Hey Reader,

Okay, story time. Grab your coffee (or your fifth batch of cookie dough, no judgement) because I need to tell you about the time I got the sad trombone treatment!🎺

But first...

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🎉 New Members: Welcome to the Cottage AF Newsletter! 😉

Making artisanal jams, crafting specialty sauces, creating gorgeous charcuterie boards, cookies or cakes? Are you a cottage food producer? You belong here!

Home-based makers are an underserved & underappreciated group. With my years of experience in the Cottage Food's baking industry, I am passionate about helping you avoid some of the mistakes I made in the past and unlocking your full potential.

*Posts may include affiliate links for Amazon & other vendors

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🎺The Sad Trombone Moment🎺

So a local storefront bakery near me — I know the owners personally — had a scheduling conflict and couldn't take on an order from one of their longstanding customers. Instead of turning him away empty-handed, they referred him to me, especially since he needed edible printed logo cookies. (Hello, my beautiful Little Blue Icing Images Printer).

That referral turned into a phone call with the customer. It was going GREAT. Lively back and forth, he was excited, we were vibing. Then he asked the question:

"Where is your bakery located?"

And I said, "I'm a licensed Cottage Food baker, so I'm a home-based business."

Y'all. I could HEAR the sad trombone. His whole tone shifted. "Oh." Just... "oh." The trepidation dripping through the phone. Ten years of loyalty to the bakery that referred me, and suddenly I went from "the person they recommended" to "well, we need to taste your stuff before we decide."

I'm not going to lie, that stung for a second. But here's what I did instead of spiraling: I put on my chef's coat, packaged my samples in branded packaging, and drove them over looking like the professional I am. Guess what? Order confirmed. 2,500 logo cookies!💅

Here's the thing I want you to take from this: that perception is out there. Some people hear "home-based" and their brain automatically fills in "hobby," "unlicensed," "not a real business" — even when you're standing on ten years of someone else's trust.

You cannot control that first flinch. What you CAN control is how you show up after it. Treat your business like a business — professional packaging, professional presentation, professional confidence — and let your work speak. If it's a good fit, you'll get the order. If it's not, it genuinely wasn't meant to be, and that's okay too.

Don't take it personally. Take it as your cue to walk in wearing the chef's coat (literal or metaphorical) and let them taste the proof.

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🥣Next Workshop: You Pick the Topic!🥣

Our next Angel Foods Cottage Community workshop is locked in for:

📅 Date: Sunday, August 30, 2026 🕐 Time: 6:00 - 7:30 pm MST 🖥️ Live & virtual, obviously.

But here's the fun part — the TOPIC is TBD, and I want YOU to decide. Reply to this email with your pick (or just tell me what you're struggling with and I'll build something around it). Here are a few ideas on the table:

Confidence & Credibility 101 — How to handle the "wait, you work from home?" moment with zero sad trombones, every single time.

Packaging That Says "Professional," Not "Side Hustle" — Because presentation did a LOT of heavy lifting in my story above, and it can do the same for you.

Turning Referrals Into Repeat Customers — You got the intro. Now what? How to close the loop and keep them coming back.

Handling Doubtful Customers With Grace (and a Backbone) — For every "we need to taste it first" moment you'll ever get.

Reply and let me know which one lights you up, or if there's something else entirely keeping you up at night. This community shapes what we cover — that's the whole point.

That's all for this week!

Reply if you have questions, wins to share, or your own sad trombone story. I promise you're not the only one who's had it happen — I'm here for all of it.

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See you in a few weeks for the next edition of the Cottage AF Newsletter! But...

💛 Have you joined our Facebook Group yet?​
It’s where bakers share creations, ask questions, and connect with others who truly understand the cottage food journey.

👉 Join the Cake Business School Facebook Group here

We’d love to see what you’re working on and welcome you into the conversation!

Thank you for being part of the Angel Foods & Cake Business School family. Keep learning, keep making, and keep building the business you love!

See you in a few weeks!