What does it look like to move to a brand-new state, discover revised cottage food laws, and build a thriving custom cake and baking business in under two years — mostly on your own? Alexia Drifmeyer did exactly that, and her story is equal parts inspiring and deeply practical. If you've ever wondered whether you could really do this, this episode is your answer.

In This Episode:

• How Alexia moved from Northern Kentucky to Rapid City, South Dakota at 18 and turned a love of baking with her grandma into a real business
• Why South Dakota's cottage food laws gave her a head start — and what you should know about your own state's laws before you begin
• The turning point when getting let go from her job became the push she needed to go all-in on baking
• Why she repriced every single product before going full time — and the mindset shift that made it possible
• The free birthday cake that made her cry in her car and eventually launched her entire custom cake business
• How she navigated tourist season in the Black Hills, and why she started optimizing for shelf stability and portability
• Her honest conversation about imposter syndrome — comparing herself to bakers with 20 years of experience when she had one
• What teaching over 70 cake decorating classes in a year taught her about community, connection, and sharing your skill
• Her five-year plan: streamlining systems, growing her online presence, and eventually opening a storefront in Rapid City

Guest Bio: Alexia Drifmeyer is the owner of Bakes to Tango, a custom baking business based in Rapid City, South Dakota. She started her business in 2023 after moving to the Black Hills, and has grown from a cottage baker selling cookies on Facebook Marketplace to a full-time baker specializing in custom cakes, wedding cakes, and in-person cake decorating workshops. She operates a permanent booth at a local flea market and is expanding into farmers markets and pop-ups across the surrounding Black Hills communities.

Resources Mentioned:

• SDSU Extension Cottage Food Law (search "SDSU extension cottage food law" for South Dakota info)
• Bakes Two to Tango — find Alexia on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/p/Bakes-Two-to-Tango-100094457563488/ and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/baketwototango/
• A Bakery of Your Own Framework (Dani's five-stage roadmap for bakery entrepreneurs): https://www.daniskitchenshop.com/
• Dani's Kitchen Shop: https://www.daniskitchenshop.com/
• Follow along on Instagram: @daniskitchenshop
• The Business of Baking: https://www.daniskitchenshop.com/business-of-baking

Connect with Dani:

• Website: https://www.daniskitchenshop.com/
• Instagram: @daniskitchenshop