Holding Onto Your Trade Secrets

Guest Post by Candice Hunsinger:

In a world of DIY and over sharing, sometimes it’s worth holding on tight to your trade secrets. Sure, paying it forward and lifting others up is what we should all do, but it’s okay to protect something for yourself. After all, only you can do what makes you special… that can’t be taught.

No disrespect to anyone else, but I make the world’s best chocolate chip cookie. Seriously though, countless travels and hundreds and hundreds of dollars later have proven that I make the world’s best chocolate chip cookie. Why? I don’t know. I really don’t know. But it’s my thing and everyone knows it. I have a team of professional bakers at my bakery, Cacao Sweets & Treats, that I have taught to mimic the same recipe. It just isn’t the same and science can’t explain it. There’s truly no good answer aside from the fact that I make the world’s best chocolate chip cookie, plain and simple. Trust me, there is zero arrogance behind it, because I am more than willing to keep dropping cash every single time that I pass a ccc hoping it will give me something to work toward.

There are certain traits and talents that some of us are born with and others without. That’s what makes this world we live in so beautifully woven. That there can be bests and greats in every possible spectrum – and that there is room for us all to be a great at something. It’s what we all want to live up to – honing and perfecting our craft. That thing that makes us unique and interesting and “known for”. And that’s amazing, don’t you think? There’s no reason we should go around trying to teach others what only we can do. It can’t be put into a course or a seminar. It’s our thing and that should be protected.

As a baker, all I want to do is give and make people smile in sweet joy. But I recognize that when you are in the business of selling yourself and what you offer to the world, you shouldn’t be so willing to give it away for free. And you certainly shouldn’t be willing to sell it either. It’s great to help others along the way and I’m not saying you shouldn’t. I’m saying you should let yourself shine in your personal talent. We all need to do the right thing and guide deserving, hardworking people in the right direction when you’ve walked the path they are headed down.

There’s a way to give, but not give away. Nine out of ten, you can’t fully explain it any way.

The missing key in all of these webinars we sign up for and pour over every detail of is that we aren’t the person who is teaching. We can do the exact same thing line by line, but we don’t have their “it factor” so it will never work. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to learn. You just paid for the most valuable lesson – that’s not your thing. There’s something else in the world for you just waiting to click. This is coming from the most impatient person ever! But I totally believe that sometimes it takes a lifetime for your sparkle to shine.

Our over sharing and DIY world has made every field seem over-saturated and cluttered. Horror stories and general discontent is all around. There’s this ideal of picture perfect and staged “real” lives living in social media. It’s because instead of focusing on what we do well, we want to do it all. We want to make it appear as if we are perfect at everything. Which. Is. Impossible. You can do a lot decently, but you can’t be perfect at everything. Nor should you want to. Surround yourself with those that shine in their talents that compliment yours. Find your chocolate chip cookie and run with it. Don’t let others in on what makes you you.

I’m Candice! Obsessive ingredient checker, crazy tall cake creator, a bakery and a home + lifestyle shoppe owner, professional eye roller, wife of the sweetest husband (we’ve been best friends since 8th grade!), most-of-the-time OCD kitchen organizer, lover of flowers, maxi dress hoarder, homebody, and crafter of snarky emails. My easy approach in the kitchen is the honest expression of my intense love for clean & classic cooking/baking, home making, and entertaining. Bakery life led me into my next venture: a home & lifestyle shoppe, which is basically just personal shopping! I believe in standing strong in your opinions and being hyper focused in business.

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