We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelsey Soule. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kelsey below.
Kelsey , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I missed several months of work in 2020 due to a back injury, and then COVID-19 struck, completely altering the food business. I quarantined myself and my family for a while and took time off work to recover my back. After going a few months without working I really missed cooking and I thought holding a curbside pick-up pop-up would be entertaining. Bringing boxes of pastries to people’s cars seemed like a brilliant idea because the pandemic was still going strong and people were trying to avoid contact with each other. I created a post on Instagram that included a tiny selection of my pastries. The first pop-up was so much fun, I made it a weekly event. After word spread, I realized that I was running out of room and capacity and had to cap my orders. The fact that people were eating pastries and returning made me feel very honored and touched. During a period when everyone felt so isolated and alone, it was a great way for me to connect with my community. That was the beginning of Soueld out pastries, and I will always remember that period with wonderful nostalgia! After hosting pop-ups for over two years, I joined together with Signal Coffee in 2022 and began selling my pastries at their cafe. I now serve as their head npastry chef and supply desserts to four East Bay cafes!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have nearly twelve years of experience in the food industry. I began working in a small children’s cafe at the age of 20 as a prep cook and dishwasher before moving into baking. I knew right away that this was what I wanted to do. Making pastries was my calling. I worked with incredibly skilled chefs in the Bay Area for ten years, honing my talents while bouncing between several bakeries and cafés. I launched my own company in 2020 and started selling pastries at curbside pop-ups during the pandemic. The creative freedom I always desired when working for someone else was provided by owning my own company. I made the decision to return to my roots and serve my favorite childhood treat, donuts! One of my proudest moments was seeing return customers, week after week.
How did you build your audience on social media?
My business was made possible by social media. I wouldn’t have had any customers without it! It required a lot of blogging, online marketing, and contacting previous customers. I had to rely entirely on social media and word-of-mouth because I didn’t have a storefront. To draw in people to come out and test my stuff, I would spend hours creating films, publishing images, and doing everything else that might catch their interest.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I believe a great deal of resilience is needed in the food industry as a whole. Early in my profession I was young, inexperienced, and my skillsjj weren’t as developed. Even though I was learning a lot in my multiple jobs, I wasn’t inspired creatively. During my career’s most lowest points, I thought about switching professions and starting anew. But my passion for food and creating pastries kept me going. One of the things I love most about being a chef is there is always something new to learn, some new skill to hone in on. I’ll be a student for the rest of my life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Souledout_pastries
