Podcast Summary
Baking it Down with Sugar Cookie Marketing đȘ
Episode 242: "Losing the Loser â Reframing 2026"
Hosts: Heather and Corrie Miracle
Date: December 30, 2025
Overview: Main Theme and Purpose
This episode is all about reframing how bakersâand business owners in generalâthink about failures, setbacks, and ânot winning.â Heather and Corrie, the sugar cookie marketing sisters, invite listeners to ditch self-defeating talk, let go of toxic positivity, and start speaking to themselves with kindness and realism. They focus on how small mindset shifts can set the tone for a more resilient, more successful, and ultimately, happier 2026.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Letting Go of Hobbies (and What That Means)
- The episode opens with the sisters talking about post-Christmas hobbiesâHeather is starting rug tufting, Corrie has let go of mandala painting.
- Insight: Itâs healthy to quit hobbies or projects that are no longer fulfilling. Both âquitting when youâre doneâ and âquitting when you know itâs not for youâ are ok.
- Quote: âSometimes it was here for a season, and the season was what it was supposed to be here for... and both are healthy.â â Heather (03:41)
2. Mindset Around Self-Talk and Goals
- The sisters delve deeply into how your internal narrative shapes business outcomes.
- If youâre always mean to yourself or seeking validation from others, progress becomes harder.
- Insight: Learn to be your own biggest supporter, not your own worst critic.
- Quote: âIf you are not your best friend, you can't expect anybody else to be. If you don't like you, you're not rooting for you.â â Heather (04:59)
- Contrast: âBully bakerâ (mean self-talk, always focuses on failures) vs. âBeliever bakerâ (kind self-talk, recalibrates, celebrates small wins).
[06:41] Goals and âLoserâ Talk
- As the year ends, lots of bakers reflect on goals not met. Heather and Corrie urge listeners to avoid âloserâ self-talk.
- Insight: Not meeting a goal is not a failure, itâs a recalibration opportunity.
- Quote: âBoth are accurate statements. One reframes him to be more gentle to himself.â â Heather on Thomas Edisonâs â10,000 failuresâ (07:26)
3. Reframing Failure Through Action
[09:05] Resolutions & The Bully vs. Believer Baker
- Bully baker: âI didnât accomplish any of my resolutions,â ignores all progress.
- Believer baker: âI recalibrated my resolutions to what is sustainable.â
- Story: Heather's past fitness coach allowed treats once a week, teaching flexibility is more sustainable.
Dopamine and Motivation [11:03]
- The hosts bring in neuroscience: after intense positive stimuli (like TikTok), the brain swings to negative to rebalance (like a hangover).
- Insight: Don't let negative self-talk after ânot winningâ push you to give up; instead, reframe and recalibrate.
4. Learning by Doing and Failing Forward
[13:15] Course Completions & Failure as Process
- Corrie describes finally finishing a macaron class after a yearâher macarons still weren't perfect, but she's closer.
- Quote: âI have all the materials now to crack the code... I'm close.â â Corrie (14:52)
- Insight: Each imperfect batch/class/photo is a step closer. Failing is necessary to reach mastery.
[17:03] Build in Failure
- The struggle and failure are part of the processânot a sign of weakness.
- âMy crown is that I did the 20 minutes, not that I created a perfect rug.â â Heather (18:29)
5. The Importance of Community and Vulnerability
- Sugar Cookie Marketing (the Facebook Group) is a safe space to âfail forward.â
- Celebrate asking âdumbâ questions: âThe dumb is the win.â â Corrie (21:48)
- Vulnerability in groups helps you make the ask and get to the next level.
6. Dealing with Burnout, Breaks, and Customers [26:29]
- Post-holiday, many bakers want to take âbig breaks.â
- Big breaks (âIâm burnt out, don't contact meâ) hurt business, but strategic, planned breaks are essential.
- Quote: âA break where you just spent seven days beating yourself up, what kind of break is that?â â Heather (33:12)
- Reframe customer frustrations: Most client annoyances are honest misunderstandings, not malice.
- Removing especially problematic clients can make space for positive customer relationships.
7. Pre-Sales & Audience Building [34:38]
- Bully baker blames competition for poor pre-sale turnout.
- Believer baker notes they havenât cultivated audience habits for pre-sales yet and commits to improving.
- Insight: Success in pre-sales comes from repeated, adaptive efforts, not one-off perfection.
- Story: The hosts took 3 years to sell out a cookie classâmost people would have quit after 5 attempts.
8. Progress Not PerfectionâDopamine Hits and Persistence
- Celebrate small wins: Each â20 minutesâ (on tufting, baking, or marketing) is success.
- Quote: â20 minutes over a long period of time equals really cool looking rugs. There is just no way around this.â â Heather (39:43)
- Watch how you speak to yourself; train self-compassion like building muscle at the gym.
9. Tactical Listener Q&A [58:56 & 63:29]
- Newsletter content ideas: Add local event highlights, small business spotlights, tips, and highly relevant community content.
- Starting a website: If you need simple, start with Bakesy, MyCustomBakes, or Jotform for low cost and ease of setup. Shopify is powerful, but may be overkill (and more expensive) until you're ready.
10. Announcements & Upcoming Features [49:55+]
- Sugar Cookie Marketing is launching structured business bootcamps in 2026âdeep dives into topics like teaching classes, photography, pre-sales.
- âStoryboardingâ will guide each bootcamp to ensure clear, stepwise instruction.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
âIf you are not your best friend, you can't expect anybody else to be.â â Heather (04:59)
âBoth are accurate. He failed 10,000 times. He figured out 10,000 ways it doesn't work until he came to the one that works⊠One reframes him to be more gentle to himself.â â Heather (07:26)
âYouâre not going to create a perfect rug... Build in failure as part of the process. It's the 10,000 ways it doesn't work to get to the one where it does.â â Heather (18:37)
âThe dumb is the win. Itâs asking the dumb question that means youâre trying.â â Corrie (21:48)
âDon't turn back now. You're so close. You're cracking the code.â â Heather (19:13)
âA break where you just spent seven days beating yourself upâwhat kind of break is that?â â Heather (33:12)
âCoreyâs compassionate talk to herself will be the A-plusâŠbecause you did it, not because it won.â â Heather (39:39)
âThe first thoughtâs always the first thought, but the second thought is your choice.â â Heather (47:49)
Important Timestamps
Letting Go & Self-Talk: [03:41]
Bully Baker vs. Believer Baker: [06:41], [09:05], [12:12]
Reframing Failure & Dopamine: [07:26], [13:49], [18:29]
Community and Vulnerability: [16:32], [21:48]
Burnout & Breaks: [26:29], [28:07], [33:12]
Pre-Sales & Audience Building: [34:38],[38:10]
Persistence and Small Wins: [39:43], [42:26]
Newsletter Tips: [58:56], [61:07]
Starting a Website: [63:29]
New Bootcamps & Structure: [49:55], [53:31]
Natural Flow, Language and Tone
The entire episode is conversational, humorous, and rooted in real experience. There is playful sibling banter, concrete business advice, honest admissions of struggle, and a supportive, âweâre in this togetherâ vibe. Heather and Corrie maintain an upbeat, encouraging toneâeven when discussing self-doubt and setbacks.
Takeaways for Listeners Who Havenât Tuned In
- Be kinder to yourself: How you self-talk affects your success, your perseverance, and your happiness.
- Quitting is okayâsometimes: Letting go of hobbies or approaches that donât serve you is healthy.
- Reframe failure as learning: Every setback is a step forward if you learn from it.
- Success is iterative: Whether itâs macarons, marketing, or muscle-building, progress comes in small, persistent increments.
- Celebrate small wins: Strategic, kind self-talk and bite-size progress yield massive long-term results.
- Structure for sustainability: Build breaks into your business, curate positive clients, and invest in ongoing learning.
- Join the community: Sugar Cookie Marketing is expanding with practical business âbootcampsâ for bakers in 2026âopportunities to learn and connect at every stage.
Closing Thought:
Remember, âThe first thought is always the first thought, but the second thought is your choice.â Practice reframing, celebrate your process, and donât talk yourself out of your own success. Hereâs to a stronger, more confident 2026!
