Return to Basics

I started this blog because almost 10 years ago, I used to have a blog where I would write about what it was like to start a business. I had a fire in me and a loneliness that meant that I had both the energy for owning a food business and that I didn’t have anyone to talk to about it. I almost never left the store for the first few months because I just couldn’t fathom how. I’m not sure what is about starting a new business that creates a barrier around it – like it occupies a portion of your life in a way that there is no way to exist outside of the business. That was me for a long time. And then it wasn’t. One day, we let someone else close the store and it didn’t burn to the ground. We found other people who cared nearly as much as we do and they allowed us to step back.

I stopped writing because I started to venture out and see the world beyond. I was less lonely and perhaps also, less angry about how difficult it is to have a store so my desire to write about it dried up.

Today, I have 3 stores. Two bakeries and a cat cafe. I also plan events and run a nonprofit. I traded in for those long confusing hours at the store for a full deck of cards. I’ve diversified what I do, but I’m still confused at whether it’s an upgrade, downgrade, or a lateral move. My opinion of this changes based on the week.

I started writing again because I miss having a place to lay down those thoughts. Even if they don’t come from that same point of desperation that they once did, I’m sure that this is going to help.

Since becoming a boss, I haven’t written as much about what it is like to own a business. I’m not sure if it’s because I was worried about it affecting my employees or if I just started to feel uncomfortable. Whatever it was, I know it’s going to take a while to undo. So I’m starting again here and we’ll see if over time, I will start to open back up and be able to talk about it again.