Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kevin Haux. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kevin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?

Not all families have the ability to work well together, but I am lucky to say my bakery is a true family run business. From the very beginning, my family has stood behind me, ready to help in whatever way possible. After starting from my parents kitchen, both my sister and my mother have become very involved in baking and also the retail side of things. I taught my sister the ins and outs of sourdough and have watched my mom turn into the best “momager” around. I’ve found that the biggest advantages for us is our ability to communicate so well, and the lengths we’ll go to support one another. Having a chronic illness there are days when I am unable to work, but I always know I have support behind me. No questions asked, if I need help my family is there. But as with anything, there are always downfalls. For instance, it doesn’t take long to get on each others nerves. Spending so much time together can interfere with any relationship and we are no different. Despite this, we never fail to work things out, and learn from every experience. If my children were to grow up and want to join my business, I would welcome them with open arms. It isn’t an easy job and I certainly wouldn’t give them the easy way out, but I know they’d learn how to work hard. I’ve heard many people say “don’t mix family and business” but I could not disagree more. Seeing how my family stepped up to support my dream showed me just how amazing family businesses are.

Kevin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

At ten years old I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. From then on I was in and out of hospitals and spent quite a lot of time watching TV. For some reason as a kid who couldn’t eat, Food Network became my favorite channel. Watching all of the cooking shows made me realize one way I could take control of my health was through the foods I ate. Around fourteen I began cooking dinners for my family so I could make sure everything I ate was the best possible for my gut health. Cook books became my favorite pastime and youtube videos taught me the rest. Eventually I started reading about the health benefits of sourdough and slowly I began making it for myself. I stuck to three ingredients, flour, water, salt, and decided I would only ever use natural leavening agents. Very quickly people in the community started to try my bread and I began to make more and more. I outgrew my parents kitchen and moved into the garage as well. With a bread oven I was able to make more bread than ever, selling it to local restaurants, farm stands, and joining a local farmers market. These opportunities helped my business explode allowing me to move into my first brick and mortar. At the bakery we focus on our sourdough breads and baked goods showing the community all that you can do with sourdough. I’m most proud of sticking true to my mission, feeding the people with the best possible ingredients.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Growing up baking was a passion but never did I think it would become my career. Initially when I went to college I went in as a marketing and advertising major but as my health decreased I no longer was able to be away at college. I knew it was best for me to be home, with the support of my family and doctors close by. I tried to complete my degree at a local community college while I baked on the side for fun. When I started to cook and bake for myself and my family I never expected it would be my whole life. When my hobby of baking turned into a real business, I did a complete pivot, changed my priorities, and began my career as a baker.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe kindness and honesty helped build my businesses reputation within the market. Initially my first customers were neighbors, family, and friends. Eventually by word of mouth, more and more people began to hear about my bread. As a business we kept it real, let people know we weren’t perfect, but would work as hard as possible to one day become so. We built many relationships in the community which helped us get into a local farm stand. From there we met many local business owners who appreciated where we began and wanted to work with us. Even now, our reputation in the community stands as we always put kindness first. I’m proud to say all of our reviews are five stars, and almost every single one of them mentions the kindness we show to our customers.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hauxnestbread/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hauxnestbread
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/haux-nest-bread-glens-falls

Image Credits

Glens Falls Chronicle