Get Smart 2013 Meet the Speakers: Olivia O’Neal of Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop

By Erica Hess

It’s official — cupcakes can indeed make you smarter. But you might have to burn a few batches in the process. Take it from Olivia O’Neal, owner of Austin’s beloved Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop, winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars and all-around small business superstar. Behind each of her heavenly red velvet, salted caramel and key lime creations lies dozens of roadblocks overcome and valuable lessons learned.

Below is a quick sneak peak of some of the wisdom Olivia will share at WCA’s annual Get Smart Conference on September 13. This year’s theme is “Fail Forward: How to Recover, Rebuild and Come Back Stronger.” Through four interactive breakout sessions and a keynote panel with some of Austin’s top business owners, we will explore how to break through the fear of failure that keeps us from innovating.

The Get Smart’s Keynote Panel, to be held from Noon-1 p.m., will be moderated by Stacy Armijo of Pierpont Communications. Joining Olivia will be fellow business leaders John Garrett, publisher and founder of Community Impact Newspapers, and Ken Schiller, president and owner of Rudy’s BBQ and Mighty Fine Burgers.

WCA: Your baked goods are amazing — we are big fans! But small businesses, especially restaurants, have a high failure rate. Why do you think you’ve overcome the odds?

Olivia: While I’ve always loved cake, my background is in commercial real estate, which taught me a lot about business, customer service and dealing with high-profile people.

When I realized I wanted to start my own business, I spent years honing my business plan, researching to fill in every knowledge gap that I had, and planning for every scenario. Loving something isn’t enough. You really need to know your business inside and out. Preparation and excellence in your craft will ultimately carry the day.

WCA: What is one mistake that you’ve learned from?

Olivia: I’ve definitely learned to choose service providers more carefully, and not just rely on the first, cheapest or easiest option. It’s important to get a few bids and choose someone who works with small businesses and understands your industry.

WCA: Have you ever had a cupcake “flavor fail?”

Olivia: We always test new flavors before they hit our bakery cases to make sure they’re up to par. Occasionally a flavor doesn’t sell as well as others so we’ll stop carrying it. Then we’ll have customers call years later describing a “retired” flavor that they loved, and we’ll figure out how to recreate it for them. It’s kind of a secret menu!

Want to learn more secrets? Register for Get Smart today. Learn more about speaker sessions and speaker bios at GetSmartAustin.com.