We recently connected with Kristin Brumm and have shared our conversation below.

Kristin, appreciate you joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

Pie Goddess is a part-time venture for me, as I work full-time in non-profit management. A great deal of marketing and advice geared towards small businesses is focused on growth and promotion. While that’s relevant for most businesses, I’ve had to work at creating boundaries so my baking business doesn’t grow too big. As much as I enjoy baking, I’ve had to learn how to say no and turn down opportunities, so that I can balance this business with my other work and the responsibilities of family life. When you work from home, it can be difficult to separate work from the personal sphere. This is especially true when my work space (the kitchen) is the heart of the home! I’m mindful that when I’m preparing for a big bake sale, it not only impacts me but my whole family.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Pie Goddess is a home-based bakery in Olathe, Kansas, which specializes in elaborate pie designs. I create custom designs to help clients celebrate special occasions and also offer a more extensive menu of offerings during the holidays.

I’ve always loved to bake and I’ve always been involved in some sort of creative venture, whether writing, quilting or needlework. As my kids got older and I had more time, I began channeling that creative energy into my baking. I started experimenting with decorative pie designs, which grew more elaborate as I learned more about the properties of dough. I shared my designs on Instagram, just for fun, and people began reaching out asking if they could buy the pies. This coincided with the beginning of the pandemic, when home-based work was definitely attractive, and I decided to open a small home-based bakery.

There are only a handful of bakers in the U.S. which offer this kind of decorative pie design, so it’s definitely a niche business. Perhaps because it’s so unusual, some of my designs have garnered a lot of attention and have been featured in different publications. Earlier this year, I was approached by Honda and partnered with them to create some car-themed pie designs for Pi Day, which was a lot of fun!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When my kids were young our family went through a challenging life passage involving domestic violence. It was a very scary and traumatic time, but as a result it made all of us much stronger. I also pivoted my career at that point to work in the field of domestic violence. It was important to me to help other survivors navigate what can feel like an impossible journey.

One of the gifts, if I can call it that, which came out of that difficult period was a shift in perspective. It really crystallized for me, with an almost death-bed clarity, what was important in life. For me that was my children, my loved ones and honoring my truth. Everything else was a distant second. While the violence passed, that clarity has stayed with me. It’s one of the reasons I want to make space in my life to express myself creatively. Doing so brings me a lot of joy and I realize now how important that is for my well being.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I think one of the best tools for growing social media is to show up authentically. Don’t be afraid to show your personality. Some of my best performing posts were ones that might be considered controversial, such as pie tops with messages that addressed racism or LGBTQ rights. While they may be off putting for a handful of people, I’m okay with that. Those aren’t my customers. Social justice is important to me and, as a creative, it’s naturally going to inform my work. A number of clients have sought me out specifically because they feel our values align.

When I think of my favorite accounts on social media, I enjoy them not only because they produce beautiful or thoughtful work, but because they show me who they are, and I like who they are. By showing their personality and values, they allow me to feel connected to them. I want to support them.

If life has taught me anything, it’s to take risks and be yourself, without apology. This is especially important for women, as we’ve been conditioned to apologize and make ourselves small and never make waves. But that’s such a limiting narrative. Use your voice. Take up space. Let the world see all the beauty you have to offer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://piegoddess.com
• Instagram: Instragram.com/pie_goddess
• Facebook: Facebook.com/piegoddessKS