How I unintentionally started a bakery!

Can You Accidentally Start a Bakery Business?

How a farmers market side hustle turned into a full-blown business — and everything I learned along the way.

How I unintentionally started a bakery!

I never set out to own a bakery.

It wasn’t my childhood dream or some lifelong goal to own a bakery. I started Blue Moon Bakery because we needed extra income. My husband had just changed careers, and we needed money for groceries, gas, and clothes for the kids.

The only reason it actually did bring in money at the start was because I was baking out of our home kitchen. We sold at the farmers market just a few blocks away — it was seasonal, and honestly, I thought it might just be a side hustle for a little while. I borrowed a tent, table, and wagon from my brother. The only real investment I made was the vendor fee and a few kitchen tools. Our first week at the market, I printed a sign on paper at Kinko’s and laminated it with clear kitchen shelf liner to make it waterproof.

And the irony? A bakery can be one of the least profitable businesses to start. Most bakers don’t pay themselves in the first year — I didn’t either, not in any real way. I underpriced our products for too long, caught up in my own money stories, trying to do good work and still stay afloat.

What started at a folding table under a borrowed tent at the market eventually grew into something more — but it took years. And a lot of learning along the way.

But here’s the thing: I did learn how to build a business. A real one. A resilient one. And not just the kind that bakes beautiful cookies — but one with systems, leadership, and a soul.

That’s why I created this space.

This isn’t just a blog. It’s a working journal — a space for me to share what I’ve learned over the past 25+ years of running businesses, leading teams, making mistakes, and figuring things out the hard way. It’s where I keep track of what actually works (especially when you're tired, juggling a million things, and still showing up every day) — and the values that guide how I lead, build, and serve.

A Quick Backstory

Before the bakery, I was the executive director of a nonprofit my family started — The Clara Jean Foundation — named after my mom, who passed away from breast cancer. We created the organization before she died, hoping to empower women seeking integrative and natural approaches to breast cancer care. We partnered with a naturopathic college and an integrative medicine program at a local healthcare system. I led the team, ran fundraisers, built community, and learned how to grow something from scratch — all while navigating being a new mom, grieving the loss of my own mom, and learning how to run a business in real time.

That role taught me a lot: how to lead a team, how to fundraise, and — maybe most importantly — how much marketing matters. If no one knows what you’re doing, no matter how good it is, it won’t go anywhere.

Throughout the years, I also...

Led the parent group at my kids' elementary school (hello budgets, events, and figuring it out as we go).

During my time as a vendor at our local farmers market — which spanned 13 years — I had the opportunity to serve on the board for the last three. My focus was on marketing and community outreach, and I worked alongside a dedicated group of volunteers who cared deeply about supporting local growers and makers. Together, we worked to refine the market’s branding and communication efforts, helping it stay consistent, clear, and connected with the broader community. It was a blend of honoring long-standing traditions while gently introducing ideas to help the market grow and stay relevant.

All of these roles — nonprofit, community leader, vendor, board member, and now bakery owner — have one thing in common: I’ve always been building. Not just businesses, but teams. Not just events, but culture. Not just products, but pathways for other people to grow, lead, and succeed.

Why This Space Matters Now

I’m still learning — and that’s part of why I started this.

If what I share here helps another small business owner feel less alone, or gives a practical idea for training a team or setting better margins — that’s a win. If it becomes a library of leadership tools for my team at Blue Moon as we grow and build future leaders, that’s a win too.

This space is where I share how we do business — the way we treat people, the frameworks we follow, the lessons we’re still learning. No fluff, no guru vibes. Just real talk for real businesses that want to grow with intention.

So that’s the heart behind it all. This isn’t a platform — it’s a conversation. And I’m glad you’re here for it.