- Aug 6, 2025
💀 Business Victim Mindset - Be what happens to your business.
In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 223 - Business Victim Mindset, we are in the slowest baking month of the YEAR. Yep - last week of July / first week of August = the Google trends report where "sugar cookie" is least searched.
Conversely, 📊 the end of the slowest month begins the uptick of our busy season - but that's not the point of today's podcast. We're focusing on the "hanging up of the apron" baker who looks for indicators that the industry is dead. Pack it up, boys, ain't no one want cookies no more! The cows came home, and they didn't bring money with 'em.
WRONG. While it feels that way, this has always been our yearly industry ebb and flow. "The J Months" (💸 January, June, and July) make you question if you're good at business at all, and the Q4 months make you feel like you're on top of the world.
We are here - August 3 - 9. 🕵️ In this graph from Google Trends, we see a year in Google search for the term "sugar cookies." That peak is the week before Christmas. That trough? That's us literally this week. 🎄 So if Christmas is 100%, bakers are looking at 14% of our highest order volume (📉 data doesn't exactly mean that, but it can be extrapolated as a decent representation of our calendar year as bakers).
Why are we talking about the low point of baking leads? Because it's during this time that bakers let their business happen to them. They are reactive. They let the ebbs and flows control their moods. 😞 Low leads = low mood. The proverbial "hanging up the apron" quitting posts tick up around this time.
😢 It feels like the end is nigh. But here's today's challenge: happen to your business. Something's not working? Try it a different way. Class didn't book out? BoGo tickets until it does. Summer rain watered your sales numbers at that last farmer's market? Lightning flash sale it is.
1. Your farmer's market event gets rained out
If there's anything more unpredictable than when Corrie will be on the podcast, it's the weather on the day of a farmer's market. We can't control the weather, but we can control our perspective on it.
🤕 Business happening to you: You baked everything. You had high hopes for sales, now you're sulking because it was a total wash.
💪 You happening to your business: You jump on an impromptu Facebook Live to see if anyone wants to snag a "lightning flash deal" on your bakes. You gain a new audience of last-minute orders, and your product doesn't go to waste - you even recoup some of your costs, maybe even some profit.
2. There was low attendance at your vendor event
It happens - the vendor coordinator drops the ball (ahem - wedding vendor expo a la 2024) and no one shows up. But you prepped, spent money on your displays, baked, and even lugged your Eddie there for a photo-booth setup.
🤕 Business happening to you: You pack up early and leave. You then complain about the entire event and coordinator in a local community group - heck, they deserve it for wasting your time.
💪 You happening to your business: You realize attendance is low, but you brought your DSLR camera. You start connecting with other vendors and take a few photos of them in action. You grab their business card and make a connection, thus potentially securing a referral source.
3. There was another baker at your holiday market
Nothing's worse than showing up to a Holiday Market full of your competitors, especially when they told you that you'd be the only cookie baker.
🤕 Business happening to you: You complain to management and forever burn that bridge.
💪 You happening to your business: You walk up to that baker and ask if they're down to handle your overflow work. You also consider teaming up with them for a cookie class because with 2 bakers, you can handle X times more attendees than just by yourself.
4. More than half your class canceled last minute
Your event seats 10, but 6 drop out because "one is sick" (riiiight). You're now below your minimum threshold of attendees, and you've already baked the class sets.
🤕 Business happening to you: You cancel the class because it didn't meet the threshold. Now 4 other attendees are out their fun Saturday plans.
💪 You happening to your business: You offer BoGo tickets to get past the minimum and still make a profit. You roll the 6 cancels into your next class for a class credit, securing those funds for the future.
5. Your customs client canceled after you baked
The client knew your policies and still attempted to cancel an order you had already baked - that's the worst! You don't feel like you should refund, but they say there's a death in the family.
🤕 Business happening to you: You enforce your non-refundable deposit and lose the client for life - but hey, they knew it was your policy.
💪 You happening to your business: You offer to roll over their deposit to a future order, keeping them as a client. You then take the baked product to your local police department for a goodwill shout-out on their social media.
6. Your social media reach is way down
Zuck ain't liking you and you ain't liking the results. Your social media reach is way down, but you've been posting frequently - what gives!
🤕 Business happening to you: You pull back from marketing on socials - heck, it's not working, why try?
💪 You happening to your business: You join The Cookie College, where you learn to implement new strategies. You take the Community Group Challenge there, as well as joining the Main Street Cookie Collab.
The podcast covers a few more examples - but the concept is this: 👊 happen to your bakery business, otherwise your business will take you under and hold you down. Manifest winning - you'll start to see the world of opportunities rather than the endless complaints and "apron hang-ups."
👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 223 - Business Victim Mindset.
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