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How to Get Moving Again After a Big Push in YourSourdough Microbakery | Episode 131

  • 15 hours ago
  • 7 min read


There is a certain kind of tired that comes after doing something big. Not just physically tired, but the kind that comes after months of preparation, a lot of anticipation, a full heart, high energy, and then the sudden realization that your body and mind need time to catch up.


That is where I found myself after the Bread Winner Summit.


The summit was incredible. More than 2,000 bakers signed up, and we had two full days of learning, conversations, and speakers helping us build more profitable, strategic, intentional sourdough microbakery businesses. It was beautiful, meaningful, and something I am deeply proud of.


It also took a lot out of me.


This is the part we do not always talk about enough. What happens after we commit to something big, give it everything we have, and then find ourselves running on fumes? Whether it is a summit, a big market, a holiday bake, a launch, or a heavy preorder week, we need to learn how to recover without disappearing and how to get moving again without forcing it.


The Problem Wasn’t the Big Thing

The summit itself was not the problem. It was good and fruitful and worth the effort. The problem was that I rolled straight from two high-energy summit days into bakery prep, customer days, solo parenting, and then another full bakery week. There was no real pause. No true recovery window. No margin to catch my breath.


Looking back, I can see the lesson clearly. I was not bad at planning. I just was not honest enough with myself about what my post-summit rhythm would actually require.


That is something so many sourdough microbakery owners can relate to. We plan for the big thing. We plan the market, the preorder week, the holiday menu, the event, or the launch. But we do not always plan for the recovery afterward.


Best-Case Energy Is Not Realistic Energy

One of the biggest lessons from this season is that I set expectations based on best-case energy. I thought I would send all the follow-up emails right away, launch the next thing immediately, roll into bakery prep without missing a beat, and keep showing up online like normal.


But realistic energy tells a different story.


Big things have a cost. They require mental focus, emotional output, physical stamina, decision-making, customer communication, family coordination, and recovery time. When we do not plan for that cost, we can end up feeling like we overpromised and under-delivered.


That is not a reason to beat ourselves up. It is a reason to learn.


Build a Buffer Into Your Bakery Business

As sourdough bakers, we already know things do not always go according to plan. The dough does not care if we are exhausted. The starter still needs feeding. The orders still need to be fulfilled. The fridge still needs to be organized. And life still keeps happening around us.


That is why margin matters so much.


When you are planning a prep day, a market week, or a big event, build in a buffer. If you think a task will take five hours, consider giving yourself 25 to 50 percent more time. Not because you are lazy or unmotivated, but because you are human.


Something will almost always happen. A child may need you. A phone call may interrupt you. Dough may move faster or slower than expected. A supply issue may come up. Or your body may simply need more space.


A buffer protects your peace. It gives you room to breathe, and it helps you build a sourdough microbakery business that does not run on constant pressure.


Rest Is Part of the Work

This is the part I am still learning: rest is not a privilege, and it is not something we earn only after everything is finished. Rest is part of the work.


If you have a massive market, give yourself a day afterward to reset. Do not book something important the next day if you can help it. Give yourself time to unpack, sleep, clean up, reorganize, take a nap, or simply be with your family.


The same applies after travel, a holiday bake, a big launch, or a heavy preorder week. I am looking ahead at family travel in July, and my instinct is to jump right back into bakery as soon as we get home. But realistically, it may be wiser to wait one more day before opening. One more day to do laundry, unpack, reset, feed the starter, and get my feet back under me.


One more day is not going to make or break the business, but it might make a big difference in how I show up.


Give Yourself Grace, But Don’t Disappear

Two things can be true at the same time. It can be true that I could have done some things differently, and it can also be true that this is what growth looks like. It can be true that I set my expectations too high, and it can also be true that I learned my limits by hitting them.


That is where grace matters.


After the summit, I needed rest. I jumped in the pool with my kids, slept later a couple of days, and gave myself space where I could. That mattered. But I also noticed how easy it can be to disappear when we feel behind.


There is a difference between resting and hiding. Rest restores you. Hiding delays the same problem.


Not posting for a few days is fine. Taking a breather is fine. Pausing to recover is fine. But when the silence stretches too long, it can become harder to come back. Then we start feeling like we need a big announcement or a perfect re-entry, when really, we just need one small step.


If you need a break, take it. But when you can, be honest with your audience. A simple note is better than radio silence. Your customers and community do not need perfection. They need clarity.


Momentum Comes From Motion

When you feel stuck, it is tempting to wait until you feel fully ready. But most of the time, energy does not magically appear on its own. Momentum comes from motion, not the other way around.


You do not have to rebuild everything in one day. You do not need to catch up on every unfinished task. You do not need to create a whole week of content or completely reorganize your bakery.


You just need one small forward step.


That might look like:

  1. Sending one email

  2. Posting one photo

  3. Responding to one DM

  4. Opening your preorder menu

  5. Making one decision

  6. Recording one episode

  7. Baking one loaf

  8. Testing one recipe

  9. Texting your list


Small action matters, especially when you are still tired. Choose one thing that has been weighing on you, and do one small piece of it today. Do not worry about doing it perfectly or finishing everything. Just begin. Then tomorrow, do one more thing.


That is how we rebuild the habit of showing up.


Your One Thing Doesn’t Always Have to Be Work

Sometimes the thing that helps you feel like yourself again is not on your business to-do list. Maybe it is baking something just for fun. Maybe it is jumping in the pool with your kids. Maybe it is trying a recipe you have been thinking about, simply because it sounds good.


Those things count too.


You are not just a baker. You are a whole person. Sometimes the path back to momentum starts with doing something that reminds you who you are outside of the business.


What I’ll Do Differently Next Time

Looking ahead, I can already see a few things I would change. Next time, I want to plan the follow-up more intentionally before the big event happens. That may mean writing post-event emails ahead of time, giving more realistic dates for resources, delegating more tasks, building in a full recovery window, adjusting bakery hours, or scaling back preorders for that week.


For the summit specifically, I may even rethink the schedule next year so there is a day between the summit and bakery prep. That one day could make a big difference.


And that is the point. Sometimes sustainable business growth is not about changing everything. Sometimes it is about giving yourself one more day, one more buffer, and one more realistic expectation.


Final Thoughts

The goal is not to avoid big things. The goal is not to stop challenging ourselves or stay small because we are afraid of being tired. The goal is to build a sourdough microbakery business with enough margin to support the life we are actually living.


A business that serves our household. A business that serves our community. A business that does not burn us out.


If you have been working really hard, this is your reminder to pause and acknowledge what you have carried. Maybe it was a big market, a launch, a full bakery week with kids home for summer, or simply a season where you were managing more than usual.

Give yourself grace. Take a breath. But do not disappear.


Choose one thing today. One small thing. Start there. Then come back tomorrow and do one more.


That is how momentum returns, and that is how we keep building businesses that are profitable, purposeful, and sustainable for the long game.



Links to things you might like!





  • Find links to all of my sourdough microbakery favorites including the dough bins I mentioned, packaging, pans, and more in my Amazon Storefrom! www.carolinebower.com/amazon





 
 
 

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