We were lucky to catch up with Rachel Feehan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I grew up in a home where my mom encouraged my passion for baking and living a healthy lifestyle. Baking for others gives me such joy and fulfillment, and over the years, I have been able to use my gifts and abilities to serve my family, friends, church, and community. It did not take long for people to inquire about whether I would be interested in selling my baked goods. In 2017, I decided to make things more official, and Rachel Mae Bakes was born. Little by little, my bakery has gained traction over the years, and in 2022, business exploded when I began to offer Truly 100% Organic Sourdough Baked Goods to my customers.

When I made the decision to use 100% Organic ingredients and combine it with 100% Sourdough, absolutely no other local bakeries in my area were offering this unique combination. In fact, the majority of the organic sourdough recipes I use are ones that I have created over the last several years. Providing original recipe creations found nowhere else has provided an additional perk that my loyal customers thoroughly appreciate and enjoy. I have finally found a way to merge my 2 passions – baking and healthy living.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Rachel Mae Bakes is a side hustle I began 6 years ago. Baking Sourdough has been something I have dabbled with on and off for the last 10 years. 5 years ago, I decided I wanted to consistently bake sourdough baked goods for my family. Upon further research, I realized that baking with organic ingredients wasn’t just a nice idea, it was essential

Now, all of the Truly 100% Organic Artisan Sourdough I bake is baked with 100% organic ingredients baked fresh to order, never previously frozen. Responsibly sourcing ingredients and paying more for them is foundational for the baked goods that I create, using local ingredients when possible. Each loaf is individually handcrafted, 100% organic sourdough, using wild yeast and long fermentation with no commercial yeast ever. The very popular 2.5 lb. sourdough sandwich loaf consists of organic flour, Redmond Real Salt, and Crystal Springs purified water. I also offer Organic Sourdough Artisan Boules, Honey Oat, Cheddar Jalapeño, Cinnamon Swirl Raisin, Sweet Molasses Brown Bread, French Bread, Baguettes, and continue to add a variety of flavors to my menu. I have several faithful customers who appreciate the simplicity of the sourdough sandwich loaves I bake, as well as the more unusual varieties offered. There are many who have made a point to let me know (sometimes with happy tears) that they’ve found a way to enjoy bread again without joint pain, digestive distress, or brain fog. This feedback motivates me to continue to offer the very best to my customers.

Most of my customers come to me for 100% organic sourdough, but are unaware that I also bake organic baked goods such as mini scones, muffins, coffeecakes, cookies, cupcakes, etc. For many years, I have sold baked goods unrelated to sourdough, but it has been the 100% organic sourdough that has brought the hundreds of customers I have today.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

As much as is possible, I attempt to live a life of generosity to others. The Abundance Mindset is something I take seriously, I strive to seek out opportunities in which I can bless other people. I have found that living in this way attracts all sorts of individuals, the majority of them being like-minded. However, I have learned that not everyone are has the same thought process when dealing with others. I have learned to exercise more business discernment when it comes to who I choose to collaborate with. The disappointments are worth it in every way as I have met many, many wonderful people along this journey.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

People over Profit is a motto I desire to keep at the forefront of my “why”. Building relationships with my customers is an outflow of what is important to me in this life. Yes, I absolutely should make a living wage, but the people who come to me know without a shadow of a doubt that I care about them individually. Taking the time to chat with them, get to know about their families, help them on their own sourdough journies (without taking a dime for it), pray for them, give them free organic sourdough baked goods just because are just some of the reasons I have such a high percentage of return customers. I am all for making a profit, but if making a name for myself ever becomes my end goal, it will indicate to me that I have lost sight of what is important.

People come to my bakery business because they know:

1. 100% Organic Sourdough means 100% Organic Sourdough.

2. Transparent Marketing – no cutting corners using non-organic ingredients, honest claims about ingredient sourcing, ALL photos are my own work, recipes I did not create are not claimed as my own recipes, etc

3. Baked Goods are Fresh, Fresh, Fresh! It is a common occurrence to send home WARM baked goods to my customers. None of my customers purchase previously frozen organic sourdough baked goods or baked goods made several days ago.

4. PROMPT communication replies.

5. Custom Baked Goods with amazing flavor profiles found only at Rachel Mae Bakes.

Placing the customer and his/her needs above profit is foundational for why I do what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rachelmaebakes.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/rachelmaebakes?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelmaebakes?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Image Credits
Rachel Feehan