From Social Worker to Sourdough Entrepreneur in Cologne, Minnesota | Elaine Dube

About this episode

Elaine Dube shares her journey from social worker to sourdough entrepreneur in Cologne, Minnesota, highlighting community support and the simplicity of her business model.

From social worker to sourdough entrepreneur—Elaine Dube turned a friend's encouragement and a 106-year-old sourdough starter into Hello Simple; a business teaching hands-on sourdough classes across Minnesota. Elaine moved to Cologne, Minnesota in December 2023 and started by simply posting in the local Facebook group asking if anyone wanted to learn sourdough. Twenty-five people said yes. Now she's teaching sold-out classes at wineries, breweries, and venues from the Arboretum to Sapsucker Farms in Mora.In this episode, we talk about the realities of building a business while raising two young daughters, how western Carver County has been "wildly supportive" of small business owners, and why keeping things simple is at the heart of everything she does.WHAT WE COVERThe winding path from Upper Peninsula Michigan through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Nebraska, and finally to Cologne, Minnesota. How her sourdough starter has been passed down for 106 years and why that matters for beginners. What you actually need to start a food-based business in Minnesota, including the cottage food producer license, forming an LLC, and getting insurance coverage. The trial-and-error of pricing…

People in this episode

Host: Greg Anderson

Guest: Elaine Dube

Topics covered

• sourdough
• entrepreneurship
• small business
• community support

Keywords

• sourdough classes
• cottage food producer license
• business building
• community connections

Mentioned in this episode

Products: sourdough starter, cottage food producer license, LLC, insurance coverage

Places: Cologne, Minnesota, Mora, Carver County, Upper Peninsula, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Nebraska, MINNESOTACologne

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