In this episode of The Breadwinner Podcast, we’re kicking off the new year by zooming out and looking at the big picture. January is naturally a slower month for many bakers, and that gives us the chance to pause, breathe, and plan intentionally. But instead of building rigid calendars that break under pressure, I’m sharing a simpler approach—one that’s flexible, supportive, and rooted in how sourdough microbakeries actually run. This method will help you create a container for the year made up of four practical parts: non-negotiables, seasonal anchors, monthly rhythms, and decision rules.

If planning the whole year feels overwhelming or unrealistic, you’re not alone. Most of us don’t struggle because we’re unmotivated—we struggle because traditional planning doesn’t match the realities of dough, life, and all the hats we wear. So I’ll walk you through how to clarify what matters most, protect your time and energy, and make better decisions with way less effort. This episode is your invitation to build consistency without rigidity and start the year with intention, not exhaustion.

Resources:

1. Join the Bread Winner Inner Circle: CarolineBower.com/innercircle
2. Join The Bread Winner Network: https://carolinebower.thrivecart.com/bread-winner-network/ – Monthly membership for sourdough bakers.
3. Grab the Profit & Pricing Calculator: Simplify the math, clarify your margins, and confidently price your products. http://carolinebower.com/calculator
4. Follow me on Instagram for more microbakery tips: @carolinebower_sourdough
5. Find links to all of my sourdough microbakery favorites including packaging, pans, and more! www.carolinebower.com/links
6. Download the FREE Guide and Checklist, Your First Steps to a Successful In-Home Bakery at https://www.carolinebower.com/checklist to begin building YOUR thriving microbakery!

Welcome to the very first episode of 2026! I’m so excited to be back behind the mic and kicking off the year with you. In this episode, I’m reflecting on the wins, challenges, and lessons from December—both the bakery numbers and the personal growth behind them. This isn't just about product sales or planning menus (though we cover plenty of that too); it's about how we move forward with intention, clarity, and the long game in mind. I talk about how I approached Christmas sales, the surprising trends I noticed in product popularity, and the small changes I’m making to reduce burnout and streamline systems in this next season.

I also share four powerful questions you can use to review your own busy season, plus some honest thoughts on where I’m simplifying my menu and growing my support team. If you’re feeling like you’re constantly reinventing the wheel or stretched thin after the holidays, I hope this episode helps you reset and refocus. We’re not just baking bread—we’re building something sustainable, meaningful, and aligned with our values. Let’s start 2026 off with more clarity, less hustle, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Resources:

1. Join the Bread Winner Inner Circle: CarolineBower.com/innercircle
2. Join The Bread Winner Network: https://carolinebower.thrivecart.com/bread-winner-network/ – Monthly membership for sourdough bakers.
3. Grab the Profit & Pricing Calculator: Simplify the math, clarify your margins, and confidently price your products. http://carolinebower.com/calculator
4. Follow me on Instagram for more microbakery tips: @carolinebower_sourdough
5. Find links to all of my sourdough microbakery favorites including packaging, pans, and more! www.carolinebower.com/links
6. Download the FREE Guide and Checklist, Your First Steps to a Successful In-Home Bakery at https://www.carolinebower.com/checklist to begin building YOUR thriving microbakery!

Hello my friend, and welcome to the final episode of 2025. This isn’t a traditional year-in-review episode—it’s more of an invitation to pause, to breathe, and to remember that the work you’re doing in your sourdough microbakery is building something far bigger than weekly sales or Instagram posts. In this slower-paced reflection, I share five intentional questions that I hope will help you zoom out and really honor all that 2025 asked of you. These questions aren’t about vanity metrics or highlight reels. They’re about legacy—the quiet, meaningful kind that shows up in school lunches, family dinners, and the way your community shops for real food.

This episode is a gentle nudge to reflect on where you’ve been, what you’ve learned, and how you want to move forward. Before we rush into planning and goal setting for 2026, I hope you’ll sit with these questions and allow them to shape your vision. I also share a heartfelt invitation to join the Breadwinner Inner Circle as doors open once again. Whether you’ve been listening since the beginning or just found your way here, I want you to know that what you’re building matters—and that I’m so honored to be building alongside you.

Resources:

• Join the Bread Winner Inner Circle: https://carolinebower.thrivecart.com/breadwinnerinnercircle/
• Join The Bread Winner Network: https://carolinebower.thrivecart.com/bread-winner-network/ – Monthly membership for sourdough bakers.
• Grab the Profit & Pricing Calculator: Simplify the math, clarify your margins, and confidently price your products. http://carolinebower.com/calculator
• Follow me on Instagram for more microbakery tips: @carolinebower_sourdough
• Find links to all of my sourdough microbakery favorites including packaging, pans, and more! www.carolinebower.com/links
• Download the FREE Guide and Checklist, Your First Steps to a Successful In-Home Bakery at https://www.carolinebower.com/checklist to begin building YOUR thriving microbakery!