We recently connected with Kaytlin Bryant and have shared our conversation below.

Kaytlin , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you manage your own social media?

Since long before our crowd funding days 6 years ago I have held onto the roll of social media manager for the baking company. As the chef co-owner I have always felt that I have the best voice for my business. I love using my eye to capture moments worth sharing that I find beautiful about our processes and products. Using my personal knowledge of the nostalgic connection to these products has been key. Educating our customers on the ‘why’ and sharing our excitement toward baking on social media is a full-time job in itself. Keeping up with trends and maintaining engagement are important but it’s all about presenting authentically for our brand and nurturing that relationship with our community of followers.

Kaytlin , 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?

I entered the food and beverage business the way most people do. Taking a job during high school at a local fine dining establishment in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania I would have never guessed where that busser position would lead me. After several years working my way through the various positions at the Blakeslee Inn I was sure that this was my passion. Fairly early on I made the transition from front of house to back of house. By the time my high school graduation rolled around I was being promoted to Pastry Chef. I was already gravitating toward my niche. A few kitchens later plus a cross country move to Savannah Georgia I was introduced to naturally leavened processes and the miraculous science behind this type of baking. Fueled by an insatiable desire to learn- bread, and pastry became all I could think about. Our city had very little to offer as far as opportunity to learn about these things let alone buy them. I quickly realized the need within my community and together my fiancé Mark and I prepared ourselves to be the solution. We opened our doors in a tiny kitchen on the skirts of town and the people flocked. Fortune favored us, so did Savannah. For the last 6 years we have been serving our locals the foods we love through a growing retail outlet and wholesale partnerships across the city. Auspicious Baking Company has grown from two hospitality loving people with one retail day to a fully staffed production buisness with a team of nearly 30 likeminded individuals.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Covid- the biggest pivot of them all. It was March 2020 and we had just soft opened our new retail store. We were so excited to share more space with our customers. We set up a few tables for seating in our new cafe but Covid had other plans. Our local government was closing non-essential businesses. We were literally just opening the doors in the new space as nearly all our whole sale accounts were closing theirs, we all faced the same open ended question. What now? Over night we pulled the retail tables out of the cafe. Steel wire racks went in their place. We just had to be flexible, this needed to work, too many people depended on the success of our buisness. The model changed immediately to accommodate online preordering and socially distanced pick ups.

Any advice for managing a team?

Still, something I personally feel I learn at every day. Managing a team of creatives is no easy task. Getting to personally know my staff helps a lot. Knowing background and having a good understanding of their lives outside of work is very important. We prioritize balance and I find that keeps morale up. Cater to each individual. People can be so different. Taking the time to familiarize yourself with people’s temperament and learning styles goes a long way. What works for one person may not for the next.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.auspiciousbakingco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auspiciousbaking.co/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auspiciousbakingco/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/auspicious-baking-company-savannah-2