This business has changed so much since I first started five and a half years ago. I've been both lucky and have worked hard to continue growing Little Moon Bakehouse through all these changes. Here's how I did it.
I listened intuitively to what customers were telling me. Since I first started people were asking me if I could ship to them from across the country. So I took that as a goal early on. I threw an event as a fluke but people showed up. This combined with starting to make bread and the tea party was born . People will always show you what they want, you just have to keep your eyes and ears open to what they’re communicating.
I doubled down on where opportunities seemed to be pointing me. While individuals sometimes have a bias against plant based foods, I was met with excitement from large corporations that we made vegan items. It allowed them to cater to all their employees needs during celebrations. So these days I know when to highlight it plant based nature and when to focus on our other value adds.
I listened to all feedback carefully, both positive and constructive to find the grains of truth and direction in both. No matter what the issue I hear from a customer, I always try to reflect on what there saying, not necessarily how they're saying it. This helps me grow and always improve.
I was willing to change how I executed my mission without compromising my principles. When we rebranded, we stopped using the word vegan. After three years if being a vegan forward business, it was obvious that there unfortunately still a bias against food associated with the word. But none of our products changed. And they won't. Because we will always be dedicated to creating vegan versions of nostalgic Asian pastries.
I reached out for guidance and mentorship whenever I felt stuck. At each inflection point, I've asked for help from someone further along than me to gain perspective on next steps. This entire post actually came to be from a conversation with a mentor reminding me to give myself credit for bring able to pivot and grow through the years. S/o to Michelle Pusateri of Nana Joe's Granola for your awesome guidance. And to Caroline Cotto for introducing us years ago.Â
If you're struggling to figure out what is working, keep throwing that spaghetti against the wall. You can do it!