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Check Out The Blog
Here I share insights and show notes from The Bread Winner Podcast. Whether you’re looking for tips on starting your own cottage bakery or scaling your existing business, read about behind-the-scenes advice, key takeaways, and practical guidance to help you succeed. Dive in to explore the business strategies that fuel the sourdough world!
The 4-Question Framework for Choosing Any Market or Event | Episode 142
I once sat at a pumpkin patch for nine hours and sold four loaves of bread. That day taught me the framework I now use for every market and event, and I am sharing all four questions before your holiday calendar fills up.
3 days ago
How to Add Revenue Streams to Your Sourdough Microbakery | Episode 141
A listener asked how to build additional income streams beyond baking bread, and it is such a smart question. I walk through three categories of revenue, how much profit each one actually generates, and how to figure out which one is right for you.
Sep 17
6 Months In: What's Working, What's Not, and What's Next | Episode 140
I am still the one doing every single 4 a.m. morning, and I have realized I am not meant to be that person forever. Here is my real look back at the last six months, what worked, what did not, and the changes I am making because of it.
Sep 10
3 Bread Industry Trends Every Microbakery Owner Should Know | Episode 139
I went looking for hard data on what is actually happening in the bread world right now, sourdough demand, changing customer habits, and ingredient costs, and one number surprised me. Here is what I found and what it means for your menu and your prices.
Aug 28
9 Ways to Get Your Microbakery Ready for the Holiday Season | Episode 138
Almost nothing that makes December go well can be started in December. I am walking through the nine things I am actually doing in my own bakery this August, from a menu and pricing audit to a slow holiday product that needs a head start now.
Aug 20
What I Wish I Knew Before I Started Selling Sourdough Bread | Episode 136
I am three years in with a brick and mortar bakery now, and every bit of it was built on year one. Here is what I would tell you before you sell your first loaf, from the ordering system to the pricing to the menu I would keep smaller.
Aug 13
Microbakery Q&A: Time, Pre-Orders and Repeat Customers | Episode 130
The questions bakers asked me live at the Bread Winner Summit came down to three: how do I find the time, how do I grow my pre-orders, and how do I get people to come back. Here are my answers.
Jul 30
What Market Organizers Look For in a Sourdough Vendor | Episode 58
Ashley organizes the farmers market where I sell, and she told me exactly why she says yes or no to a vendor application. Here is what she looks for, how to pick a market worth your Saturday, and what keeps you invited back.
Jul 30
Build a Microbakery That Lasts: Simplify, Stabilize, Sustain | Episode 129
The Bread Winner Summit theme was simplify, stabilize, sustain. Here is what that means for your bakery, plus the lessons on process, marketing, team and burnout that I am still thinking about weeks after the sessions ended.
Jul 30
How to Reset Your Microbakery After the Holiday Rush | Episode 49
December went well and nearly broke us at the same time. Here are my real numbers from the holiday season, the three prep mistakes I made, and the one calendar change that gave me room to grow the next year.
Jul 30
How to Run a Microbakery While Homeschooling Your Kids | Episode 68
Kellie Wolf started her microbakery and started homeschooling in the same year. Here is how she tested her capacity before taking a single order, learned to say no to work outside her wheelhouse, and built a bakery that fits her family.
Jul 30
How to Build a Values-Led Microbakery and Price It Right | Episode 54
Alexandria Fisk bakes with heritage grain and wraps every loaf in compostable paper, and she priced both into her plan before she sold a single loaf. Here is how to build a bakery around your values and still make the margin work.
Jul 30
Why Other Sourdough Bakers Are Good for Your Business | Episode 41
I read through the thank you notes this community sent in, and not one person thanked a course or a book. Every note thanked a person. Here is what those relationships are actually worth to your bakery, and how to build a few of your own.
Jul 30
Stop Calling It a Little Bakery: Own Your Microbakery Value | Episode 135
If you have ever introduced yourself by saying you have a little sourdough thing, this one is for you. I am walking through why that word costs you more than you think, and seven steps to talk, think, and show up like the business owner you already are.
Jul 23
Text Marketing for Microbakeries: Build a List That Buys | Episode 134
Instagram decides who sees your posts. Your text list does not have a gatekeeper. I sat down with Jake Dempsey of Project Broadcast to walk through my exact texting setup, how often you can text without annoying anyone, and where most bakers leave money behind.
Jul 16
4 Things to Do Before You Sell Your First Loaf of Sourdough | Episode 133
Before you open orders, there are four things worth a month of your time: your state's cottage food laws, a starter you can count on, real practice at bulk baking, and expectations that match the actual work. Here is how I would do each one.
Jul 9
How to Run a Microbakery With Kids Around | Episode 132
I handed the mic to my kids, Jamey and Lila, and asked what it is really like to have a mom who bakes for a living. Here is what they said was hard, what they loved, and the setup that makes working with kids in the bakery work.
Jul 2
How to Recover After a Big Market Without Losing Momentum | Episode 131
After the Bread Winner Summit I crashed hard, and I had not planned a single day of recovery. Here is why the crash happens after a big push, how to build a real buffer into your bake schedule, and how to start moving again.
Jun 18
Summer Planning for Your Microbakery: Scale Back or Grow | Episode 128
Summer breaks the rhythm that worked all spring. I have run three very different summers in my bakery, and here is how I decide each year whether to hold steady, scale back, or close for part of July.
May 21
The 3 Marketing Channels a Sourdough Microbakery Needs | Episode 127
I stopped trying to market my bakery everywhere and built three channels instead. Here is the order I put them in, why my text list drives the most orders, and how to grow yours without adding hours to your week.
May 14
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