Baking For Business Podcast - Episode #90: From Baking Blogger to Author: 1 on 1 With Sarah Fennel Of Broma Bakery

Release Date: October 9, 2024

Introduction

In Episode #90 of the Baking For Business Podcast, host Chef Amanda Schonberg engages in an inspiring conversation with Sarah Fennell, the creative force behind Broma Bakery and the newly minted cookbook author. This episode delves deep into Sarah's transition from a passionate baking blogger to a celebrated author, offering listeners invaluable insights into building a successful home bakery business and expanding into digital products.

Guest Background: Sarah Fennell’s Journey

Sarah Fennell shares her humble beginnings and the passion that fueled her rise in the baking industry.

• Early Inspirations: Growing up, Sarah was immersed in a household filled with homemade baked goods, courtesy of her mother’s baking endeavors. This environment fostered her deep love for desserts.

  “I really missed having a creative outlet. So I decided to basically merge my two passions and take photos of baked goods that I made.”
  [01:56] Sarah Fennell

• Starting Broma Bakery: Combining her interests in baking and photography, Sarah launched Broma Bakery as a hobby during her college years, focusing on photographing her creations and sharing them on her blog.

• Transition to Full-Time Blogging: After experiencing burnout in the restaurant industry, Sarah took a bold step by quitting her job and dedicating herself fully to her blog with only $8,500 in savings. This leap of faith was the cornerstone of her subsequent success.

  “Having that kind of forced me to hustle harder than I would have if I had had something to fall back on.”
  [04:38] Sarah Fennell

Building the Blog: Skills and Strategies

Sarah recounts the challenges and strategies involved in transforming her blog from a creative outlet into a thriving business.

• Self-Education: In 2014, Sarah navigated the early days of online courses by leveraging free resources such as YouTube tutorials and Google searches. She emphasized the importance of self-reliance and continuous learning through trial and error.

  “I really tried at that time to make a lot of connections, too, with other People who I knew were doing it full time, and I would literally email them and I would, like, ask for their advice.”
  [05:09] Sarah Fennell

• Content Creation: Focusing exclusively on sweet baking allowed Sarah to specialize and hone her technical skills, which she found more fulfilling compared to savory cooking.

  “Baking just really appeals to me in that way. Feels very formulaic. It's interesting.”
  [06:48] Sarah Fennell

From Blog to Cookbook: The Transition

Sarah discusses her journey from blogging to authoring a cookbook, highlighting the meticulous process and the motivations behind it.

• Reluctance and Readiness: Initially hesitant due to the perceived overwhelming workload, Sarah waited until she felt confident in her brand, voice, recipes, and marketing abilities before embarking on writing her cookbook.

  “I knew I didn't want to create a book until I felt so, so confident in every aspect of my skills that would go into that book.”
  [07:56] Sarah Fennell

• Book Structure: The cookbook features 100 recipes, with 76 brand-new creations exclusively developed for the book and 24 fan-favorites from her blog, such as the renowned brown butter chocolate chip cookies and the oatmeal cream pie cookie.

  “These ones that are, like, doing well on the blog, but we really wanted to highlight and bring to a bigger audience.”
  [10:17] Sarah Fennell

Favorite Memories and Challenges During Book Creation

Sarah reflects on the two-year process of writing her cookbook, sharing memorable moments and the satisfaction of completing such a significant project.

• Writing Milestones: Crafting heartfelt headnotes and the accomplishment of submitting the manuscript were high points in her journey.

  “Turning in the manuscript was just like, it felt like such a, such an accomplishment.”
  [11:44] Sarah Fennell

• Sales and Marketing: Leveraging her experience as a course creator, Sarah applied proven sales strategies to market her cookbook effectively, highlighting the seamless integration of her previous expertise into her new venture.

  “We did between 30 and 40 launches of all of our courses... I directly translated that to the cookbook in terms of our entire sales sequence.”
  [14:10] Sarah Fennell

Balancing Multiple Ventures and Pivots

The conversation delves into Sarah's decision to pivot from running an online course to focusing solely on her personal brand and cookbook.

• Challenges of Course Creation: Managing an online school required significant time and resources, which eventually led Sarah to prioritize her personal career and book project.

  “I felt like my own personal brand was often taking a backseat to all of the things I had to do.”
  [16:18] Sarah Fennell

• Embracing Change: Sarah emphasizes the importance of aligning business decisions with personal passion and ensuring one's career path remains fulfilling.

  “I felt like I would be doing a disservice to my own career by not giving it all of my energy.”
  [17:14] Sarah Fennell

Inspirations and Favorite Cookbooks

Sarah shares her admiration for various cookbook authors who have influenced her approach to baking and writing.

• Inspirational Authors:

  • Molly Baz: For her vibrant and boundary-pushing cookbooks.
  • Otto Langer: For creating cohesive meal experiences through his recipes.
  • Claire Saffitz: For demonstrating the demand and potential of specialized baking cookbooks.

  “There's not a ton of broad baking books out there. There's a lot of sort of like niche down single subject baking books.”
  [19:37] Sarah Fennell

Highlighting Signature Recipes

Sarah introduces key recipes from her upcoming cookbook, showcasing both quick and elaborate baking projects.

• Single-Serve Delights: The Double Chocolate Cookie, a recipe featured on the book’s cover, offers a simple yet indulgent treat perfect for any occasion.

  “It creates two giant cookies. It is so good.”
  [21:34] Sarah Fennell

• Decadent Desserts: The Nutella Smith Island Cake features nine layers of vanilla cake interspersed with rich Nutella ganache, offering a delightful blend of textures and flavors.

  “It's like, it's absolutely insane. It's such a good cake.”
  [21:38] Sarah Fennell

Upcoming Events and Book Tour

Sarah announces her nationwide book tour scheduled for October, spanning nine to ten cities, and expresses her excitement about connecting with her audience in person.

“I'm so excited to meet people.”
[23:54] Sarah Fennell

Listeners can find more information about the book tour and how to purchase the cookbook on Sarah’s website: bromabakery.com/cookbook.

Advice for Aspiring Baking Bloggers and Entrepreneurs

Sarah offers practical tips for those looking to start their own baking blogs and turn their passion into a profitable business.

• Master Your Skills: Ensure that your baking skills are polished and consistently deliver high-quality results.

  “Work on those skills and baking and make sure they're really the best they can be.”
  [25:05] Sarah Fennell

• Invest in Visuals: High-quality photography is crucial. Consider taking courses in food photography to enhance the visual appeal of your content.

  “Even if you are planning to mostly do videos like creating reels and TikToks... it’s going to make that translate to the screen.”
  [25:05] Sarah Fennell

• Consistent Content Creation: Regularly engaging with your audience on social media is essential for growth and understanding what resonates with your followers.

  “Being really, really involved on social media... showing up on social media every single day is just going to be so, so helpful.”
  [25:05] Sarah Fennell

Lightning Round: Getting to Know Sarah

To wrap up the episode, Sarah participates in a fun lightning round, revealing personal preferences that add a relatable touch to her professional persona.

• Favorite Dessert: Chocolate chip cookies.
• Favorite Color: Beige and neutrals.
• Celebrity Crush: Initially mentions Ryan Reynolds but corrects to Ryan Gosling.
• Favorite Kitchen Utensil: A whisk.

Conclusion

Chef Amanda Schonberg concludes the episode by applauding Sarah Fennell for her honesty and courage in pivoting her career towards authorship. Amanda emphasizes the importance of staying true to one’s passion and adapting to changes that align with personal growth and fulfillment.

“I love to hear that one of the things I love the most is honestly, when people are just honest about why they change.”
[28:36] Chef Schomburg

Listeners are encouraged to pre-order Sarah’s cookbook, Sweet Tooth, and follow her on her book tour to gain further inspiration and practical insights into the world of baking entrepreneurship.

Additional Resources

• Sarah Fennell’s Website: bromabakery.com/cookbook
• Book Tour Details: Available on Sarah’s website.
• Follow Sarah on Instagram: @bromabakery

Whether you're an aspiring baker, a seasoned pastry chef, or someone looking to turn a hobby into a thriving business, this episode with Sarah Fennell offers a wealth of knowledge, inspiration, and actionable strategies to help you bake your way to success.