Meet Cindy Wahler | Leadership Consultant and Baker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cindy Wahler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cindy, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?

I strongly believe that taking risks allows you to explore new opportunities. I am proud and privileged to have accomplished many things in my life, such as going out on my own to develop and grow my leadership practice, to writing and publishing a book on leadership, and to start a cookie business.What is interesting is that the feedback I generally received at the outset was based on all the possibilities of why my efforts would not be successful. Fortunately, this feedback actually spurs me on to put in greater effort and strive even harder to be successful. I do believe to engage in any entrepreneurial pursuit a level of boldness and risking taking is required. What is crucial is to take the feedback and ensure you have done thorough research. At the end of the day, there is a leap you must take and recognize that other people can project their own fears on to you. It then becomes my job to identify true risks and determine how to mitigate these risks versus being afraid of the unknown. To me the thrill of having a vision and trying something new outweighs the possibility of things not working out. Bringing my vision to execution is tremendously rewarding.

There are a few key elements that apply to the success of my business. It is important to find a niche in the market place that fills your customer needs. As a small business owner establishing rapport with my customer base and working to create a loyal following is critical. Being flexible with customers along the continuum from design of the product, using only the best ingredients, to consistent delivery each and every time is paramount. Building trust and ongoing credibility contributes to establishing, sustaining and growing my customer base.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

I run two businesses. I am a leadership consultant cindywahler.com, I advise C level suite executives on succession planning and talent development. My firm has grown significantly over the years where I represent many different industry sectors. It has been an exceptionally rewarding journey supporting executives who make a difference to their employees, peers and shareholders. The objective is to support my clients in securing and cultivating the right talent to support corporate objectives. As well, the employee culture and the team environment is crucial to providing inspiration and motivation to ensure an engaged population and to mitigate any retention risks. It is my job to understand the organization’s strategy and values and then to identify which leadership attributes need to be developed in order to achieve success. For example, a few of the areas of focus that I work to enhance may include the ability to influence, how to lead a team, stakeholder management, collaboration skills, etc.

I also launched a baking business in 2021 and can be found on Instagram @bite,me.cookie. This is something that is so different from my day job and an area that I had very little expertise. I had no idea how to promote and market my business and the funny thing is I didn’t even have an Instagram account. My business has grown from over 20 cookies flavors to a wide selection of yummy desserts that include cheesecake, tiramisu, toffee explosion and much more. The objective in expanding my repertoire to include other desserts allows my customers to experience variety and it also allows me to try new things. I like to add off menus products to my offerings as this stretches my comfort zone. It has been an exciting journey and I now cater to private and corporate events as well. This endeavor provides such a great balance to my corporate life. It allows me to be creative and innovative in such a different way.

Both businesses are about being creative, taking risks and enjoying the entrepreneurial journey. The key is to take the naysayers and push forward with a well informed strategy and flawless execution.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I enjoy nature and taking great walks and hiking in various parts of the city and outlying areas. Having time to be in nature allows me to reflect and restore energy. This translates into greater creativity and helps me to be innovative. Taking breaks day from what we do each and every day provides a necessary distance from my work that ultimately flows back into my creative pursuits in such a positive way.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

In everything I do I surround myself with family, friends and experts who offer feedback on how to be better. It is in my nature to strive for the gold standard by being open to making changes and learning how to pivot. It is part of my DNA to recognize that agility is crucial to allow oneself to adapt to the ever changing marketplace. Listening and testing the market allows me to stay nimble. No one is successful by themselves. For that I am eternally grateful to all those who provide me with the necessary love and transparent feedback. If I look across my leadership business from which I have now run for over 20 years, the leadership characteristics that allow businesses to be successful have changed significantly. This has required me to undertsand competitive pressures and my client’s strategic imperatives to allow me to support and cultivate the right leadership skills amongst the executives I serve.

As well, growing my cookie business to expand to many cookie flavors and to include other types of desserts is all about having a group of close family and friends who provide me with a forum to discuss new ideas and receive constructive feedback. I owe my success to surrounding myself with close people who both cheer me on and challenge my thinking. I never think for a minute I got here by myself. I remain agile and am always incorporating their ideas. Agility combined with calculated risks and the ability to change course is all about creating a special environment. That environment means choosing family and friends who want you to win and who I truly believe are responsible for my success. The magic is to first believe in yourself and then select those who believe in you. Creating a strong foundation with others helps to fuel my passion and keep me on track.

Website: cwahler@cindywahler.com

Instagram: @bite.me.cookie

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-wahler

Twitter: @cindywahler

Image Credits
Josh Wahler
@green.is.gold