Baking it Down with Sugar Cookie Marketing 🍪

Episode 240: "Burke Lake vs Everest"
Hosts: Heather & Corrie Miracle
Date: December 16, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode takes on the classic “New Year’s Resolutions” mentality—specifically how small, incremental, unsexy goals (“Burke Lake”) ultimately serve bakers better than giant, intimidating, headline-worthy ambitions (“Mount Everest”). Heather and Corrie use these metaphors to break down practical strategies for bakery business owners. Throughout, they share personal stories, marketing tactics, and an upbeat but honest exploration of achieving meaningful progress without self-sabotage, guilt, or overwhelm.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Trap of Mount Everest Goals vs. the Value of Burke Lake Habits

• Big, Lofty Goals Feel Good But Rarely Succeed:
  The sisters critique the tendency to set huge annual goals—like doubling sales or posting daily—that look good on social media, but aren’t effective or sustainable.

  • (06:11)

    “It’s so much easier to get back on when the hurdle is small. Giant goals just increase guilt and the temptation to give up." – Heather

• Burke Lake Mentality — Small, Repeatable Actions:
  Instead, they champion small, incremental improvements that are regular and achievable, like walking Burke Lake (a local park) instead of climbing Everest.

  • (13:04)

    “156 new local followers? That’s my Burke Lake. If they all showed up to a pop-up, I'd sell out in minutes.” – Corrie

2. Practical Examples of “Burke Lake” Approaches for Bakers

Social Media Growth

• Meaningful, Local Followers Trump Vanity Metrics:
  Rather than chasing 1,000 new followers, focus on 3 local followers per week—people who can actually become customers.

  • [10:25–12:22]

    "Three local people who could order from you is far more valuable than a thousand people you got through a viral reel that reached everyone but your actual buyers." – Heather

• Local Marketing Tactics:

  • Post about a local business each week on your page and share it in a local group.
  • Example: Corrie gains 25 local followers by posting a cookie decorated with the intentionally-misnamed sign of a new restaurant, getting involved in a local in-joke.
    • (18:00–18:54)

      "That post... you did move quickly... but now Corrie has this one extremely strong lead from a local group, from an extremely hyperlocal joke." – Heather

Email Marketing

• Small steps:
  • Instead of “monthly newsletter,” just gather and organize customer emails into a spreadsheet and send one email per quarter.
  • Supporting Quote:
    • (23:33)

      "If that's all you had to do and you're like, well, that only takes me five minutes, congratulations. You went to the gym, you scanned your card. That's your goal." – Heather

Website Creation

• Start Simple, Then Build:
  • Use JotForm for order intake before worrying about building a complete website.
  • Supporting Quote:
    • (27:05)

      "It's simple, it's bare bones, but it's something—it's Burke, not Everest." – Heather

Photography & Packaging

• Iterative Upgrades:
  • Buy a white matte backdrop. Use one consistent style. Begin post-processing gradually.
  • Find a “workhorse” box style for orders, get a professional business card, and add simple brand-colored ribbon.
  • Supporting Quotes:
    • (31:30, 36:39)

      “If every photo you take is on one plate with a white background, and every picture is that way and incrementally gets better, you'll see a difference." – Heather
      "If all that came out of your bakery this year was a white box, matching ribbon, and a business card, you’d have improved your packaging monumentally—Burke Lake style." – Heather

Skill-Building (Lettering, Techniques, etc.)

• One class at a time.
  • Supporting Quote:
    • (37:14)

      "I'm going to source just one class focused on basic lettering. Take it three times, practice, and then maybe get a projector. That’s my Burke Lake." – Heather

3. The Psychology of Goals & Habits

• Why Massive Goals Fail:
  Missing a huge goal feels devastating and leads to quitting, while missing a mini-goal feels recoverable.

  • (04:02–04:29)

    “My goal was just to walk in the door and scan my gym card. If I turned around, so be it! That’s success.” – Heather

• The Power of Habit Tracking:
  Forget “goals”—track and build habits.

  • (40:19–42:42)

    “I don’t have goals. I call it a habit tracker... Did I drink water? Did I walk? Did I wear sunscreen?... The more I check off these, the better I feel.” – Heather

• Small Steps Multiply Over Time:

  • (43:21)

    "If I increased every experience today by 1%, after 30 experiences, that's a 30% improvement. Incremental adds up." – Heather

4. Measuring the Right Metrics

• Likes and Follower Counts Don't Feed You:
  The focus is on true engagement and conversion—local followers, actual orders, quality email list, etc.

  • (14:31, 48:14)

    “I'd rather a group of 25,000 really active bakers than 50,000 who never post. Quality over quantity—always.” – Heather
    “I see local bakers with a quarter the followers but turning clients away. That tells you it’s not the number—it’s the quality.” – Corrie

• Set a Success Metric That Matches Your Goal:
  If your goal is to reach specific local zip codes, prioritize local follows and watch time over global views.

  • (56:14–58:25)

    “My metric is to look deep into insights and see where my local followers are coming from... Watch time tells me if the right people are sticking around.” – Corrie

5. Adapting to Algorithms and Trends

• Algorithm Awareness (Reposting Content):
  Reposting identical copy can kill your reach—make each post unique.

  • (79:52–80:14)

    “Reposting the same copy kills reach. The algorithm sees all... The more unique your content, the better it performs.” – Corrie

• Leveraging New Tech & Tools:
  AI can now “see” your content.

  • (81:06–82:12)

    "Now gone. Now you have visual—AI can see things. It’s learning from us and we’re learning from it.” – Heather

6. Modeling Relatability & Community-Building

• Personal Touches Make Brands Memorable:
  Corrie shares her Burke Lake–sized 2026 goal: Be relatable so people think of “Corrie” when they think of cookies, not just “Mixing Bowl Cookie Co.” Her steps: attend local events, make relatable local content, show her face, and track actual local follower growth as the success metric.

  • (54:15–57:44)

    “My goal is to become your local bestie. I want you to say, I found this restaurant from Corrie, you might know her, she runs Mixing Bowl...” – Corrie

• Social Proof & Vulnerability:
  Sharing personal stories and small wins builds authenticity and customer loyalty.

  • (60:47–61:46)

    “When bakers pull back the apron and show like ‘we just had another baby’—the likes go astronomical. People want to know about you, not just the cookies.” – Corrie

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Realistic Resolutions:

  “Nobody cares if you walked around Burke Lake. It’s not sexy. But maybe Everest was never the goal anyway. Maybe it was just hiking more.” — Heather (06:28)

• On Goal Psychology:

  "Missing a smaller goal brings less guilt and it’s easier to start again. Massive goals just increase the guilt when you fall short." — Corrie (04:05)

• On Genuine Community Engagement:

  “25 people who open their wallets and pay me beat out 118,000 who won’t.” — Corrie (18:58)

• On Comparing Social Metrics:

  “There’s quality and quantity. Three local people a week who buy? That’s everything. 1,000 random followers? That’s nothing.” — Heather (11:12)

• On Incremental Learning:

  “Small improvements over a long period of time—Berke Lake, Berke Lake, Berke Lake, then Everest.” — Heather (32:32)

• On Knowing Yourself:

  "No one knows you better. You know you like lofty goals, but maybe you’re not the 1%-er. And that’s actually great if you own it.” — Corrie (45:01)

• On Letting Go of Ego:

  “Mount Everest goals are for telling other people. But Bruke Lake is for me—I just have to walk through the doors. I can leave if I want!” — Heather (39:14)

• On Starting Small, Tracking Progress:

  “If you only get 7 likes on a post, but 7 people order, are you a failure? Absolutely not.” — Heather (20:22)

Practical “Burke Lake” Steps Outlined

Social:

• 3 new local followers a week via featuring a local business (+ sharing in a group). Email:
• Gather current emails, organize spreadsheet, send quarterly. Website:
• Collect orders via JotForm, test simple web builders later. Photography:
• Buy a matte backdrop, one white plate, take identical shots, upgrade tools as needed. Packaging:
• Pick one workhorse box, simple brand colors, standard business card. Skills:
• Find and complete one practical class, repeat it, invest in one tool if needed.

Listener Q&A & Community Segment [70:29+]

• Goal-Setting for Military Spouses:
  Advice to a listener who wants to run classes but moves often:

  • Start with a small, 4-person class (even if break-even), get content, then leverage military spouses groups at each new location. Focus on learning the ropes, not immediate profit.
    • (72:15–74:44)

• Thoughts on Online Course Platforms (School.com/Udemy):
  Digital products can be a great passive income, but focus on dialing in your bakery first. Be aware: margins are lower, competition is high, and platforms take a cut.

  • (76:04–77:47)

• Best Practices for Reposting Social Content:

  • Avoid copy/paste reuse—algorithms notice and suppress reach. Edit, personalize, and update every post for best engagement.

• LinkedIn for Bakers:

  • Build local relationships by commenting on actual people’s posts, not just company pages. After networking events, connect and engage individually as your brand or personal profile.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:25] – On the “shoot for the fence, possibly hit the stars” mentality
• [06:11] – Everest vs. Burke Lake: Making your goals smaller and sustainable
• [10:25–12:22] – Focus on acquiring real, local followers
• [18:00–19:10] – Local viral post case study (First Watch sign cookie)
• [23:33] – Practical Burke Lake email marketing
• [27:05] – Stepwise website building
• [31:30] – Consistency in photography and packaging
• [37:14] – Skill-building: tactical way to approach lettering classes
• [40:19–42:42] – Forget goals, build habits
• [54:15–57:44] – Corrie’s personal 2026 “relatable local baker” goal
• [79:52–80:14] – The risks of reposting identical social content
• [81:06–82:12] – The evolving role of AI in marketing

Overall Takeaway

Big flashy goals (Mount Everest) often fail and discourage. Instead, small, consistent, and highly relevant steps (Burke Lake) tailor-made to your business and market will quietly build momentum. Focus on incremental improvements, habit-building, and true connection with local buyers—and your bakery will grow, one attainable hike at a time.

For more resources, marketing classes, and community:
Explore the Sugar Cookie Marketing group on Facebook, join their membership (“Cookie College”), or check out upcoming bootcamps and resources at sugarcookiemarketing.com.

Fun Sign-Off: Heather & Corrie are off to eat at Rosemary’s Thyme—a local restaurant with sentimental value, soon to close after 18 years, closing the episode with a bit of nostalgia and reminder to savor small moments (Burke Lake style), both in business and in life.