Mary Tong of The Sweet Tong shares the story of how she went from sending her boys to school with bento boxes to creating and selling unique steamed bao you can't find anywhere else. Hear how she finds inspiration to create characters and creatures out of her baos and definitely keep an eye out for the different markets you can find them before she sells out! To stay up to date on her next creations and opportunities to purchase her baos follow her on instagram @thesweettong and visit her website https://thesweettong.com/. To find other homemade makers on a map near you and hear their stories check out SPOAKL.com!

Elizabeth Ihidoy of City Gal Bakes shares the story of how she started her baking business during one of the busiest chapters of her life! Listen in on how she decided on a name that calls back to the small town roots and now city lifestyle, and how she balances building her business and taking care of her family. So many pieces of wisdom included in this episode for how to run a Cottage Food Operation, adapt and adjust to the market and what's allowed, as well as recognize your family and friend's background stories and support that can help keep you going. Buy some of her cookies or take one of her amazing classes at https://www.citygalbakes.com/ and check her cookies and cakes out on instagram @citygalbakes To find other homemade makers on a map near you and hear their stories check out SPOAKL.com

Dina Carpenito shares the story of how she found where her passion for baking met the needs of her community and uses her skills and energy to continue growing her business and leave a legacy with her family of a mom that runs her own business right out of their house. Listen in on Dina's story of how she re-claimed her childhood nickname and continued to iterate her business from baked goods for donation to custom cookie making that serves a market you may not have known about. Dina had such a fun story to hear about and be sure to look up her cookies on her site: https://www.spacecadetbakingco.com/ and follow her instagram for announcements and cookie making tips: https://www.instagram.com/spacecadetbakingco/ For other maker stories and where to find them, check out https://www.spoakl.com/

Phillip Roliz shares the story of how he and his wife Sara started a coffee roasting company that went from a coffee roasting passion project to community serving coffee truck and more! Listen in to Philip's story, advice on how to keep the values clear when growing your business, and wisdom shared from many chapters of the Sunset Roasters journey. So grateful to have Phillip tell the Sunset Roasters story on the podcast and be sure to look out for where to buy beans from their website https://www.sunsetroasters.com/ and follow their instagram for where to get coffee from the truck https://www.instagram.com/sunset_roasters/ For other maker stories and where to find them, check out https://www.spoakl.com/

Find out how Andrew Tolentino of Cake Therapy lays out the story of how breaking up the growing of your business into the right steps can lead to finding the right pace for growth (and maybe even a new location for your pop-up!) Listen in to hear the Cake Therapy story and hear Andrew's advice on experimentation, finding the right community, and focusing in on what can set you apart from the rest. So many other good nuggets are in this one so be sure to listen to the full episode for all the advice and information and look out for the next Cake Therapy pop-up soon! To look for Cake Therapy and other local makers on the map, check out SPOAKL.com to hear other maker stories and support local home entrepreneurs!

Interested in a baking businesses centered around a cause and getting a non-profit designation? Listen in to Nan and Zoey as they share their story about their business My Bakery, My Choice. From getting pushed out of their first spots to finding the free resources available to help them start their business, take down their advice on how to build a business that matters. They've got notes a plenty on what to try, what to look out for, and dreams for where they can go as well. Support them and look out for their next sale at https://www.mybakerymychoice.org/ As always, discover My Bakery, My Choice and other local creators near you on the SPOAKL map at SPOAKL.com

Custom cookie maker Melissa Pouch shares her story of how she found an outlet for her artistry in custom cookie making! Learn how she built her business from the ground up and found her way into making cookies for all types of events, markets, and individual customers. Follow her on instagram (@melzees.cookies.co) and find her next offerings and events at https://www.melzeescookieco.com/ As always, discover Melissa and other local creators near you on the SPOAKL map at SPOAKL.com

Sourdough baker and baking content creator Laila O'Boyle shares her story of how a challenge to master bread baking during the pandemic turned into not just a bread business, but a source to educate and share recipes on bread that is helping the world eat healthier, tastier, and better! Listen in, especially if you are into sourdough, to hear key resources on better baking and glean advice on lessons Laila has learned in growing her business. Follow her on instagram (theearlyrisesf) and TikTok (theearlyrisebaker) and order her bread at https://www.theearlyrisesf.com/ As always, discover Laila and other local creators near you on the SPOAKL map at SPOAKL.com

Recorded just before Christmas, Lucy Dotson talks about the iteration processes to make macarons, finding the rhythm that works for a side hustle, and recognizing the partners and people that help promote growth. Make your place a new home for some of Lucy's creations at lussweettooth.com ! As always, discover Lucy and other local creators near you on the SPOAKL map at SPOAKL.com

"Delicious, luxurious chocolates that are top caliber" Jes Liao of Bon Sucree lays out how she makes high quality unique bonbons as a passion project! (and how she finds satisfaction in the art of pastry making) Order these amazing creations at bonsucree.com and listen in to her words of wisdom on how to manage your capacity for a side project and what questions to ask before you embark as a cottage food operator in San Francisco.

Jeremy Allen shares his journey as a chocolatier of how he gained a passion for making chocolate and expanding the boundaries of available chocolate flavors in San Francisco. Order chocolate from Jeremy at bearphoenix.com Leave a hype message once you've tried the chocolate and discover other local cottage food operators near you at SPOAKL.com