Kitchen Notes: A Podcast by Bakery Business Academy

A quick episode this week to update you guys on a few things... Kitchen Notes is going on summer vacation! I am easing back into work after maternity leave, and my older kiddos are off on summer break. I'll be taking a little podcasting break this summer, but we will return to regular weekly episodes again in September!  We had a baby!  My husband and I welcomed our THIRD daughter, Marigold,...

Episode Show Notes: Growth is exciting, but it's also one of the most consequential decisions a bakery owner can make.  In this episode, we’re breaking it all down with an honest, data-backed conversation most bakery owners never have before they sign a lease or make a major investment in growing their business.  Whether you're thinking about getting your first commercial space or expand...

Episode Show Notes: Most bakery owners either avoid their Profit & Loss statement entirely … or they open it up a few times a year, feel terrible (or confused) about what they see, and shut it right back down.  In this episode, I’m making the case for a totally different relationship with your P&L — not as a report card, but as one of the most powerful diagnostic tools in your entire busin...

Episode Show Notes: It’s the end of the month, and you’re sitting down to review your sales reports and Profit & Loss statement… You open up Quickbooks or download the P&L that your bookkeeper or accountant sent over and see a profit. GREAT - pop the champagne, right?! Not so fast … you hop over to your bank account, log in, and (record scratch) … your stomach drops.  Sound familiar?  You&...

Episode Show Notes: If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right — the baking, the orders, the hustle — and the money still isn't adding up … this episode is for you. Today, we’re introducing you to the Bakery PROFIT Framework: a six-part system to help bakery owners see and understand their full financial picture (not just one piece of it).  This isn't just about men...

Episode Show Notes: You've done the work. You've costed your recipes, built a pricing system you trust, and you're not just guessing at your margins anymore. So … why does the money still feel tight? In this episode, I’m talking about a concept called “micro vs. macro thinking” — and making the case that MOST bakery owners are only operating with half the picture. If you've eve...

Episode Show Notes: It's the question everyone's secretly Googling but rarely gets a straight answer to: how much money can you ACTUALLY make running a bakery?  In this episode, I’m cutting through the vague, overly optimistic answers and giving you a real, practical framework for understanding your own earning potential — grounded in actual numbers, not hope or fear.  If you've eve...

Episode Show Notes: Getting your first orders is a huge deal — and you should feel genuinely proud of that. But early momentum is also one of the trickiest stages of building a bakery business, and it's where a lot of talented bakers unknowingly set themselves up for a frustrating plateau down the road. In this episode, Meg breaks down what's really happening when your business starts to...

If you've been spending more time on your logo than on actually selling your baked goods … this episode is for you.  Today, we’re getting real about the "overengineering" trap that keeps so many bakers stuck before they ever make their first sale — and I’ll be sharing exactly where your energy needs to go instead (especially in those early days). Key Takeaways: Your brand colors, we...

Episode Show Notes: Are you actually profitable in your bakery business — or just busy? In this episode, I’m walking you through a simple 15-minute Bakery Profit Audit designed to help you stop guessing about your numbers. If you’ve ever felt exhausted, fully booked, and somehow still unsure whether you’re truly making money… this one’s for you. We’ll talk about why “busy” doesn’t automatically me...

You’ve dialed in your pricing. You’ve built your budget. You understand your labor and food costs. Now what? If you’re trying to grow your bakery this year — more weddings, more catering, more foot traffic, more wholesale — your online presence can’t afford to be a brick . In this episode, we're breaking down one of the most overlooked revenue leaks in small bakery businesses - and it's...

Episode Description: In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with someone very near and dear to my heart — Amy Gorski, owner of Poppy Bakery in Milwaukee, WI, and a former kitchen manager and head baker at Spilt Milk. Amy has had one of the most intentional, inspiring, hard-won journeys to bakery ownership I’ve ever seen, and in this conversation she opens up about the decisions, discipline, and deep...

If your bakery is feeling the post-holiday sales slump right now—you’re not alone. In this episode of Kitchen Notes , Meg walks through a calm, strategic 5-step plan to help you assess the dip, figure out where it's coming from, and create a realistic game plan to recover revenue without panic or burnout. Whether January is slow for you, or your dip hits in July or October, this episode will...

Episode Description: In today’s episode, we’re answering a listener question that came up during one of our recent live workshops — and it’s one I hears all the time : What’s your top cost-saving tip for bakery owners? If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to make your bakery more profitable, this episode is for you. I'm shares the real, often overlooked secret to improving your margins — an...

Episode Description: It’s that quiet, cozy week between the holidays and the New Year—a natural time to pause and reflect. In this episode, let's walk through a gentle (non-hustle-y!) approach to year-end reflection and business planning. Instead of racing into 2026 at full speed, I invites you to slow down, look back with honesty, and begin the new year with grounded clarity about what’s wor...

Episode Show Notes: This week on Kitchen Notes, we’re doing something a little different — and very exciting. For the first time in years, we’re bringing our biggest sale of the year back to Black Friday Week … and today, you’re getting a behind-the-scenes preview of everything coming your way. After selling our bakery this fall, I’ve finally had the headspace to revamp, rebuild, and expand many o...

Episode Show Notes: In this follow-up episode, Molly and I are back to talk about what happened after we sold Spilt Milk. From the nitty-gritty of the transition process to the emotional side of letting go—we’re walking you through what it really looks like to step away from a business & successfully transition it to new ownership. We also share what’s next for both of us, and what the future...

Episode Description: Big news—after more than a decade running Spilt Milk, we’ve sold the bakery. In this special two-part series, I’m joined by my sister and co-founder Molly to talk about the journey that led us to this huge decision. This first part dives into the why behind our decision, how the idea came about, and what the early steps looked like. If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes...

The holidays are coming (fast), and your Q4 revenue goals won’t hit themselves. So let me ask you this:  👉 Have you actually started planning? 👉 Or are you telling yourself you'll figure it out "next week"? This week on Kitchen Notes , I’m breaking down the 6 core things every bakery needs to think through before the holiday season hits.  We’re talking: ✅ The 6 critical areas of...

The holiday season may still feel far away, but if you run a bakery, now is the time to get your game plan in place. In this episode, Meg is giving you a friendly (but firm!) reality check and helping you kickstart your holiday planning before it's too late. Whether you’re a seasoned bakery owner or heading into your very first holiday season this episode is packed with practical strategies,...

Starting or running a bakery can be thrilling—but it’s also easy to get lost in the daily grind and miss some of the big-picture moves that set you up for success. In this episode, I’m looking back at my own journey and sharing the 9 lessons learned & things I would do differently if I were starting my bakery today . We're talking about three phases of business growth—Getting Started Righ...

Episode Description: It’s easy to look at the bakeries with long lines and viral reels and wonder if you're falling behind. But here’s the truth: slow, steady, consistent growth is the real magic in most bakery businesses. In this episode, I’m diving into the unglamorous (but wildly effective) habits that actually move the needle—and why you don’t need to chase every trend or constantly reinv...

Slow sales week? We’ve all been there!  In this episode, Meg shares the story of how one simple email helped sell out an entire weekend’s worth of pies—in under an hour. If you’ve been pouring time into social media with little to show for it, this episode will get your wheels turning on a marketing strategy that’s simple, repeatable, and actually works. Whether you’re brand new to email or just n...

Episode Description: Thank you to Margaret for submitting a question for this week's episode! In today’s episode, Meg tackles one of the biggest (and scariest) growth decisions bakery owners face—how do you know when it’s time to hire? If you’ve ever found yourself stretched thin but nervous to bring on staff before the revenue follows, this episode is for you. Key Takeaways: How to spot the...

We're halfway through 2025—and wow, what a year it's been! In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the trends and patterns I'm noticing in the baking industry. From price sensitivity to labor market challenges, catering wins to AI tools—we're covering what's shifting and, more importantly, what’s actually working right now. Whether you're "feeling t...