How Bread Baking Is Like Building a Business
A few months ago, I decided to start baking bread. It began innocently enough, with my growing commitment to organic food. I was buying beautiful, organic sourdough bread from a local farm. It was delicious, but it was also a little pricey. Naturally, I thought, I can make this myself. How hard could it be?
I began with a sourdough starter. Despite my best efforts, careful feeding, and extensive ChatGPT research, my starter never came alive. So, I pivoted. I moved on to white sandwich bread, then oatmeal sandwich bread. After a few failed attempts and some adjustments to my process, I succeeded. The loaves were surprisingly good. Encouraged, I moved on to Italian bread. My first batch tasted wonderful and was, as ChatGPT kindly described, “rustic.” I will absolutely try that one again.
Finally, I received a sourdough starter from another baker, a generous gift and a fresh start. My sourdough loaf looked perfect. Golden crust, beautiful shape. And then I cut into it. Raw. Completely raw inside. Epic failure, at least on the surface. But here is the thing, I know exactly what to do differently next time.
And that is when it hit me. This entire bread baking journey mirrors my experience as a small business owner. How is that?
First, do not be afraid to try something new in your business. As a coach, launching a new service does not require inventory or capital investment, just courage and creativity. A year ago, I participated in a speaking forum and created a purpose-driven program specifically for that event. I did not get a single new client from it. At the time, it felt like a failure. Months later, I reused that same material in a networking group, and it led to meaningful new connections. What I thought had failed simply had not found the right oven yet. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Second, nothing is ever 100 percent perfect when you launch it. Expect to adjust, refine, and improve as you go. When I launched my website, I hired a professional branding and marketing expert and was thrilled with the result. Last year, after attending a website optimization seminar, I made several changes. Those small adjustments led to measurable success. The original loaf was good, but the revised recipe was better.
Finally, ask for help when you need it. Growing a small business from its inception is not meant to be a solo sport. Recently, I collaborated with another consultant to launch a leadership development program I could not have created on my own. I also reached out to an EOS implementor to explore where our work intersects. Bread rises better with the right conditions, and so do businesses.
My sourdough loaf may have failed this round, but I am not discouraged. I am simply better prepared for the next bake. And that, it turns out, is exactly how business growth works too.
So, let me ask you this. Where do you need to make modifications in your business?
Where do you need help? If something you have tried did not quite work, do not assume it failed. It may simply need a different approach, a small adjustment, or a fresh set of eyes.
If you are ready to refine your process, strengthen what is working, or get support where you feel stuck, I invite you to book a free session with me. Together, we can look at what is next and how to move your business forward with clarity and purpose.