I’m reminiscing about My experiences of quitting My Job, starting a Bakery, and staying grounded
The success of my small business venture earned me a national award, but it didn’t last long after I found myself in the hospital bed
The author is the source of the photo
The conclusion was reached when I shook hands with the audience on a stage in San Francisco Alice Waters , the iconic champion of natural foods. Did I dream or was It still delirious after spending last night in hospital? It was nice to be appreciated for what I made, but now I knew this was the end of the road
The place where I reside is a small university town, which is only 1-2 hours away from any major city. Despite the lack of opportunities for growth, I was fortunate enough to secure a web developer position at the university as my wife, who works as Deputy Chief. The institution’s slow progress left me feeling intimidated and concerned that I was essentially giving up on my passion for learning
Even though I am not from this place, I still feel like a stranger in an unfamiliar country for many years. After purchasing a house and setting up my own kitchen, I rebelled against social norms by baking bread to recreate European experiences and San Francisco sourdough rolls. Upon joining an online community of enthusiastic bread bakers, I became fixated on videos featuring Master Bakers transforming mountains of dough into boules and baguettes. Eventually, I had the confidence to secure a booth at our small and growing Community Market
I was not the only one in this town who failed to purchase good bread. My products are so visually appealing that people from all over the world flock to the university. They informed me that it brought them closer to home. Every week, I would have sold out all my samples and late-comers would offer money to cover the cost of remaining samples
The preparation of leavened dough from natural sources necessitates several days. My free time was consumed by my bread habit, which left my kitchen stale with 50-pound sacks of flour and cooling racks. Keeping track of my expenses ensured that I was not incurring any financial losses, and as expected, the surgery turned out to be quite profitable. As long as I didn’t justify my actions during my time, it was fine. Don’t judge me by my lack of enjoyment
At the Community Market bread stand. The author is the source of the photo
“I promise to be there on all occasions!”
The Community Market starts early on Saturday mornings. At that time, only a small proportion of the population is still in the same place. My booth was filled with happy customers, but I received complaints from disgruntled colleagues and acquaintances who wished they had bought bread for the rest of the week. They affirmed that they would be there EVERY day if there was a shop
I found myself unable to type these words in my cubicle at work. I was dubbed “The Bread Guy” by others. “As my new micro-brewery’s friends inquired if I was interested in coexisting with them in a commercial space, I concluded that it was perfectly fine to look into the possibility. The funding for their project vanished before I could locate a location, but now I was out and about searching for “For Rent” signs in the area
Before making a call, I would often find myself prostitutes in certain areas. I sensed that I had stooped every step in this town and found myself without any treasure. I came across a new sign at the end of Main Street in downtown. The room was just right, the ambiance was perfect, and after haggling with the owner, I could have afforded a better price
I signed a lease agreement, covered the windows with brown paper, and then sat in the darkened building, wondering what the hell I was going to be into
The writer takes a photo with his latest construction. The author is the source of the photo
Prior to starting, don’t relinquish it
My plan was sound, but the thought of going to a bank and asking for money made me feel terrible. Despite having had a successful surgery, why would I choose to mine myself?
In the subsequent months, I transitioned into various occupations such as plumbing, electrical work, floor tiling, and painting. After obtaining my food safety certification, I became proficient in using bakery equipment. Due to my inability to acquire new equipment, I entered the world of equipment auctions. Each sale has a lesson learned from this failure for all food service businesses
I came across the most compact commercial mixer and the largest deck oven that could be pushed through the back door. My first major win was achieving their inclusion, rejuvenation, and upscaling. I will always remember the day when I first whipped up the first loaf of bread. The windows were still covered in paper, and I danced like a lunatic
Following months of clearing hurdles, I hired and trained a few employees before opening day finally arrived. I had done it at a lower cost than most surgeries. It probably did, but the roughness was a good match for my hand-made natural products. The most significant thing was that I lacked any debt, except for my defunct savings account and some kindhearted support from my relatives. The actual work can now commence
A tool for generating income
The majority of business owners prioritize products, services, and customer satisfaction, but the truth is that a business is more than just generating revenue. You invest money on one side and expect to receive more on the other. After determining the method to achieve that, you construct your device as large as possible
An artisan bread bakery is not designed to facilitate easy growth. The amount of bread you can bake daily is subject to change due to time and space constraints. The short shelf life of bread is a more significant hindrance. Growth necessitates the use of more equipment, staff size, production volumes, and a significant increase in customer volume throughout the day. The town’s population is not enough to consume a large amount of sourdough bread every day
We incorporated sandwiches, pastries, and pizza into our menu. When we first brought them out of the door for lunch, they almost always had bread on their plate. We had a good start to the semester, but it didn’t go as planned. The summer and the end of the year are when most businesses generate their profits, which is when an university town closes its doors. I comprehended the rationale behind most restaurants in this area closing down after a year!
The ticking clock
If I had the money, I would have spent It on equipment, marketing, and more. Money was not the answer to my problem. The challenge was in the form of bread. We needed a product that could be stored for extended periods, so we could stock it and deliver it when and where customers want it
The breakthrough was made possible by merging two discoveries. I made sourdough crackers by accident while baking off old sack starter in the oven overnight. Naturally Fermented Beer Grain Crackers were created during my experimentation with fermenting spent Beer grains in sourdough
A highly sought-after flavor on our menu! Image courtesy of the author
In the beginning, I procured grains from acquaintances who were brewing them at home. Crackers were produced for every beer style, showcasing their unique flavor. Ultimately, it is the same thing. They were an immediate success. After A successful KickStarter. Com campaign We were delivering cracker bags across the nation. I packed a map of the country onto each box to show our progress
Although it appeared favorable, I was still facing a significant challenge. A co-manufacturer was necessary for me to scale up. My main ingredient was a waste product from an industry that produces crackers, which is common among them. Before being allowed into a food factory, the beer grains would have to be dried and left inactive, and there was no process available. To resolve this issue, I would need to find a dedicated brewery partner
Don’t attempt this on your own
The craft beer industry was unable to thrive in this state due to outdated laws, but once things changed, it quickly expanded. Eventually, we had around twelve breweries and I went to each one to harvest grains and create crackers from their most popular varieties
I was assisted by an agent when I met the regional manager of the natural food supermarket chain. Speaking out loud about these crazy dreams once again made it seem like reality. To secure a brewery partner, I planned to test out my product first and see if the market would be interested in it. The market was highly awaited!
My new agent was skilled in executing transactions and wanted to initiate this matter as soon as possible. I had relegated the business to my cracker-making niche. My ability to sell everything allowed me to stay alive while I rethought my course of action. By ramping up production for half a week and then dedicating 1-2 days to deliveries in the van to different markets throughout the region, I could easily meet the required numbers
I was not prepared and knew it would wear me out, but this was the job I had been assigned to do. I fantasized about sharing stories about this moment in the future when I would be interviewed about how I became so successful. Following my verbal agreement, I began the process of filling out the extensive paperwork required to become a food distributor
Examine the text on the wall
At this juncture, I was prepared to seek out my soulmate. As someone who was recently popular at school, I had to make a decision and consider my options. The bombs started to fall at that juncture
A favorite brewery called it a day, acknowledging that they were overspending on equipment and could not sustain itself without the growth needed. A bigger challenge resulted in the cancellation of an east coast project. The craft beer market had reached its highest point after a period of sustained growth for many years. It was not a favorable time to be offering new investment opportunities. I started to have the impression that I wouldn’t be present at the prom with!
Finally, a small dose of positive news was delivered
The Good Food Awards and a struggle on my part
I came up with a natural, sustainable product that is both delicious and good for you, while also reducing waste The Good Food Foundation Was established to honor the originators of” wholesome, authentic and ethical food. “. Each year, they choose products from different categories to be recognized with a Good Food Award. The news that my crackers were among the fourteen crowned champions of the Snack category in 2019 brought me great joy
Despite the expense of a trip to San Fransisco, this was the start of an exciting new chapter and one that should not be overlooked. My love for sourdough was born in San Francisco, where I underwent training to become an accomplished baker. A complete circle of events was taking place
After spending a day with my wife in the city, I experienced aching in my spine as I pondered what to do the next day. Despite my efforts to shrug it off, it continued to grow. After a while, I had to alert my wife and express my desire for an ambulance. ”
When we got to the emergency room I filled out insurance forms doubled over in pain. As I waited for test results and prepared to be rushed into surgery, all I could think of was how lucky I was to be on my wife’s insurance plan. Health benefits were out of reach for a small business like mine
The doctor returned with the great news that it was only a kidney stone. They gave me some pain killers and told me to drink lots of water. They handed us a giant bill and sent us on our way. We decided to walk the two blocks back to the hotel as the sun was just coming up. The world seemed completely different
Award winning crackers. Photo courtesy of the author
I feel lucky that it wasn’t something worse. I was able to attend the ceremony and was not in too much pain for the flight home. The stone passed a few days later. I will spare you the details
Insurance covered most of the hospital bill. It seemed ridiculously high for a few hours in the ER and some aspirin. If the hotel clerk had not suggested a cab instead of the ambulance, we would probably still be paying it Off
As for the business, my agent was furious when I said I decided to get out. They have not spoken with me since. I realized if I had taken a loan or brought in an investor I would still be in the fight with no way out. I would survive, might even feel like a big shot at times, but the struggle would continue for years. If I was seriously hurt or injured there would be no safety net. There would be no vacations, no free time, and the stakes would get higher and higher
I got the wake-up call at just the right moment. In another stroke of luck, a web development job opened up at the university and I began the process of unwinding the past few years and settling back into my old life
A few years have gone by now. I am busy each day at my computer typing away. Some days it’s fulfilling and others I dream of being my own boss and nourishing customers with my delicious natural food products
Occasionally I am still recognized as “The Bread Guy” and told, “Man, I really miss your crackers! ”