In a recent episode we gave some advice to a listener who wanted to become less involved in the day-to-day running of her bakery, yet still earn a decent income. Yes, she wanted her cake and to eat it, too! (Please excuse the bakery pun, but Luke made me do it).
Well, Miriam (the listener) appreciated the advice and is now acting on it. This not only gives us a warm feeling inside, more importantly it reminds us of the power of building momentum and taking action. Here’s Miriam’s response:
Aloha(Hello) Timbo and Luke,
I have been wanting to email you for several days to thank you all for answering the question I sent. Needless to say, I was shocked that it actually got aired and that you all gave sincere, thoughtful and informative insights to the question.
I have listened to that podcast at least five to six times and will continue to listen to it as it continues to give me more insights and “ah ha” moments for my business. I have often thought of writing a cookbook but felt that something was lacking in the format. Your idea to turn it into an infomational/ business / how a small business like mine runs is intriguing and exciting. I could definitely get behind that idea!
Your suggestion to systemize is a great idea for me. I do have an extensive product line that would need to be streamlined and edited a bit to make it easier to actually have another person handle the day to day operations. I have treated and continue to treat my business like my babies but at some point my babies grew up and took flight. And so like the babies, my business has grown up and it is time to let it take flight too.
Mahalo (thank you) for such great and timely advice. Thank you for picking the topic to air. I certainly gained more insight into my business from listening to that podcast. I hope it will also help others that might be having similar thoughts about their business.
Although we’ve been in business for over 34 years, the name “Miriam’s Old Hawaii Bakery” is fairly recent. Originally called simply “Miriam’s”, my son wanted us to have a name that could be trademarked. My son and I brainstormed for several days exploring what this bakery meant. We wanted the name to reflect the fact that it is rustic and home-spun in appeal. We wanted to convey the idea that this bakery is like the bakeries of old, where everything was made from scratch, with tremendous pride and soul. It is the way I view baking, food and life in general. I’ve worked hard to ensure that all the products and the ambiance of the place reflect the feeling of love and of coming home to a relaxed, happy place.
I feel the name “Old Hawaii Bakery” reflects that. We want to convey old-fashioned feelings of family, where, when you walked into a home, you could count on the fresh smells of bread baking and the warm personalities of the people making it could be felt. Thus the name was born and my son and I really love it. We constantly strive to make our business reflect just those feelings and what we represent.
Cookies…I am always giving our products away or bartering with friends and clients. I often trade my breads and cookies for other people’s farm produce, eggs, business advice, etc. I love to barter! 🙂 I wish we could go back to those simpler times when bartering was the way of trading.
Anyway, I would love to send some cookies and other products your way. I also would love to send some bread but I do not think it would make the long shipping time. However, the other products will definitely make the journey.
If it is all right with you all, could I get a mailing address where I can ship you some of our products? I’d like to send them as a mighty grateful thank you for all that you have done for us by giving such great advice. I’ve so enjoyed your warm and enthusiastic personalities, and am so grateful you’ve shared them with all of us through your podcast. You really come across as sincere, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and wanting to help others. A rare thing in this day and age! You do a great service for all of us in the business community.
Mahalo (thank you) for your time and efforts. Take care.
Miriam
Miriam’s Old Hawaii Bakery
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