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

Alright, Keegan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

In 2010 I was working up north in Big Rapids MI in a job that I didn’t like. I had just gotten out of a 7 year relationship and was floundering. I realized I wasn’t happy and I made the decision to do something about it. I’ve always wanted my own pastry shop / bakery and realized now was the time to go for it. I quit my job, moved down state to my parents basement and went to culinary school.

I was in my early forties and one of the oldest students in the Baking and Pastry Program at Schoolcraft College. While enrolled full time in culinary school, I worked 2 part time jobs; one at the college and the other at a small local bakery. When I graduated with honors from culinary school, I started working for another small bakery that specialized in custom wedding cakes. When we both realized it wasn’t a good fit, I began working as the Head Baker for a food co-op. In the 5 years in that position, I was able to transform the bakery department from 1 full time employee (me) to 5 full time employees with wholesale accounts at local cafes in town.

After 5 years, I was promoted to Food and Beverage Director for the co-op with 4 departments under my leadership. The GM and I had plans to grow the food program at the co-op and knew we needed a bigger kitchen. While looking for a suitable location, we found a small commercial kitchen that was a bakery on a lake in a very rural area. We both knew it was too far to be effective for the co-op, so we kept looking.

The place stuck with me and about a year later in August, I looked to see if it was still for sale. It was to my surprise and delight. I went to my local credit union with all my income and the listing to see if I could afford to buy it. The agent I was working with said yes, I could afford it but would need a considerable amount of money to put down on the house as well as closing costs. I didn’t have considerable savings so I figured I couldn’t afford it and was about to let it go when I remembered I had some sort of retirement from a previous job. I wondered if I could use those funds to buy the building. Working with financial advisors from the credit union, we realized I had a fully vested pension with more than enough funds to buy the bakery but since it was a pension, I couldn’t touch it until I turned 62, about 18 years away.

Then my mom passed away unexpectedly in September. I was reeling from this loss but took comfort in knowing my Granny was still with me. She is my inspiration for baking and always been my rock. The next January, Granny passed away. I was devastated.

I was still trying to find a way to afford to buy the bakery. 2 weeks after Granny passed away, I received a letter from the retirement services with a one time buy out offer on my pension. I took the buy out and began the process of buying the bakery. Now, here we are, beginning the 5th year in business serving our community.

Taking the pension buy out was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken in my life and it totally paid off!

Keegan, 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?

I was raised in Downriver Detroit in the 70’s and it was not an ideal childhood. After years of suffering abuses from family members, I attempted suicide at 12. Fortunately I was unsuccessful in that and the other attempts over the next year. I confided in a teacher at school who worked to get me counseling at school. The counselor recommended further treatment over the summer after my Freshman year and my family agreed to it. I left home and entered a youth psychiatric treatment center. This was the first one I entered. My mom relinquished custody of me to the State of Michigan’s Department of Mental Health and I became a ward of the State. From the first hospital, I was transferred to a state run facility near Ann Arbor where I stayed for over a year. While I was here, my mom moved out of state so when I was able to be discharged, I was sent to a residential treatment center in mid-Michigan. I lived here for a year before being placed into foster care. Because of when my birthday falls, (late October) I graduated high school at 17 and started college as a foster child.

During all this time, baking cookies and trying to make different pastries were a way to express myself and my emotions. When I felt bad, I baked. I would remember times with my Granny when I was young making Christmas cookies for family and friends and I always felt better.

Through out my life, baking and cooking were ways for me to handle difficult times. I can cook, but am. much better pastry chef.

The Lakehouse Bakery is my childhood dream come true. My goal is to provide baked goods to our community and spread love and kindness. My purpose is to make people smile and feel better about their day through the healing power of a cookie.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

While I was working for FedEx, I worked my way from an entry level Package Handler at the hub to Operations Manager at a local station. The management training I received as part of my promotion was excellent. I was able to explore, identify and focus on the management style that fit best with my personality; servant leadership. The training helped me put into words what I knew in my heart, that my job as a leader is to inspire and challenge my team by providing growth opportunities both personally and professionally.

In the mid to late 90’s, FedEx brought in Dr. Pat Heim as a guest speaker at a managers conference. Dr. Heim talked about gender differences and how to navigate them in the workplace. This was the first time I’d ever heard about gender differences, let alone how those differences impacted the workplace. I was stunned and never forgot the lessons she taught. That the differences aren’t good or bad, just different. I recently re-read her book “Invisible Rules” and was reminded how important it is to recognize differences and celebrate them.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

As I mentioned, I cashed in m pension to buy the building my bakery is in. Using the pension as the financing for the bakery didn’t leave me with any cash reserves. The pension funds quickly ran out and it’s been a financial struggle from the beginning.

In April of 2021 I became very sick. I just didn’t feel “right” one morning and my girlfriend and I went to the ER. We arrived and the tests began. Within an hour I was admitted for acute liver failure. That night an ICU doctor came to my room and strongly advised I get my affairs in order after telling me I was added to the liver transplant list. I was stunned. I didn’t feel “that bad” and had no idea how close I was to dying. My girlfriend and team at the bakery were incredible. Without hesitation, they worked to save the bakery. They took on all the tasks of running the bakery and did an amazing job of it. A dear friend started a Go Fund Me page to help keep the bakery afloat. I spent a week in the hospital after the doctors realized the treatment was working and I turned the corner and began to get better. It’s been over a year and a half and I’m as healthy as ever. The doctors have monitored my liver and after repeated blood work, pronounced me healthy and hale!

Without my girlfriend, team and the Go Fund Me, the bakery would have surely closed.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thelakehousebakery.com
• Instagram: thelakehousebakery
• Facebook: thelakehousebakery
• Twitter: @LakehouseBakery

Image Credits
All photos taken by Keegan Rodgers.