He’s a TV star on the Food Network, and a local entrepreneur who’s been on the cover of magazines. His Cake Love and Love Cafe stores has become the rage of the Washington metro area. Oh yeah, the cakes are great, too! Meet Warren Brown, a very successful business man who understands marketing (check out his blog)!
BB: You’ve become a very successful baker. How does it feel?
WB: I’m blessed and honored to work with a team of enthusiastic people who enjoy working at the bakeries and café. Over the past five years I’ve done a lot of different jobs for the business both in and outside of the bakery and each has been a great experience that I would never trade-in.
BB: How did Sugar Rush benefit your business?
WB: The exposure from Sugar Rush on Food Network was a great shot in the arm for every aspect of CakeLove and Love Café. My business is all about cakes from scratch and re-introducing the public to this time honored tradition is a wonderful thing. People come to Washington, DC to visit national landmarks and then pop by CakeLove or Love Café for an afternoon treat. It’s a lot of fun to meet visitors who appreciate all of the work that goes into each cupcake, cookie, and layered cake.
BB: What’s next for Cake Love?
WB: A bunch of things: a new bakery in Shirlington, VA later this summer. A cookbook on how I bake from scratch titled CakeLove. Podcasts on simple baking steps that help me get the right texture in cakes and cookies. It’s always busy at CakeLove.
BB: You use a variety of marketing tools to get the word out. Can you detail what works best?
WB: I think that the best way to market a business is to put a real live voice behind the company. One that doesn’t speak from prepped statements, but instead just goes with the voice that’s in the heart. Everyone can sense integrity and we all sincerely appreciate it, whether the news is good or bad. When it comes to visual representations, I think pics that show the business in action are what people want to see. When something appears staged everyone in this culture is cued to believe there’s little worth trusting.
BB: How does your blog work with all of these mechanisms?
WB: Recently I’ve come to learn that my blog is a place people surfin the web will read what my staff bemoans as endless diatribes about the topic of the day. I’m a lawyer afterall—I enjoy a hearty digression into topics that relate to my business both directly and tangentially. Not just to blab on and on, but to practice active discussion about how I run my business and what issues make a difference to me.
One thing that’s fascinating about running a business is that the more I learn, the better my business operates. Posting my thoughts on the blog helps me, sometimes forces me, to develop them so they’re coherent—er, at least that’s the goal!
BB: What’s the key to your successful interaction with the community?
WB: Showing up to events, being genuine, and focusing on the contribution of individuals.
BB: What tips would you offer other businesses?
WB: Research constantly. Learn by reading, listening, talking, and observing. It’s really tough to know absolute truths about the marketplace, but some certainty comes with exhaustive research. Ask questions until the answers begin to sound repetitive, then start at it again from a different angle so there’s a chance for a different point of view to hit your ears.
Mr Brown
I would like verry much th come to your bakery, I am thinking of opening a cake cafie of my own in Lompoc and it would be one with a twist that would be with some (Jamacen goodies] and pie by the slice in Lompoc there ic not any where that you are able to get a slice of cake and a nice glass of milk. I have a brother who live not far from you and told me of your good cakes Please email me back.