If you've ever wished you could sit in on a real, unfiltered business conversation with me, this episode is exactly that. I'm pulling back the curtain and sharing the live Q&A session from this year's Bread Winner Summit — our annual sourdough business conference — and it is a rapid-fire, honest conversation covering so many of the questions I know are on your mind. From time blocking and work-life balance to building a loyal customer base and navigating cottage food laws, we dig into the real stuff that doesn't always make it into a polished podcast episode.

In this conversation, I tackle questions about ordering platforms, growing your pre-order list, overcoming self-doubt, finding your first hire, knowing when you've hit your ceiling, and so much more. Whether you're just getting started or you've been baking for years and feel like you're ready for the next level, there's something in here for you. I love these kinds of conversations because they're messy and real and full of the kind of practical nuggets that actually move the needle — and I can't wait for you to listen in.

Get the Bread Winner Summit All Access Pass! https://carolinebower.thrivecart.com/2026aap/

In this short episode, I’m sharing why I believe the Bread Winner Summit is so much more than just another online business event for bakers. As I’ve been recording sessions and sitting in conversations with some of the most thoughtful voices in the sourdough world, I’ve found myself deeply inspired—not just by the practical strategies being shared, but by the reminder that we are part of something so much bigger than ourselves. Building a sourdough micro bakery can feel isolating sometimes, but this summit is designed to help you feel connected, encouraged, and equipped to build a business that is sustainable, impactful, and deeply aligned with your values. If you’ve been wondering whether to join us, this episode is my encouragement not to sit this one out.

Join us at the Bread Winner Summit! http://carolinebower.com/breadwinnersummit

In this episode, I’m talking all about navigating the transition into summer as a sourdough micro bakery owner and why this season can feel both exciting and incredibly overwhelming at the same time. Between changing family rhythms, travel, hotter temperatures, lower energy, and shifting customer habits, summer often asks us to reevaluate the way we run our businesses. I share some of the different approaches I’ve taken in past summers—from maintaining a steady bakery rhythm to intentionally scaling way back—and how those decisions supported both my business and my family in different seasons.

We also talk about how to make intentional decisions for your bakery this summer instead of reacting out of stress or burnout halfway through the season. I walk you through practical questions to help you evaluate your goals, your capacity, and the opportunities available to you so you can build a summer rhythm that actually fits your life. Whether you want to rest more, grow strategically, focus on education, or simply create more breathing room, this episode will help you approach summer with clarity and confidence instead of guilt and overwhelm.

Resources:

• Join us at the Bread Winner Summit! http://carolinebower.com/breadwinnersummit
• Get the Bread Winner Business Alignment Journal: https://carolinebower.com/journal
• Grab the Profit & Pricing Calculator: Simplify the math, clarify your margins, and confidently price your products. https://carolinebower.com/calculator
• Follow me on Instagram for more microbakery tips: @carolinebower_sourdough
• Find links to all of my sourdough microbakery favorites including packaging, pans, and more! www.carolinebower.com/links
• Download the FREE Guide and Checklist, Your First Steps to a Successful In-Home Bakery at https://www.carolinebower.com/checklist to begin building YOUR thriving microbakery!

In this episode, I’m walking you through the three marketing channels I truly believe matter most for sourdough micro bakeries—and why trying to be everywhere at once is probably exhausting you more than it’s helping your business grow. If social media feels overwhelming or like you’re constantly posting into the void, I want this conversation to feel like a deep breath and a reset. We’re talking about how to simplify your marketing, focus your energy where it actually converts, and build a system that feels sustainable instead of draining.

I also share the marketing tool that has completely changed the way I run my bakery and communicate with customers week after week. We dive into why visibility alone isn’t enough, the difference between followers and actual buyers, and how to create a simple marketing pipeline that works even when you’re tired and covered in flour. Whether you’re just starting your micro bakery or feeling spread too thin trying to keep up with every platform, this episode will help you get clear on where to focus and how to market your bakery in a way that feels practical, intentional, and burnout-proof.

Resources:

• Join us at the Bread Winner Summit! http://carolinebower.com/breadwinnersummit
• Join Project Broadcast here: https://app.projectbroadcast.com/sign-up?referral=breadwinner
• Get the Bread Winner Business Alignment Journal: https://carolinebower.com/journal
• Grab the Profit & Pricing Calculator: Simplify the math, clarify your margins, and confidently price your products. https://carolinebower.com/calculator
• Follow me on Instagram for more microbakery tips: @carolinebower_sourdough
• Find links to all of my sourdough microbakery favorites including packaging, pans, and more! www.carolinebower.com/links
• Download the FREE Guide and Checklist, Your First Steps to a Successful In-Home Bakery at https://www.carolinebower.com/checklist to begin building YOUR thriving microbakery!

In this episode, I’m sharing one of the simplest shifts I’ve made in my bakery that has had a surprisingly powerful impact—and it has nothing to do with my bread, my menu, or anything I’ve purchased. It’s a small, intentional marketing practice that’s helped me build stronger relationships with my customers and create an experience that keeps people coming back. I want you to think about the places you love to visit and why you go out of your way for them. Most of the time, it’s not just about the product—it’s about how you feel when you’re there. That feeling of being known, seen, and genuinely welcomed is something we have the unique ability to create in our micro bakeries.

We talk about how this simple approach can become one of your most powerful retention strategies, especially in a world where most transactions feel impersonal and rushed. I walk you through how I’ve been implementing this in my own bakery, even though it doesn’t come naturally to me, and how you can apply it whether you’re baking from home, running a pickup model, or selling at a market. This isn’t about adding more to your plate—it’s about using what you already have in a more intentional way to build real connection, strengthen your community, and grow your business in a way that actually feels meaningful.

Resources:

• Join us at the Bread Winner Summit! http://carolinebower.com/breadwinnersummit
• Get the Bread Winner Business Alignment Journal: https://carolinebower.com/journal
• Grab the Profit & Pricing Calculator: Simplify the math, clarify your margins, and confidently price your products. https://carolinebower.com/calculator
• Follow me on Instagram for more microbakery tips: @carolinebower_sourdough
• Find links to all of my sourdough microbakery favorites including packaging, pans, and more! www.carolinebower.com/links
• Download the FREE Guide and Checklist, Your First Steps to a Successful In-Home Bakery at https://www.carolinebower.com/checklist to begin building YOUR thriving microbakery!

In this episode, I’m talking about one of the most important shifts you can make in your sourdough micro bakery—and it has nothing to do with your recipe, your oven, or even your sales. It’s the shift from thinking like a hobby baker to thinking like a business owner. I walk through what that actually looks like in real life, especially if you’ve found yourself saying yes to everything, underpricing your work, or feeling like you’re working really hard but something still isn’t adding up. If that sounds familiar, this conversation is meant to help you pause and take a deeper look at the decisions you’re making every day and how they’re shaping your business.

We get into the patterns that keep so many bakers stuck—reactive schedules, emotional pricing, overextended menus—and how shifting your identity can change everything about the way you run your bakery. This isn’t about doing more. It’s about making more intentional, aligned decisions that support your time, your energy, and your income goals. By the end of the episode, I’ll give you one simple but powerful action step to help you start stepping into that business owner role right away, so you can begin building a bakery that truly supports your life.

Resources:

• Join us at the Bread Winner Summit! http://carolinebower.com/breadwinnersummit
• Get the Bread Winner Business Alignment Journal: https://carolinebower.com/journal
• Grab the Profit & Pricing Calculator: Simplify the math, clarify your margins, and confidently price your products. https://carolinebower.com/calculator
• Follow me on Instagram for more microbakery tips: @carolinebower_sourdough
• Find links to all of my sourdough microbakery favorites including packaging, pans, and more! www.carolinebower.com/links
• Download the FREE Guide and Checklist, Your First Steps to a Successful In-Home Bakery at https://www.carolinebower.com/checklist to begin building YOUR thriving microbakery!

In this episode, I’m diving into one of the most common frustrations I hear from sourdough micro bakery owners—feeling like your marketing just isn’t working and that you’re not being seen. If you’ve ever sat down to post and then talked yourself out of it because it didn’t feel “good enough” or “new enough,” you are not alone. I walk through what’s actually happening in those moments and why it’s not a creativity problem at all. Instead, it’s about how we’re approaching consistency and the pressure we put on ourselves to be clever, original, and perfect every single time we show up online.

We talk about what really moves the needle in a local micro bakery business—simple, repeatable visibility that builds trust over time. I share a practical, sustainable approach to marketing that fits into real life, not one that requires constant reinvention. From understanding how customers actually consume your content to creating a simple weekly rhythm you can stick to, this episode will help you step out of overthinking and into a marketing flow that feels doable, effective, and aligned with the kind of business you’re trying to build.

Resources:

• Join us at the Bread Winner Summit! http://carolinebower.com/breadwinnersummit
• Get the Bread Winner Business Alignment Journal: https://carolinebower.com/journal
• Grab the Profit & Pricing Calculator: Simplify the math, clarify your margins, and confidently price your products. https://carolinebower.com/calculator
• Follow me on Instagram for more microbakery tips: @carolinebower_sourdough
• Find links to all of my sourdough microbakery favorites including packaging, pans, and more! www.carolinebower.com/links
• Download the FREE Guide and Checklist, Your First Steps to a Successful In-Home Bakery at https://www.carolinebower.com/checklist to begin building YOUR thriving microbakery!

In this episode, I’m talking about something that almost every sourdough micro bakery owner runs into at some point—bottlenecks. Those moments where everything seems to be moving along and then suddenly… everything slows down, stacks up, and you feel like you’re constantly trying to catch up. If your bakery has been feeling harder than it should, there’s likely a bottleneck somewhere in your process. I walk you through the three most common places these show up—production, decision-making, and order intake—and help you start noticing where your time and energy are getting stuck.

We also talk about how to actually fix a bottleneck without overhauling your entire business. Because the answer isn’t working more hours—it’s making your time work better for you. I share a simple way to audit your workflow, the key questions to ask yourself, and how to choose just one area to improve so your business can start to feel lighter, smoother, and more sustainable. This episode is all about helping you move out of that constant “catching up” feeling and into a rhythm that supports both your business and your life.

Resources:

• Join us at the Bread Winner Summit! http://carolinebower.com/breadwinnersummit
• Get the Bread Winner Business Alignment Journal: https://carolinebower.com/journal
• Grab the Profit & Pricing Calculator: Simplify the math, clarify your margins, and confidently price your products. https://carolinebower.com/calculator
• Follow me on Instagram for more microbakery tips: @carolinebower_sourdough
• Find links to all of my sourdough microbakery favorites including packaging, pans, and more! www.carolinebower.com/links
• Download the FREE Guide and Checklist, Your First Steps to a Successful In-Home Bakery at https://www.carolinebower.com/checklist to begin building YOUR thriving microbakery!