We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jillisa Kraemer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jillisa, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

It was a Sunday just like any other for us in May 2022. My husband, daughter (4yo at the time) & I were in our car on our way to our weekly visit & dinner with family.

My mind had been on overload thinking of our first year of homeschooling approaching, as well as how in the world we were going to pay down the debts we had accrued, as we were a one-income family. So, I prayed, asking God for the answer – Was there a way I could help bring in extra income without sacrificing being a Stay-at-home-Mom, and, if so, could it be something that could be part of homeschooling somehow so that it could also benefit my daughter?

In less than 10 minutes, God not only gave me the answer; He gave me the step-by-step plans & details.

I had full clarity: Use my gift of baking that I was already using for family & friends and turn it into a home-bakery that involved Selah (my daughter). We would niche in high-quality products made with organic & non-GMO ingredients, as well as no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners, to match our food values at home.

It was extra funny, though, because I always swore I’d never turn my baking into a business, even after others brought up the possibility in the past, but of course God had other plans.

It would be called Mommy & Me Bakery, and we would start taking pre-orders THAT NIGHT for the following week. The Facebook page would be created combining Selah’s & my colors of choice for branding to symbolize the bond that would be strengthened (and that had taken years to build, which is a whole ‘nother story), through this opportunity.

We would not only sell via social media, but we would do farmers’ markets for the first time.

Through all this, Selah would learn math, science, budgeting & investment, as well as real-life skills, of course, and I would grow in patience, improve baking skills, and learn how to have a successful market stand, as well as the dos & don’ts of small business.

The markets definitely were a “learn-as-we-went” kind of thing, but honestly, I think that helped, taking steps even without knowing exactly how or what they should look like. It was a lot of stepping out in faith before I was “ready,” and making changes as needed.

It was a lot of surrender.

Quickly, this “side hustle”/hobby grew, as well as our regular customer base, and by fall, we had weekly orders to fulfill, we launched subscription boxes & had exclusive holiday products in local shops. We even ventured into our first partnership, both of us (the shop owner & myself) hopeful to offer more to our community, and, though it ended up not being a great fit partnership-wise, it helped me grow in confidence in the long-term direction of the bakery.

By summer 2023, we knew larger expansion was inevitable, as we had been contacted by a local shop about having our baked goods in their store, and we asked to collaborate with some other local shops off a whim, at which point, they all agreed, which meant licensing, finding a commercial kitchen & mega-batching items.

When we licensed, I made the difficult decision to change our name to Wholly Nourished Market LLC to fit our holistic business/values, as we offer more than quality baked goods. We also offer mentoring (related to birth trauma) & digital products for Moms, both for healing & a rythmic lifestyle.

By Fall 2023 we were partnered with 4 local businesses in Duluth, Superior & Solon Springs, including the TNT Xchange, 2540 Coffee House, Wine Beginnings & Balanced Wellness & are currently working on more.

It has been quite a crazy ride (& continues to be). What started as a small thing with a main focus on homeschool & family grew exponentially & quickly into a full-blown, unexpected business.

Over the last blur of a year & a half, the learning has felt endless, going from following cottage food laws to learning license protocols, book-keeping & getting used to baking in a different kitchen with different ovens and figuring out a happy integration of life as a wife, mom, friend, homemaker, teacher, entrepreneur, etc.

The time & effort that has been required is insane, and I’m still finding a happy integration, but I also try to give myself grace as I lean into God for each next step & for His sustenance, joy & peace through the chaos. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next year and a half!

Jillisa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’ve had to unlearn that business looks a certain way – that it fits into a specific box & only runs well when done according to “business gurus.”

While it’s true, there are certain systems that work well & specific things that need to be done, it’s NOT TRUE that it can only be successful if you are an expert marketer or hire an expert marketer, that you have to be married to your business for it to thrive, that you have to burn the candle at both ends in order to make it, that you can’t offer multiple things (aka focus on ONE niche only), etc.

When I let go of the “shoulds,” that’s when my business thrived the most! And, honestly, I should have known that because that’s how I tend to live my daily life – not people pleasing. Let’s be real, though, it took me a LONG time to get to that point, but once people-pleasing no longer dictated my decisions, life became simpler & more enjoyable, just like business!!

Slowly, I’ve let go of what I’ve been told a successful business looks like & set my own bar of “success.” And that’s just it, success looks different for everyone! It’s not a one-size-fits-all, despite what you’ll read online, see “experts” share, and even hear friends tell you in trying to encourage you.

There is no one right way to do business

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

Oh my goodness, there have been SO many pivots in all areas of life in the last 9 years that have led me right her, exactly where I’m supposed to be! Honestly, I probably won’t be able to even touch on all of them, but I do believe it’s crucial to share the importance of being flexible & learning to go with the flow at times, even when it doesn’t make sense!

9 years ago, I was cosmetologist working in a local salon. It had been my dream since I was a little girl (probably about 3 or 4 years old), but it turned out that working in a salon wasn’t for me – I enjoyed doing hair, but I couldn’t stand the environment & didn’t want to be drug down by it. So, I ended up working at United HealthCare as an Enrollment & Eligibility Representative doing data entry. I knew I didn’t want to work a desk job my whole life, and this is about the time the entrepreneurial bug really set in.

At the same time, I was dabbling in Network Marketing (NWM), which, if we’re being honest, gets a TERRIBLE wrap for very valid reasons, though I will say that if done with the right intentions, with serving/helping others at the forefront & being solution-based, instead of simply for a quick sale, it can be amazing & transformational, but I’m not here to convince anyone of that, nor do I even persue NWM anymore.

A couple years into working at United HealthCare, I decided to go all in to NWM to try to make a full-time income. It was one of the only options I knew at the time that could offer entrepreneurial opportunity when I had no idea what else I would do business-wise on my own. And, to be honest, I’m very grateful for it because it taught me a lot & helped open my eyes to other opportunities for myself, at which point I persued health & wellness mentoring outside of NWM. While it wasn’t a successful endeavor financially, it was another opportunity that taught me a ton & grew me.

About a year later, in 2017, I got unexpectedly & unwantedly pregnant with my daughter, Selah. Boy, did that throw me for a loop. I had NEVER planned to be a Mom…like EVER.

Here’s where the real pivots came.

Mentally & Emotionally, I struggled.
Physically, I struggled.
The craziest part, though…Spiritually, I grew.

This one thing I never wanted in my life caused me to turn to God & FULLY surrender. There were no other options for me.

It was during this most challenging point in my life when I decided I would be a Stay-at-home-Mom. I was so confused, though, because I had always pictured myself working outside the home & wasn’t completely sure what this transition would look like.

Because of Selah, my life trajectory completely changed for the better, even after experiencing a traumatic birth, which was actually the catalyst to a deeper calling in my life – birth trauma mentoring, as well as other forms of mentoring for Moms (seems so far off from the bakery stuff, I know).

Pregnancy had led me to midwifery school of all things, and since I was in a midwifery apprenticeship after Selah was born, once I had processed my own birth trauma, I was able to use my experience to begin mentoring Moms through their experiences (honestly, without even fully realizing it was what I was doing).

Unexpectedly, though, I was let go from my apprenticeship with just months to go until completed, but I had such a sense of peace. I didn’t know why, but I remember asking God to show me the why, to lead me exactly where I was supposed to go from there.

That very night, I outlined what would be “The Selah Journal,” a self-guided healing journey journal for processing birth trauma, and a few weeks later, I launched a group mentorship program based on the journal, which, over time, led to individual mentoring.

A couple years later, as Selah approached school-age, my focus shifted to her homeschooling & what that would look like, which led to the bakery (still mentoring on the side), as I shared previously.

So, needless to say, it’s been quite the ride, with lots of twists & turns, each one of them teaching me something new & expanding my service ability, specifically in a holistic, whole-body approach, and increasing my resilience over time.

Contact Info:

• Website: whollynourishedmarket.com
• Instagram: @whollynourishedmomma
• Facebook: facebook.com/whollynourishedmarket

Image Credits
WDIO The Lift (screenshot from video segment) *pic of myself & my daughter* Rest are my own