Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shandy Thorell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shandy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Our mission is to fill people’s souls with happiness through food. Food speaks to your soul, your memory, your body, and your mind. It must taste good; but is also must bring wonderful feelings. We bake just the way the past generations did, like our grandmothers. When you eat wonderful things in your childhood it leaves the memory, the smell, the taste, the experience and, the people you were experiencing it with. They are all left in your mind. Our goal is to tap into those wonderful memories by giving you some of the same tastes and smells and love you felt in past years. My bakery is like walking into a Swedish mother’s kitchen with all the sights, smells, and love it encompasses.

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.

My past corporate experience was in Human Resources, which led to owning my own business writing grants and giving corporate trainings. I was a corporate trainer/public speaker for about 16 years when the grant funds started to dry up. I decided to write a motivational book to launch my career into the motivational side of speaking; however, while the book was still in editing, my funds were drying up quickly. I had four children and were struggling to put food on the table. I knew how to bake; I had a bit of flour and sugar and eggs in our cupboard. I decided to try to make baked goods and sell them to try to provide some money. I had learned how to bake from my mother and both grandmothers. It was always an act of love. I started baking cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, Swedish rye and breakfast breads to sell on the weekend. The kids would pull a little red wagon around the neighborhood, knock on doors and sell my baked goods. We did ok, we would make enough to get grocery money for the week. As fall approached that year, I decided to expand the baking arena, so I started signing up for tables at craft shows and holiday shows and farmers markets. From then on it is history. The bakery grew and grew, requiring me to move from our home into a shared rented kitchen. After four years of being in business, I had enough following and growth to get my very own brick and mortar building. Since then, we have won the Omaha World Herald People’s Choice award of “Best Bakery in Omaha” twice and I have been published in the “Omaha Magazine.” I have had six years of continual growth in my store front including the years through covid. Currently we are working on a bigger and better bakery which we will move into February of 2025. I believe I have had this much success because of our strong faith in God and His plan and because of my strong connection to my customers. We connect on a personal level not just a business level. We try to put all of that love from past generations into our product and I believe whole heartly that when people eat out breads or cookies or yummy baked goods, they can taste the love.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

As I explained before, my “plan” in life was to write a book and become a national motivational speaker; however my plan was not what God had planned for me. I started baking out of necessity so we could get grocery money during the week. The bakery grew by leaps and bounds every year, my book never did really take off. Sometimes in life you have to see there is a path that just starts blossoming almost on its own. It might not be the path you had planned for your life, but once you embrace it, you find peace and see accomplishments that you never dreamed about.

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

The whispers of Covid started circling after my brick and mortar had only been open 14 months. The first year of the brick and mortar was very challenging with learning how to bake, and sell, and market in a completely new realm of business. There were many long hours of baking and worrying and stressing. When people started talking about Covid they stopped spending money on luxury/unnecessary items. They were spending all their money on toilet paper; I thought for sure it would be the death of my dream. The week the lockdown happened, I was sure in my mind I would have to close. Since I was a food product industry like a grocery store, I was allowed to stay open. Therefore I kept my doors open and kept going to work baking soul-touching foods. Almost overnight my business launched through the roof. I was swamped by people needing comfort food that brought them good memories. Who would have guessed banana bread can bring such comfort in your life… but it does. I immediately hired an employee and with the help of my children we grew bigger than I ever dreamed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shandysbakery.com
• Instagram: @shandys_swedish_bakery
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shandysbakery?mibextid=LQQJ4d