One Year of Little Loaf!
Exactly one year ago today, Colleen was getting ready for our first farmers' market ever, while Rian was at home recovering from surgery two days prior.
That morning, none of the croissants turned out right except for the almond, so we only had those and cookies to offer. Our boxes weren't quite the right size, we had a teeny-tiny pastry case, and we didn't know anyone. We were off to a bumpy start and had no idea what was in store for us in the year ahead.
Transparently, our goal for our first year was to make it into three farmers' markets. Well, we did that...and have been just blown away by the support and encouragement that has pushed us further than we thought possible in our first year. Here are just a few things that happened that we didn't expect:
Businesses we admire and are inspired by wanting to carry our pastries
The opportunity to put on brick-and-mortar training wheels at the Underwear Factory, popping up there three days a week
Hire people to keep up with both of the above! And seriously, our team means so much to us. You'll get to meet them more in the coming week/months (Rian is thinking through a series on them!).
Be nominated for "Best of the Hudson Valley" as such newbies
As for what's next? We have some high-level goals, similar to the "three farmers' markets" goal from year 1, but we are leaving plenty of room for the unexpected or unimagined. Something that is definitely on the list, though, is "consistent days off" and getting closer to our dream of having this be both of our full time jobs (right now it’s just Colleen’s).
And something we are really excited about as we cross the threshold into our second year is continuing to cultivate a joyful space in Poughkeepsie at PUF and the opportunity to host events, workshops, and classes that serve our beautiful community. This has been one of our business "north stars" from the start and something we knew we could grow into doing eventually. We are so, so pleased that we're able to start working in this way now.
This year has been a blur—but in the best way. What stands out most is the kindness and open arms of other small businesses, customers, and partners who we now consider to be sounding boards, collaborators, and most importantly friends.
A big heartfelt thank you to you all,
-Colleen, Rian, and the whole Little Loaf team
