E175: Cookies and Communication Skills with Cheerful Baker Lauren Jacob

Welcome to episode #1 in the Supper Club Series! Lauren Jacobs (@thecheerfulbaker), is an influencer, a gourmet cookie baker, and member of the Supper Club, a group of high-end lifestyle business owners. Lauren worked in retail after college and then became a Sales Rep for American Greetings. After her first child was born she decided to stay home. Fast forward to 2015, she took up baking. After multiple cookie decorating classes, she got hooked and began to decorate cookies for retail as well as hosting some of her own classes. When professional cookie decorating took off, she decided to make it her full-time career. During the pandemic Lauren asked herself: “What do I want to take away from this experience?” She realized the joy that came from her faith was a central part of herself and so rebranded as The Cheerful Baker. This forms an integral part of her work as a cookie decorator and Instagram influencer. Her social media following led her to working with the Food Network for their 2022 Christmas Cookie Challenge. In this fun and delicious episode we chat about: - The journey from never speaking up to being a flaming extrovert - Communication determines confidence - How she landed her a spot in the Food Network’s Christmas Cookie Challenge - How asking questions can help with intimidating audiences - How to be personable with people you don’t know - How curiosity becomes an effective sales tactic You can follow Lauren on Instagram or check out her website https://cheerfulbaker.com/ for more information about her cookie decorating courses. This episode brought to you by The Practical Guide to Effective Communication: Get Recognized for the Value You Already Contribute by Laura Camacho, PhD.