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

Valerie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

With a finance professor for a mom, I think I was destined to become a business owner. I will never forget deciding to run my first lemonade stand. I had to have been around eight years old. When I came back inside afterward, I said, “Mom, look how much money I made!” The very first thing she said to me was, “Well, that’s not really how much you made, is it? You haven’t factored in the cost of your ingredients, like the lemonade.”

Luckily, I was also a smart aleck and replied, “Well, I didn’t buy the lemonade, you did. So this is how much I made.”

I still find that story so funny, but it also shows how my parents never missed a chance to teach me how business really works and how to be mindful of my finances.

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?

My name is Valerie and I am the owner and baker behind Bakes by V, a microbakery based in the St. Louis area that specializes in long fermented sourdough breads and fresh baked treats. I am a mother of three, hard of hearing, and an ASL interpreter. I started baking sourdough initially for fun and quickly fell in love with the process, especially the science behind fermentation. What began as a personal challenge turned into something much bigger as friends and neighbors started asking to purchase loaves, and I realized there was a real need in my community for fresh, small batch bread made with simple, intentional ingredients.

At Bakes by V, I focus on artisan sourdough loaves, focaccia, seasonal baked goods, dry mixes, granola, and small batch preserves. All of my breads are naturally leavened and made using traditional long fermentation methods, which improve both flavor and digestibility. Many of my customers come to me because they are looking for an alternative to ultra processed store bought bread, but do not have the time or desire to maintain a sourdough starter or bake regularly themselves. My goal is to make high quality, thoughtfully made bread more accessible for busy families who still want to prioritize real food.

What sets my work apart is the level of intention and consistency that goes into each bake. Sourdough is incredibly dependent on environmental factors like temperature and timing, so I take a very data driven approach to fermentation. I track variables such as dough temperature, hydration, and bulk fermentation timelines in order to continually refine my process and produce consistent results week after week.

I am most proud of the community that has grown around Bakes by V. This business started in my home kitchen and I have now grown into a dedicated basement bakery space that allows me to increase production while maintaining the same small batch quality. I want potential clients and supporters to know that every product is made by hand with care, and that supporting Bakes by V means supporting a local family run business that is deeply invested in both craft and community.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Honestly, I built my audience by taking the advice of another creator I follow and focusing on posting what I want, when I want, while engaging authentically with the people I have connected with. I made a conscious decision early on to make social media something that felt fun for me instead of something that added pressure or stress to my business. That mindset shift helped me show up more consistently and connect with people in a way that felt genuine rather than performative.

I think many people are starting to feel fatigued by overly curated or inauthentic content, so I try to show up as myself and engage as Valerie, not just as a brand or a business. Sharing the behind the scenes moments, the learning curves, and even the challenges of running a small business has helped build trust within my community and allowed people to feel more personally connected to the work that I do.

For those just starting to build a social media presence, my biggest advice would be to focus less on perfection and more on authenticity. You do not need to have everything figured out before you start sharing. Show up, talk about what you are passionate about, and engage with your audience as a real person. People connect with people, not perfectly polished content.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I firmly believe there is nothing more powerful than word of mouth. Many of my customers are not engaged on social media, and I do not have food influencers contacting me or local blogs writing about me, yet I am still consistently flooded with orders each week. The majority of my new clients come from personal recommendations from existing customers.

I make it a priority to stay very engaged with the people I serve, and I believe strong customer service plays a huge role in my business growth. I want my customers to know that I genuinely care about their experience and that I want them to be happy with their purchase. That level of care builds trust, and in turn, makes them feel confident recommending Bakes by V to their friends and loved ones knowing that they will be taken care of as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.bakesbyv.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bakesbyv_stl?igsh=MWFrb3FrM2hrNW54cw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18ErUTVoMV/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Other: Order here: www.hotplate.com/bakesbyv

Image Credits

Photos by Joan Fisher | STL