My company & title is... I am the Founder, Creative Source and Operations Manager of Gluten Free Creations Bakery.
A typical day in my life includes… being flexible, ready for anything from calling a repair person for a broken freezer to meeting the demands of a rush order. Interacting with the customers, vendors, staff and present owner, Vern Lang, takes up a good part of my day. I have to chisel out time for computer work, compiling data and creating new recipes.
My favorite thing about living/working in the North 32nd area is… sharing time with the people. Everywhere I go, from the restaurants to the retail stores, everyone shares smiles and a positive attitude. Many of the people in the neighborhood are our customers, making Gluten Free Creations feel even more like home.
My family… is a tight knit group of Midwesterners. The ‘roll up your sleeves get the job done’ type of people. Because 98 percent of my family lives in other states, I make sure everyone who visits our bakery feels like it’s a piece of home.
The business lesson I learned the hard way is…excellent business skills in one industry do not evenly blend into another industry. I went from creating and managing a large business in the beauty industry to creating a business in the food industry. Definitely not the same lingo, operating systems or profit margins
One thing I cannot live without is… being able to create, to design, develop and breathe life into a concept, something that had not existed before. To problem solve and make it happen, even when you are not sure what the ‘it’ is.
When I was younger, I wanted to be… an owner of a high-end clothing store.
The song I would sing at Karaoke night is… really? No one would want me to sing any night!
The one person who motivates me is… my friend Alison. She keeps me grounded yet fills me with support and lifts me up.
The last thing that made me laugh out loud was…watching baby elephants learn how to use their trunks and baby animals try to stand.
The perfect day would be… everyday, any day. Once you have experienced many things, you realize that today is the only day we have, so look at it and deal with it in its perfection, not longing for something that was or may never be.
My first job was… I’m proud to say I ironed clothes, cleaned house and sewed costumes for the Minnesota Theatre when I was 14.
My life… is interesting. It’s like breathing. There are ups and
downs.
I’m currently working on… expanding GFC product line and writing another book.
The best gift I’ve ever received was… the gift of life from my Mother, the most important woman in my life.
My dream vacation would be to… vacation? All aboard the Canadian and United States trains. I love the lull and sounds of the train as much as I love the horn of a cruise ship.
My words of wisdom to aspiring business owners… The best advice I ever received was to ‘just start’. Don’t overthink. And always have a piece of paper and pencil ready to jot down ideas, thoughts and to go over and over the numbers. Learn to observe, not just see. There are so many opportunities waiting to be developed.
