition (25:04)
Customer service: the customer is always right (38:46)
The power of influence: the floodgates flung opened (48:23)
Viziulating the future through meditation (64:00)
Working with a brokerage firm and getting into retail (72:30)

Questions Answered:

How did your background in customer service help build your brand?
What is it like working with your significant other?
What inspired you to start your business after having the idea for years?
How did your customer’s feedback cause your brand to evolve?
How did the cottage law benefit you when launching your business?
How did getting featured on TV shows impact your business?
How did you transition from making your products in your home into having your manufacturing facility?
What have you learned while working for a broker?

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