Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck

When Chris DiPiazza needed a break from his IT business, he took a cooking class with a bread baker. That class opened up a portal that changed his life and career. From small beginnings, Chris slowly built up his wholesale business until opening Mighty Bread Co. in a small corner of a larger building in 2017. These days, his bakery is the main player in the building, as Chris and his team go from success to success. In this episode, Mark and Chris talk about how Chris' role has changed over the years, how they keep the team's creativity high and cohesion tight, and how he is revelling in connection with his neighbourhood and the robust food community in Philadelphia. There is also talk about Mark's new project, the Bakery Leadership Circle, which has a new session starting in the Spring 2025. Helpful Links Mighty Bread Co. @mightybreadco on Instagram Support the Podcast Here! Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website The Bakers4Bakers Community Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series Mark on Instagram Credits: Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

Gillian Lundgren was lured to the Bay Area by her favourite aunt and has never left. Through a long and varied career as a baker in San Francisco, from bakeries to pop ups, she founded Black Jet Baking Co. right down the block from where she got her start. She's putting down deep roots and making sure the people in her neighbourhood are well fed. In this episode, Mark and Gillian talk about both the need for and the short life span of Hustle, how Covid forced her bakery to flip from mostly wholesale to all retail, and how Gillian keeps her creative juices flowing in all aspects of her bakery. There is also talk about Mark's new project, the Bakery Leadership Circle, which will run again in 2025 Helpful Links Black Jet Baking Co. @blackjetbaker on Instagram Support the Podcast Here! Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website The Bakers4Bakers Community Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series Mark on Instagram Credits: Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

There's something special about small town bakeries. And when your bakery is on the main street of a small town in the heart of Sonoma, California and you're baking stellar bread from a massive brick oven, well, now you really have something special. Jessie Frost has all that and more. A native of the Sonoma area, she baked around the Bay Area before eventually taking over Nightingale Breads. In this fun, thoughtful episode, Mark and Jessie talk about her love of place, taking the plunge to owner her bakery during a time of turmoil and her slow, steady approach to making the bakery her own. There is also talk about the Bakery Leadership Circle, which has a new sessions coming up in the New Year. Helpful Links Nightingale Breads @nightingalebreads on Instagram Support the Podcast Here! Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website The Bakers4Bakers Community Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series Mark on Instagram Credits: Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

Jonathan Stevens new book, The Hungry Ghost Bread Book, is a throwback to the first wave of books on artisan baking in the 1990's. And for good reason, because Jonathan has been part of the North American bread scene from the very beginning. In this episode, Mark and Jonathan take a trip back to the early days in Northern California, figuring it out with Alan Scott, opening an opinionated bakery in Western Mass, telling stories, singing songs and writing poetry. And through it all, reconnecting to the power of feeding people good bread day after day. Helpful Links Buy Jonathan's Book via bookshop.org Hungry Ghost Bread @hungryghostbread on Instagram Support the Podcast Here! Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website The Bakers4Bakers Community Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series Mark on Instagram Credits: Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

Today Mark is joined by Karen Bornarth of the Bread Bakers Guild of America and Martin Barnett of the Baking Association of Canada to talk about the state of the baking industry in North America. They reflect on the success of two recent national meetings, discuss the range of benefits that nationwide education and advocacy can provide, ponder the implications of a $10 loaf of bread, and more. Helpful Links @breadbakersguild on Instagram @bacnational on Instagram Support the Podcast Here! Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website The Bakers4Bakers Community Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series Mark on Instagram Credits: Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

When we get tired and frustrated as bakery owners, we often fall into the trap of thinking of our employees as expenses and not assets and partners. Luckily, there are resources like the Good Jobs Strategy to help us reset our thinking and put our employees at the forefront of our business success. In this episode, Mark talks with Sandhya Mahadevan of Good Jobs Institute about their work with large and small businesses evaluating the role of employees and implementing strategies to build long term benefits for the people and the business. They talk specifically about the Good Jobs Strategy and how it can be applied to bakeries of all sizes. There is also talk about Mark's new project, the Bakery Leadership Circle, which has a new session starting in July. Helpful Links Good Jobs Institute The Good Jobs Strategy overview Support the Podcast Here! Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website The Bakers4Bakers Community Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series Mark on Instagram Credits: Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

Tom Moore loves starting new projects. And the best thing is, they work. His new bakery cafe, Tombo Eats on Yates Street in Victoria launched to huge buzz this year and is already one of the must visit spots downtown. In this episode, Mark and Tom discuss the wild and crazy food journey Tom's been on since dropping out of school to apprentice as a chef, opening restaurants in his native Australia, teaching, mentoring and more, before switching to the bakery world in order to spend more time with his children. Oh yeah, there's a move to Canada, a stellar bakery, a satellite store and a cookbook in there too. It's a great talk with a fun, friendly baker and entrepreneur. There is also talk about Mark's new project, the Bakery Leadership Circle, which has a new session starting in July. Helpful Links Tombo Eats Crust Bakery @tomboeats on Instagram @crustbakeryonfort on Instagram Support the Podcast Here! Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website The Bakers4Bakers Community Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series Mark on Instagram Credits: Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

Jessica Rivers is co-owner and connection engine of the amazing bakery Working Culture Bread in Victoria BC. In the three years since Mark talked to her husband Adam in Episode #128, the bakery has grown and their family has too. Through it all, Jess and the Working Culture team have built even stronger ties within the community, through fundraising, advocacy and lots of listening. In this episode, Jess and Mark talk about how starting a family helped her baking team grow closer, her faith in food providers to come together to help people and her new project, Club Bop, which helps local small businesses of all stripes support each other. There is also talk about Mark's new project, the Bakery Leadership Circle, which has a new session starting in July. Helpful Links Working Culture Bread @workingculturebread on Instagram Support the Podcast Here! Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website The Bakers4Bakers Community Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series Mark on Instagram Credits: Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin