Coffee with a retired baker changed how I think about slow growth

Met up with an old guy at the Lafayette Coney Island last week, been running a bakery in Hamtramck since the 80s. He told me he didn't turn a real profit for his first 6 years, just kept reinvesting into better ovens and flour. Said "most people quit two years too early, right before the dough finally rises." Hit different because I've been solo flooring for 18 months and stressing about low months. Has anyone else had a conversation that made you stick with the slow grind?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_claire1mo ago

That story about the baker sticking it out for 6 years is exactly the kind of thing I needed to hear. Makes me think I gotta stop checking my bank account every week and just focus on doing good work.

miles_hall1mo ago

Oh man, I feel this so hard except my bank account checking has become like a nervous tick. I literally refreshed my balance three times in one morning last week, as if it was gonna magically change between 6:14 and 6:17 AM. Meanwhile I'm just sitting here painting houses and hoping the paint dries before my credit card bill does. But you're right, the baker story is exactly the kick in the pants I needed. Maybe I'll set a rule for myself: no checking finances until I've finished a whole project, not just one wall.

vera_johnson91mo ago

...and then my buddy Tim, he does custom cabinets, told me about his first three years in business. He was working out of his garage, sleeping on a futon next to his table saw, eating ramen every night. His landlord almost evicted him twice for not paying rent on time. He said the turning point came when a repeat customer ordered a full kitchen remodel, and that one job paid off all his back debt and bought him a real workshop space. Took him four and a half years to get there, but now he's got three guys working for him and a waiting list six months out.