Podcast Summary

Baking it Down with Sugar Cookie Marketing 🍪

Episode 242: "Losing the Loser – Reframing 2026"
Hosts: Heather and Corrie Miracle
Date: December 30, 2025

Overview: Main Theme and Purpose

This episode is all about reframing how bakers—and business owners in general—think about failures, setbacks, and “not winning.” 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 hobbies—Heather is starting rug tufting, Corrie has let go of mandala painting.
• Insight: It’s healthy to quit hobbies or projects that are no longer fulfilling. Both “quitting when you’re done” and “quitting when you know it’s not for you” are ok.
• Quote: “Sometimes it was here for a season, and the season was what it was supposed to be here for... and both are healthy.” — Heather (03:41)

2. Mindset Around Self-Talk and Goals

• The sisters delve deeply into how your internal narrative shapes business outcomes.
• If you’re 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: “If 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.” — Heather (04:59)
• Contrast: “Bully baker” (mean self-talk, always focuses on failures) vs. “Believer baker” (kind self-talk, recalibrates, celebrates small wins).

[06:41] Goals and “Loser” Talk

• As the year ends, lots of bakers reflect on goals not met. Heather and Corrie urge listeners to avoid “loser” self-talk.
• Insight: Not meeting a goal is not a failure, it’s a recalibration opportunity.
• Quote: “Both are accurate statements. One reframes him to be more gentle to himself.” — Heather on Thomas Edison’s “10,000 failures” (07:26)

3. Reframing Failure Through Action

[09:05] Resolutions & The Bully vs. Believer Baker

• Bully baker: “I didn’t accomplish any of my resolutions,” ignores all progress.
• Believer baker: “I recalibrated my resolutions to what is sustainable.”
• 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 “not winning” 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 year—her macarons still weren't perfect, but she's closer.
• Quote: “I have all the materials now to crack the code... I'm close.” — 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 process—not a sign of weakness.
• “My crown is that I did the 20 minutes, not that I created a perfect rug.” — Heather (18:29)

5. The Importance of Community and Vulnerability

• Sugar Cookie Marketing (the Facebook Group) is a safe space to “fail forward.”
• Celebrate asking “dumb” questions: “The dumb is the win.” — 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 “big breaks.”
• Big breaks (“I’m burnt out, don't contact me”) hurt business, but strategic, planned breaks are essential.
• Quote: “A break where you just spent seven days beating yourself up, what kind of break is that?” — 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 haven’t 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 class—most people would have quit after 5 attempts.

8. Progress Not Perfection—Dopamine Hits and Persistence

• Celebrate small wins: Each “20 minutes” (on tufting, baking, or marketing) is success.
• Quote: “20 minutes over a long period of time equals really cool looking rugs. There is just no way around this.” — 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 2026—deep dives into topics like teaching classes, photography, pre-sales.
• “Storyboarding” will guide each bootcamp to ensure clear, stepwise instruction.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“If you are not your best friend, you can't expect anybody else to be.” – Heather (04:59)

“Both 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.” – Heather (07:26)

“You’re 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.” – Heather (18:37)

“The dumb is the win. It’s asking the dumb question that means you’re trying.” – Corrie (21:48)

“Don't turn back now. You're so close. You're cracking the code.” – Heather (19:13)

“A break where you just spent seven days beating yourself up—what kind of break is that?” – Heather (33:12)

“Corey’s compassionate talk to herself will be the A-plus…because you did it, not because it won.” – Heather (39:39)

“The first thought’s always the first thought, but the second thought is your choice.” – 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, “we’re in this together” vibe. Heather and Corrie maintain an upbeat, encouraging tone—even when discussing self-doubt and setbacks.

Takeaways for Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

• Be kinder to yourself: How you self-talk affects your success, your perseverance, and your happiness.
• Quitting is okay—sometimes: Letting go of hobbies or approaches that don’t serve you is healthy.
• Reframe failure as learning: Every setback is a step forward if you learn from it.
• Success is iterative: Whether it’s 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 “bootcamps” for bakers in 2026—opportunities to learn and connect at every stage.

Closing Thought:
Remember, “The first thought is always the first thought, but the second thought is your choice.” Practice reframing, celebrate your process, and don’t talk yourself out of your own success. Here’s to a stronger, more confident 2026!