Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maurizio Leo, Founder of The Perfect Loaf, located in Albuquerque, NM, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I run a website, The Perfect Loaf, which teaches others how to bake sourdough bread, pastry, and more from their home kitchen. My customers are anyone interested in baking healthy and delicious baked goods!
Tell us about yourself
I'm a software engineer by training, but I fell into baking sourdough bread a little over ten years ago. I was captivated by the process and the delicious outcome of baking, of course, but what's kept me interested and motivated to bake every day is the subtle nuance of the craft that reveals itself after you've spent time working with dough. Baking sourdough bread is a very deep pursuit, but it doesn't have to be; you can choose whatever level you'd like, whether you're a once-a-month baker or a daily baker—I just happen to fall in love with the marriage of craft and science with sourdough bread. And to top it all off, every day as a baker, you get to start anew, run experiments, and see if you can improve your skills, even if just a little bit.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
The Perfect Loaf has won multiple awards for the content posted there, but my biggest accomplishment is any time I receive an email or message from a baker who says my site has helped them discover "real bread," or bread they haven't had in ages.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It takes an incredible amount of work to stay dedicated and focused on the task at hand while simultaneously looking forward to new challenges that might come. The online publishing business has changed dramatically over the past ten years I've been writing and creating. While that's one of the most enjoyable and exciting things about running a website, it also means being agile and willing to change directions as necessary. You never know how the landscape will change and what is required of you as a business owner.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be prepared to invest your heart and soul into what you're doing. Don't start something you're half passionate about.
- Try to maintain a healthy work/life balance as a business owner; it's easy to get consumed with work to the detriment of all else.
- Don't underestimate what you're capable of. Starting a business is daunting and scary, but just about anything is possible with the right attitude and perseverance.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theperfectloaf
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maurizio/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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