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Meet Casey Reinhardt, owner of Casey's Cupcakes

2013-01-10T14:24:13.000Z

    Casey Reinhardt is one amazing entrepreneur, not to mention all around person. If you think she looks familiar, it's more than likely because you've seen her star in  MTV's second season of  Laguna Beach, The Real Orange County or watched her reign as the champion of the Food Network's 2011  Cake Wars, Walk of Fame contest. And currently Casey's latest success is being the owner, creator, and mastermind behind  Casey's Cupcakes! 

Her Social Network was inspired by  Casey Reinhardt because she is such a super star both professionally and personally. I had the pleasure of interviewing her and I can say first hand, she's the most mature, joyful, down to Earth, inspirational, compassionate, talented, and business savvy woman I've met and she's just 25 years old. That alone is something to be amazed by.

I wanted to introduce you to Casey, Casey's Cupcakes, and the C.A.S.E.Y. foundation and give everyone the opportunity to see what makes Casey truly a star in our eyes. Meet  Casey Reinhardt, prepare to be amazed:  

Q: What made you want to become an entrepreneur when you had already "made it" in the spotlight?

 Casey: At three I fell in love with baking. I would tell everyone that my dream was to one day own my own bakery. And even as I got older, that dream and passion grew more and more each time I baked. By my junior year at Pepperdine University, while modeling and acting, the academic environment fueled my bakery aspirations more and made me start thinking seriously about opening up a bakery and become a business owner. After doing a lot of market research and development, I knew my dream would become brick and mortar, and in 2009 I opened my first Casey's Cupcakes in Riverside! 

Q: What inspired you to bake and what made you choose cupcakes?

 Casey:  Every summer growing up, I would spend time at my great-grandmother's house. She was italian and with that culture comes a love of food, expressing love through it, and the passing on of traditions in the kitchen. For my great-grandmother cooking was a way to tell someone you love them, bring them joy, and share a part of her with them. And for me, her love, the times we shared, and the joy I experienced while cooking and baking became my passion! You could say, I fell in love with cooking and baking. One thing my great grandmother taught me is how to create amazing food using fresh and quality ingredients. We would spend hours testing out combinations and adding personal touches to each dish. Some of the many treats we made would include fresh fruit roll-ups, cakes, meals, and my personal favorite was always the cupcakes. After she passed away, I continued baking and experimenting in the kitchen and just couldn't help but want to share with everyone our recipes and find joy in the memory of my loved ones that were lost but never forgotten! Each time you eat a Casey's Cupcake you become a part of my family's tradition! 

Q: How has Casey's Cupcakes reinvented the cupcake and created a unique brand?

 Casey: Casey's Cupcakes takes cupcakes to another level, along with making it an experience while enjoying each bite! The moment a customer walks into Casey's Cupcakes they are taken back to Paris with me when I was 6. Each Casey's Cupcakes location is decorated and designed after a Parisian bakery. But the environment is just the icing on the cupcake. What makes Casey's Cupcakes number one are two things: high quality/fresh ingredients and glamour. Casey's cupcakes are only made with high quality and fresh ingredients. Each cupcake is made fresh daily and the taste is unlike any other cupcake because of the quality of the ingredient used. In addition, we make cupcakes glamorous. They are dressed to the nine's and each cupcake is a work of art! We also make glamorous specialty cupcakes that are gluten free, sugar free, and vegan! 

Q: What is your favorite cupcake?   

 Casey:  Definitely the Decadent Dark Chocolate Cupcake! This cupcake is made of dark chocolate cake, with dark chocolate chips inside. Then, it's topped with dark chocolate frosting and embellished with dark chocolate shavings. It's absolutely delicious! 

Q:  I noticed a portion of your proceeds go to the C.A.S.E.Y Foundation. What is the C.A.S.E.Y foundation?

 Casey: In 2002 I founded the C.A.S.E.Y Foundation. The acronym stands from Children's Alliance for the Success and Education of Youth in Need. I started the foundation because in my life I learned first hand the importance of academics, being involved in activities, and having support from your family and friends to succeed later in life. And I wanted to make sure that support, accessibility, and funding for activities and academic programs was available to all children, in all schools. This program raises money, provides support, and fills in the gaps. 

Q: What made you attach your charity and business? 

 Casey: My passion to give back and help others was instilled in me at a very young age from the example of my parents who created Olive Crest. Naturally when I was developing my business plan, I wanted to make sure to find a way attach my foundation and business. Just recently we created a cupcake called the Stiletto cupcake. It was created to benefit the C.A.S.E.Y foundation. It sold out in 30 minutes at all the locations. It filled me with joy to see those proceeds go to help a school in need provide uniforms for their athletic programs and keep those children encouraged to stay involved in school activites. 

Q: What has been your biggest successes as a business owner?

 Casey: Winning Cupcake Wars on the Food Network! That was an amazing experience in itself but winning that really put Casey's Cupcakes on the map and highlighted the brand, quality, and wow-factor of the product. Also, opening up two additional locations in Orange County and Laguna Beach was both emotional and a dream come true. To know that customers loved Casey's Cupcakes to the point of creating that growth was humbling and inspiring! For Casey's Cupcakes and for me personally the customer is the number one priority and concern and it's because of their continued support and love of the product that keeps Casey's Cupcakes growing and in high demand! 

Q: What has been you biggest struggles as a business owner?

 Casey:  One of the hardest elements of owning a business is always keeping organized and managing growth and demand. It's difficult to have to say no or turn away a charity event or organizations who want Casey's Cupcakes to be a part of their events. But due to our high demand it happens more than we like it to. However, we always do our best to try to be a part of these events, the next go around or year. Also, for me personally I view my employees as family. Any time one of them graduates and leaves for school, it's like watching a family member leave. It's bitter sweet. I miss them dearly and have come to love them as they've worked for me. 

Q: How do you maintain balance in your personal and professional life?   

 Casey:  Scripture and working out. I have to make sure I carve out time for those two things everyday. For me, remembering, "I can do all thing through Christ who gives me strength." (Philipians 3:14 NIV) and working out first thing in the morning really helps me start out the day right. And with my busy schedule, having a workout that fits in with my lifestyle is key. I am able to stay fit and eat cupcakes with the  RKS Kettlebell System. I love that workout!

Q If you could give advice to other women out there wanting to open their own business, what would it be? 

 Casey: Do a lot of research. Talk to people that do what you want to do and ask a lot of questions. Also make sure to focus on demographics. And most importantly always remember to keep moving forward. There will be bumps in the road, but all of them are temporary! 

Q: What can we expect to see from Casey's Cupcakes in the future? 

Casey: In June we will be featuring our new cupcake of the month: Ravishing Raspberry Lemonade Cupcake. We are also starting a wedding cake/celebratory cake division! And we are booking decorate your own cupcake parties as well! 

After the interview, I hung up the phone amazed, hungry, and envious of everyone who lives near a Casey's Cupcakes location. The cupcakes look and sound absolutely delicious don't they? If you look at the images and read the descriptions too long I'm warning you now you will develop a fever for a Casey's Cupcake. The one question I forgot to ask Casey is when her locations would be headed south? Texas needs some frosted glamour!! How about your state? Do they need a Casey's Cupcakes too?

If you want to learn more about  Casey's Cupcakes or  Casey Reinhardt make sure to check out her websites:  Casey's Cupcakes and the  Casey Reinhardt site.

So dish it ladies, what did you think about  Casey Reinhardt? Isn't she amazing! What was one thing that impressed you most about her?

The 411 on the "secret drink list" for Starbucks.

2013-01-10T14:24:45.000Z

Today I was in Starbuck's and heard someone order a drink I had never heard of "A Cinnamon Roll Frappuccino". I took a step back and looked up at the menu trying to figure out where this delicious drink could be found, but it wasn't on the menu. I bellied up to the barista and ordered my "skinny cinnamon dulce latte" and then ventured over to the woman who ordered the frappuccino and asked about her drink. She told me that when she was in Chicago that she had heard someone order the drink and decided to find out what it was and try it. She said it was delicious and she was hooked. We talked a little while longer as we waited for the drinks to be made, and she told me that there were actually a lot of "speciality drink orders" that were popular, that customers and baristas had created and were available. However, they were a little more costly and not all locations would know how to make them, so you would have to know the recipe. I was intrigued. So, after getting my latte, I googled it to see if I could find the secret drink lists for Starbucks. I was excited to discover that there are secret drink recipes!

Here are the some of the speciality drinks you can order the next time you hit the line at Starbucks (make sure you can tell your barista what's in it - take this list with you):

1. Cinnamon Roll Frappuccino: A vanilla bean frappuccino with cinnamon dulce syrup.

2. Marble Macchiato: White mocha on the bottom with no whip, shot on the top and mocha drizzle.

3. Zebra Mocha: This is a white chocolate mocha mixed with regular mocha.

4. Red Tux Mocha: a white chocolate mocha mixed with regular mocha with raspberry flavoring.

5. Grasshopper Frappuccino: A mocha frappuccino blended with java chips and peppermint syrup.

6. Apple Juice Orange Blossom: Tazo Orange Blossom Tea steeped in steamed apple juice (without water)

7. Bootleg Brulee: two shot white mocha with a shot of toffee nut syrup and caramel drizzle.

8. Apple Chai: Chai tea with steamed apple juice.

9. Snickers Frappuccino: java chip frappuccino with two pumps of toffee nut and caramel drizzle on top.

10. Thin Mint Frappuccino: Tazo green tea with cream frappuccino with chocolate syrup and java chips.

11. Widow Maker: Half iced black tea, half iced black coffee.

There are many more drink combinations and ways you can order your next Starbucks:

http://www.thedailymeal.com/12-more-drinks-starbucks-secret-menu-slideshow

http://www.kypost.com/dpp/news/guide-to-starbucks-secret-menu1328674648818

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-daily-meal/starbucks-secret-menu_b_923807.html#s327150&title=Biscotti_Frappuccino

It's always fun to switch things up and give something a shot (no pun intended).

Which creation do you think sounds DELICIOUS? I'm excited to give the Red Tux and the Bootleg Brulee and try!

Do you have a speciality drink you order?

5 Top Reasons Why a Website Is Beneficial for Business

2012-12-21T20:44:06.000Z

If you are a small business and have not yet established an online presence, then you are missing out on a great opportunity to generate more revenue and profit for your company. As of early 2012, reports have shown that there were 2.4 billion internet users worldwide. The internet has become a great tool for buying and selling products and services, sharing files, communicating with friends and family, entertainment, education and many other activities. Many small businesses that acknowledge this fact have taken steps to build an online presence. Let us look at five top reasons why a website is good for your business.

People Are Online

As a consultant assisting women in business in rural Southern Alabama, I regularly get asked, “Since my business is very small and I only sell my products or services locally, do I really need a website?” My answer is always the same… YES! If you are a business owner, you need to have an internet presence. Here’s why:

Statistics have shown that about 2.2 billion people used the internet in 2011 - nearly a third of the earth's population.
More than $256 billion were spent by internet shoppers in 2011.
Current buying trends show that people purchase everything from books, jewelry, vehicles to live stock and real estate.
The number of people that make use of the internet every day is on the increase. This means about 70% of the earth's population have access to it.
Online shopping has become a normal activity for many internet users. It has proved to be more convenient and cheaper for them.

As you can see, being a small company does not matter when it comes to potential benefits from having a web presence.

Enhance Your Credibility

Since majority of the earth's population make use of the internet, a website is the best way to tell the world about you and your company. This is also an opportunity to explain why you deserve their confidence and trust. In fact, internet users today expect serious business owners to have an online presence. They use the internet to research before buying products and services. Therefore, a website is a great tool to provide useful information about your business and convince your audience that you offer the best product or service. Here are 4 ways to increase credibility to your website:

Update your website with pertinent and relevant information on a regular basis
Offer visitors with quick and flexible answers to their needs
Post testimonials from satisfied customers
Provide visitors with a comment section and make sure you respond in a timely manner

A well designed, informative and updated website will add credibility to your business and strengthen your brand.

Search Engine Optimization

Are your competitors outranking you in search results? Imagine a potential customer searching “Animal Clinic San Diego” and the results place your top 5 competitors on the first page while your website is ‘MIA’ (missing in action). Search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Mozilla will return the results that are most relevant.

A website that is designed to be an effective Internet marketing tool will increase your website traffic. This internet marketing technique is referred to as Search Engine Optimization. By generating quality back links and creating optimized content, you become an authority before search engines and increase the number of visitors that come to your website.

Global Presence

Imagine serving customers around the world? Since information is always available, people from all over the world can visit your website anytime; and inquire about the products or services that you offer. A website gives you a global footprint exposing you to an international market.

24/7 Exposure

Wouldn’t you like to wake up each morning and ‘ch-ching’ money has magically appeared in your business account? No magic… just a reality for many entrepreneurs. Having a website allows customers to purchase from you 24/7. Your website is sales machine, always open and making sales on your behalf.

I get daily requests for access to my blog. Here are excerpts of two emails that I received this week for access:

“We would like to send you high quality articles that fit your audience… 1 link going to our client's site to each post… pay you $20 per post… send articles in bulk.”

“We will pay you $30 for each article you post… basically our article is related with education”

In conclusion, as you can see, having a professional and optimized website is an important tool in your marketing strategy and a great way to position your company for global exposure.

About Author: Sylvia Browder is a small business consultant, trainer and author. She is founder of National Association Women on the Rise, a virtual community for aspiring and established women entrepreneurs. She has served as an online volunteer SCORE counselor since 2004. For FREE weekly articles go to Sylvia Browder’s Blog for Women Entrepreneurs, www.sylviabrowder.com. She can be contacted at info@sylviabrowder.com

3 Ways to Sculpt the Perfect Butt

2012-12-07T22:52:43.000Z

The treadmill offers an excellent cardiovascular workout but it also has various settings and exercise modes that allow you to tone and tighten your lower body, especially your butt. Two of the most useful are the speed and incline controls.

Using the speed and incline controls on a treadmill you can perform various exercises to sculpt your butt. Three types of exercise that are especially beneficial include: 1) interval training, 2) incline walking, and 3) walking lunges. It’s best to introduce these exercises after about 10 minutes of leisure walking to ensure that your muscles are properly warmed.

Interval Training

Interval training using a treadmill is not only a great form of cardiovascular exercise but it also has a ‘toning’ effect, which can improve the overall appearance of your butt. During this type of training, you can focus on performing short high-speed sprints with periods of active recovery at lower speeds in between.

To perform sprints, run as fast as possible for 30 second to 2-minute intervals followed by 1 to 3 minutes of walking or jogging at a lower speed. On a scale of 1 to 10, your level of difficulty during these sprints should be at an 8 or 9.

Incline Walking

While brisk walking, jogging and running on a flat treadmill are all good exercises for working your lower body, incline treadmill walking specifically targets your butt. The higher the incline, the harder your butt muscles work, which induces a toning effect.

Start by raising your incline to about... Click HERE to read the rest.