07/27/2025
📣 A Hard Post to Share, from the Heart ❤️
I’ve been putting this off, but it’s time to be real with you all.
Running a small baking business isn’t just mixing flour and sugar—it’s staying up all night to make everything fresh, putting every ounce of love into every single batch, and showing up with high hopes… only to come home with heartbreak.
Yesterday, I did a pop-up event. I brought $300 worth of fresh baked goods. I came home with $50. After booth fees, I made $30. After ingredients and packaging, I was at -$174. That doesn’t count the hours I stayed up baking, prepping, loading, and setting up—if I had clocked in as a store employee, I wouldn’t have even made minimum wage.
And it’s not just about money. It’s about soul. Every ingredient, every recipe, every detail is part of me. But the truth is—baking isn't cheap. I’m not a big corporation. My products don’t sit on a shelf for weeks. They’re made with care, made to be fresh, and made to be good. I hear people complain about dry cakes and stale goods—but then wonder why small bakers charge more, or have policies in place just to stay afloat. This is why.
This bakery has been my heart and my full-time job—not a side hustle. I’ve spent 3 months building something else now—a small farmstand that I’m pouring everything I have into, because I just can’t keep going the way I have. Every dollar invested has come from me. There’s no big investor behind me, no safety net.
I now understand why so many mom-and-pop shops are closing their doors. We’re not giving up—we’re being forced out.
This isn’t the end for me, but it is a waking point. I hope you’ll continue to support the heart-led businesses around you—those who give it their all, even when it breaks them a little.
More updates coming soon about the farmstand. I’m not done dreaming. I’m just shifting where the dream lives. 🌾💔
— Your tired baking lady Cheyenne Williams
