The Keri Croft Show
The Keri Croft Show
Halloween Special! Inside Columbus’s Goth Bakery “Bite This”—Annie Dixon on Skull Reapers, Sobriety & Building a Cult Brand
This Halloween, we’re taking you inside Columbus’s viral goth bakery—Bite This—where the bagels are skull-shaped, the playlists are heavy metal, and the owner, Annie Dixon, is redefining what it means to build a brand with bite.
In this raw and wildly fun conversation, Annie opens up about her journey from elder emo to entrepreneur — including the dark humor, brutal honesty, and radical self-acceptance that fuel her success.
You’ll hear:
- How Annie built Bite This, the goth bakery everyone’s lining up for
- The story behind her viral Skull “Reapers” and bagel bombs
- The truth about addiction, recovery, and rebuilding your life
- The business lessons she’s learning while scaling a cult favorite
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a creative, or just someone who loves a good comeback story — this one’s got layers. (Like a killer brownie.)
Connect with Annie:
Bite This: https://www.bitethisbyannie.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bitethisbyannie/
Connect with Keri:
Watch this episode: https://www.kericroft.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekericroftshow
Hey there, you beautiful badass, badass, bad. Welcome to the Carrie Croft Show. I'm your host, Carrie Croft. Delivering you stories that get you pumped up and feeling like the unstoppable savage that you are. So grab your coffee, put on your game face, and let's do this thing, baby. Avena Women's Care is a collective of 40-plus providers that have been serving Central Ohio communities with comprehensive women's health care for decades. They meet women where they are in every phase of life. From fertility services to menopause care, annual checkups to 3D mammography, Avena provides robust services for all. So for the highest level of individualized women's health care, there's one name to remember: Avena Women's Care. Go to www.avenawomen's care.com to request an appointment. Be sure to tell them Carrie sent you. Ready to elevate your self-care game? Boscow Beauty Bar is a modern med spa offering everything from cosmetic injectables, lasers and microneedling to medical-grade facials and skincare. Conveniently located in Clintonville, Grandview, Powell, and Easton, making self-care a priority has never been easier. Use code CROFT for$25 off your first visit. Hey Ohio! Thinking about smoother, brighter skin? Well, fall is the perfect time for laser treatments. With less sun and cooler weather, your skin heals beautifully and you'll be glowing just in time for the holidays, honey. And here's the best part: if you're a first-time client, mention the Carrie Croft Show for$100 off your first purchase. Call today and book your fall laser treatment with the experts at Donaldson. Annie Dixon, welcome to the Carrie Croft Show. Thank you for having me. It's my pleasure. It's my pleasure to have you. So just so we can let the people at home know how you and I ended up here. Um, Miss Amy Joe Hamilton. She's the connector. She is. She's so great. So Amy Joe has been working with me in the B lab and she has been connecting with Annie and some other people. And so I reached out immediately because I'm like, I need to know who this entrepreneur is. It has this incredible bakery called Bite This, and it has all goth vibes. So I just, I'm just happy you're here. We can kind of like peel back what you're doing and who you are and have a little fun.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Thanks so much for having me. And shout out to Amy Joe, because she's the bomb.
SPEAKER_01:She is the bomb, isn't she? She's really cool. You know, I love when someone is just like the anti-gatekeeper. You literally know they just are there to improve the atmosphere, help other people, and they just want to have a good experience and bring people together. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. She's one of my classmates that she's in my direct like team, but we hit it off really quick. And it's like, yeah, everybody just help each other out and let's see how many connections we can make through the whole process. Yeah. They're great.
SPEAKER_01:So bite this. You already have a little, I don't know if you have goth vibes. You have like a hot, not afraid to like get tatted up and like dye your hair. Like you have a cool vibe going on. Thanks. But it says goth bakery.
SPEAKER_00:It it does say goth bakery, but I feel like we have to use that term loosely these days because there are the people that are like, you're not goth.
SPEAKER_01:You're so mid. You're not goth. I'll show you goth.
SPEAKER_00:Can we curse on here? So I don't, you know, it's like, okay, maybe that's the broadest term to describe it, but it's not just like we're not just wearing our platform boots and wearing like white face makeup. You know, like it's all black. It's not your typical like pink covered in sprinkles bakery. We play heavy metal all the time. Like truly, it's just Annie in a bakery.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So you just always been sort of into metal and goth, and like that's how you grew up.
SPEAKER_00:It is how I'm definitely an emo kid. I'm an el elder emo. And I was the black sheep in all throughout middle school and high school. Like I was the kid listening to like Tori Amos and Nine Inch Nails while all my classmates were listening to Lil Wayne, you know? Um, and I grew up in like the super preppy, like old money town. And I just did I stuck out like a sore thumb. Like I was just the weird kid. And it was hard being that, but also like trying to fit in at the same time. And so finally, as I grew up and got older, I realized, fuck this, dude. Like, I don't want to be like any of you. I'm I love the things that I love. I always wanted to be tattooed and you know, artsy and all that. And so as I got older, I just dove headfirst into all those things that I always really loved and then made sure that I was loud and proud about it.
SPEAKER_01:Were you depressed growing up that because you didn't fit in, or how did that work?
SPEAKER_00:Like, yeah, I definitely went through like huge depressive episodes, and not to get too heavy with it, but you know, a couple attempts here and there as a teenager, and um my mom struggled with depression as well. Um, so it was something that, you know, I was on a United Presence, and then um, you know, once high school was over and I graduated, moved out on my own, and started kind of like coming into myself. I um had gotten off of the meds and everything for a long time. Um, and now right back on it.
SPEAKER_01:You're like, this is no fun. Let's get right back on.
SPEAKER_00:Dude, I'm uh I'm sure if you've scrolled through my social media, I'm super open about mental health and sobriety. And it's just like you go through seasons in your life, and it's like totally fine if you need a little help to just get through the big sad. And I'm very open about that, like with the stress of owning a business and all that it entails.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Let's talk about the sobriety. What was your your vice?
SPEAKER_00:Uh, wine.
SPEAKER_01:Really?
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So would you say you're an alcoholic?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. Yeah. What was your when did you just decide like, okay, this is it? I can't do this anymore.
SPEAKER_00:I have been sober for three, it was three years in July. Um, and I knew for a long time that I had a problem, but I kept trying to like moderate or cut back. And, you know, when you're drinking so heavily, the people that you're around are also drinking heavily, and they don't want to admit that they've got a problem. So all the people that I talked to about it were like, no, you don't, you're fine. You just need to cut back a little bit. And I was like, not physically able to do that. I'm definitely a Pringles can when it comes to alcohol. Like once you pop, the fun don't stop until I'm fucking blacked out or whatever. And so um, my husband was stationed in England for a little bit, and my son and I went over there to live with him for the summer, and you know, drinking culture in the UK is crazy. They there is no limits on day time that you it's acceptable to drink. So I just went balls to the walls. And I ended up staying, I would always stay up later than the boys, drinking on my own. And then I ended up trying to go up to bed one night and fell on the stairs, and I like knocked myself out, bled all over the stairs, um, and woke up I don't know how much longer later, and just kind of stumbled my way to the bed. Um, but surprisingly, that wasn't the rock bottom moment. I kept drinking, came home and was sober for a little bit, and then had these like bits of sobriety where I'd go for a long time and then try to moderate again. And the second that I got back on it, I realized there's no fucking way that I could, you know, limit my alcohol intake. Um, and so finally I woke up on July 2nd three years ago, and I was like, I cannot feel like this anymore. Like, I cannot be hungover. I've started my business, it's kind of taking off. I can't do this. And I just cold turkey.
SPEAKER_01:And the wine buzz, the wine hangover, man. Dude. How how much were you drinking, do you think, at your at your peak per day?
SPEAKER_00:Probably three bottles a night.
unknown:Jesus.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and it's it's crazy how it gets to that, right? Because in like in your rationale, and it's like, well, one bottle is only like three glasses, and then you're like, oh, it's just a bottle, and next next thing you know, you're three bottles of deep. You're gonna kill yourself.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. I would for a long time I drink like a box, and I'd go through like three boxes a week. Because you're not like, and then I switched to the bottles thinking, like, oh, that'll help me moderate. But then it was like, no, I'll just get six bottles at a time, and it'll last two days, and then I'll go back to the store.
SPEAKER_01:How um how old was your son when you were in when the the time that you fell?
SPEAKER_00:So he just turned 10, so he would have been seven.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, and what a gift for him.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. And he still remembers like the crazy drinking nights. And I mean, it wasn't anything like he's in danger, but you know, we'd be out in somebody's garage till wee hours of the night drinking and smoking and whatever. And uh my husband got sober with me the exact same time. Um, because I think he knew that I wouldn't be able to do it if he was drinking. Um so yeah, I mean, I think he is very grateful for two parents that don't drink at all.
SPEAKER_01:What an incredible thing for you guys to do together. Wow.
SPEAKER_00:It was good.
SPEAKER_01:That's amazing. It had to be so helpful for your relationship too. Like to be able to, I mean, hard probably too, yeah, in moments, because dealing with sobriety or something like that on your own is hard enough. And then having to manage both of your cravings and rationale. And did you guys go to therapy or how did you do it?
SPEAKER_00:No, um, it was cold turkey for both of us. And I think um we probably should have gone to therapy like right at the beginning. Um, but with how, you know, adamant I am about mental health, it's hindsight looking back, definitely. We should have gone straight to therapy and worked out any issues that we had had from the past because with alcohol, you're essentially just numbing all of your feelings and emotions and not talking through things in a healthy way. So it would be, you know, a small problem happens and we don't talk about it, and it like just grows into this huge thing and finally boils over, and then it's just this big fight. Um, so immediately, even without going to therapy and having somebody to talk to, we found healthier ways to communicate with each other. And the longer that we've been sober, the healthier and the better that has gotten for sure.
SPEAKER_01:When you have a craving, because you probably still get them, right? Where you're like, and I know maybe like when red wine season comes around, like the air gets a little bit cooler or there's a fireplace or whatever, how do you do you just like play the tape where you're like, what's this gonna look like?
SPEAKER_00:And then you Yes, I think that's definitely like the uh best coping mechanism for any alcoholic or anybody in recovery is like, how do I how's this gonna be in the morning if I choose to drink? Um but now I feel like for me my cravings will come. And it's only been a couple times that it's been like really, really bad, where I'm like, I and it was last year during like a super depressive episode that I was like, I'm fuck it, I'm just gonna drink. My husband was gone on a rock climbing trip, I was by myself, my son was at my mother-in-law's. I was like, nobody would know. Nobody would know if I picked up a bottle on the way home and just got shit faced tonight. Um but I play the tape forward, I know I'm gonna feel like garbage, I'd be throwing away three years of super hard work, but also I have so many people that I would disappoint. And I think that more than anything else, knowing that so many people look up to me and you know, see me as a whatever you want to call it, a motivation or something, I could not live with myself if I let those people down.
SPEAKER_01:You know, you taking to social media on TikTok and Instagram and talking, because you know, it's it's really cool because it's like on one hand, you're like, okay, you have this bakery, but it's also edgy. And so it's like this whole vibe and brand. But how has that impacted your sobriety and like how many people probably come to you like, oh my God, me too?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. All the time. Uh and those are the people that I think about when a craving hits, because it's like, no, I can't. Like anytime, and I didn't do it quite all quite as often anymore as I did in the beginning, because obviously the beginning's super hard, right? Um, but now when I share about it, each time I talk about my sobriety, I have 10, 12, 15 people either come through the shop because they're shopping, come to me at the market, see me at Target or whatever, and thank me for being so open and vulnerable about it because it's not something that people talk about a lot. It's becoming more so. Um, but it's a hard thing to talk about, right? And, you know, I think I I'm not gonna take responsibility for other people's sobriety. They did that work on their own, but I always said from the beginning if I could motivate or encourage one person to put down the bottle, it would be worth being uncomfortable for a couple minutes. And I know that it's been way more than that.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, I guarantee it has. That's amazing.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you. Yeah, I'll continue sharing because it's it's I mean, it's it's really it's funny.
SPEAKER_01:It's like no matter what, this is just my opinion, but no matter what you're building in terms of the business, it's really the story underneath it that draws people in. Yeah. And so I think like that's only so much more powerful for you to be continuing to tell that story no matter what you're doing. Yeah. Whether it's baking or you ended up doing something different, like it's that's really powerful. It really is. I love it. Thank you. Um so speaking of the bakery, so clearly you love to bake.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, a little.
SPEAKER_01:And so you baked with your grandma, you grew up baking, you're good at it, and you're like, oh, let's open up a shop.
SPEAKER_00:Uh in in the nutshell, I guess. Um I struggled with food a lot when I was younger. I was a very overweight kid. Um, and I feel like growing up in the South, it's kind of hard to like learn great eating habits. Um, so if we're going back to the beginning, I um yes, had all those really awesome memories with my grandparents, with my grandma, uh, and learned how to cook, learned how to bake with them. Um over ate, like it was my job. And then in 2013, uh I had gastric bypass and lost a ton of weight. Um, I wanted to be healthy in order to bring a child into the world. That was like my main goal is like I don't want to set my kid up with the same habits that I had because I can't learn how to eat properly. Um and so maybe a year and a half into that, I'd lost a ton of weight. I kind of started having I had to relearn how to eat, right? Um and while I did that, I also was adamant about not losing all the things that I really enjoyed. So I m started baking again. My husband was deployed, and I needed somewhere to or something to do with all these things that I baked. Um and so I would start giving them away. And I gave away sea salt chocolate chip cookies and brownies to my neighbors and my friends, and it just authentically grew into this like, oh, well, you know, we're having a birthday party, let's ask Annie to do the cake, or we're having a cookout, let's have Annie bring brownies or bring dessert. Um, and so finally I was like, some my friends encouraged me. They were like, you should like you could probably do something with this. I was like, nah, it's fine. Like I loved being a stay-at-home mom. Yeah, I did. Um and but I said to the my 500 followers at the time, I was like, hey, would you guys like if I opened a shop, would you come? And it was a resounding yes. Um, but obviously I didn't have the means to do it at the time, so I just started sharing recipes and stuff on Instagram, and um, I made charcuterie boards for a long time and sold those. So yeah, it was like this very authentic like growth to where it is now. Nothing was ever really like forced, it just kind of happened. How much weight did you lose? A hundred and thirty pounds? That's just that's a whole different life. Yeah, for sure. And I'm very like, I'm very no diet culture now. Um, which seems kind of weird to preach about being in the position I'm in, but I am super body positive. No matter what size you are, this was the right journey for me. Um, I couldn't keep up with my husband. I couldn't do the things that I really wanted to do. Um, and once I started getting a little bit of energy, that's just when like I hit the fucking ground running and I couldn't stop doing what I was doing. Um, but I'm really like in the shop, it's like you don't talk about how many calories you're consuming with this brownie or this cookie. I don't want ever want people to think like that because what I've learned from it is that I can eat whatever I want, right? Everything in moderation, except for alcohol, that's a no. Right. Um, but yeah, it's just like I've learned the habits that are good for me and where I need to be in my life. Um, and I just want to encourage everybody to do the same for themselves, whether it's you need a little treat, come get a fucking cookie, dude.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I'm not gonna tell you not to eat it. And if anybody in line behind you is bitching about the amount of calories in it, I'm gonna tell them to shut the fuck up. And I do it all the time.
SPEAKER_01:Do you? Yeah. Good. Yeah. You're kind of like you have like the soup Nazi vibe, but only like a bite this vibe, like where it's like you could tell somebody what's up. You're like, this ain't your grandma's bakery. Right. Okay, this is an edgy bakery here that we got going on. What's your favorite thing to make?
unknown:Oh.
SPEAKER_01:The bagel thing I was reading about, I'm like, oh, what in the hell is this?
SPEAKER_00:It's uh the I love the bagel bombs, they're great. They're definitely the thing that put me on the map. Like, once I stopped, I stopped making charcuterie boards because I was like, oh shit, nobody's gonna come in and buy a fucking cheese tray, like all the time. Um, so my goal was let's find something that you want to come in to see me every day on your way to work or whatever. And so the bagel bomb was born, and um, I put that on the internet and it just fucking took off. Um, so I'd say that's probably what put me on the map. Um, my favorite thing to make it's like you know, asking the chef their favorite dish. It's so hard because it changes all the time. Yeah. I would say right now I'm in a big like cookie brownie phase. I'm always in a cookie brownie phase, but I love coming up with super weird combinations for any kind of baked good.
SPEAKER_01:So, what's your vision right now? Like, what do you want this to manifest into?
SPEAKER_00:It's such a loaded question. Um so where I'm at Amy Joe in our uh Goldman Sachs class, our whole goal for the class is to figure out what our growth opportunity is, where we want to go, what we want to do. And mine was very quick to figure out because I've been busting at the seams in the space I'm in for at least six months. It's a 670 square foot space. It's very small. We've got a line that goes out the door and down the block.
SPEAKER_01:Which is really cool, though.
SPEAKER_00:It's awesome, and I'm super grateful for it. But with the viral virality of the business comes the negatives to it. Right, correct. Right. Um, and so people get mad at me for sure all the time because they're like, they're fucking sold out by 12 o'clock every day, and it's really discouraging. I can't get anything that I want. I'm like, I'm trying, I promise. That's so great. It's great. Oh no, it really is. It's a good problem to have, but I just need more space. So the goal is expand, whether that be the space that I'm in or going to a new space. Um, I fucking love Clintonville. I really don't want to leave, but I need triple the amount of space that I have.
SPEAKER_01:So would you leave would you would you open up a second space or would you need to leave here and then just have one bigger space that's one bigger space.
SPEAKER_00:I something that I have been advised from plenty of people in the service industry that I value their opinions a lot is don't grow too fast and stay as small as you can for as long as you can. And I know that staying small isn't an option for me. Um but I I think that the specialness wears off when you have like five locations, you know, like bite this is so special. And it's not just a bakery, it's such a community, and I don't think that we would have the same vibe as with two or three locations as we do with one.
SPEAKER_01:You I disagree. Really? Oh yeah, I totally disagree. I think with your um, and this is my humble opinion, yeah. I think that's up to you. Yeah. Right. So I mean, there there's different ways to slice this. Okay, if you went and franchised bite this willy-nilly and just kind of like threw it to the wolves, yes, the brand would get diluted and it would lose what's special. Having three locations in the city of Columbus, while there are a lot of logistics there, a lot of growing pains, that is very much well within your control to own that brand.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I I absolutely think that you could do that. I'm not saying do it tomorrow, but don't sell yourself short. Okay. And I would argue with that person to say stay as small as you can for as long as you can, honey. And then I mean, I mean, there's a balance there, right? Like for sure. You know, I think you have a really cool, like what I love about it. I mean, after sitting here with you, obviously I really like you, and I can totally see like I want to do, how can I help? How can I, who can I like? I'm like, I fucking love you. Like I you have that, right? Thank you. But cut out the emotional part, looking at it from a business perspective. This is very much different in terms of a bakery. Like a bakery is very sweet and airy and and no cussing and Sunday morning donuts and sprinkles, and like you have cornered something. I'm not saying that there's nothing else out there. I don't know. I haven't researched. I when I think of this in my brain, it's very original and it's very authentically you. And so you absolutely can harness that in a c a handful of locations and crush the shit out of it.
SPEAKER_00:Maybe I maybe I do sell myself short a little bit. I think probably because I get nervy.
SPEAKER_01:Well, here's the thing, you know, that I will argue to anyone, I don't care who they are. No one knows. Like there, like, so so we can all like there can be two things. You could stay tight in the bud and stay with one location and be great and be super authentic, right? But you could also go down. There's no wrong. Right. The only thing that you'd be wrong in is like stopping. Right. So it's all really what feels good in your intuition and what you think you're capable of doing. Stress and inflammation take a toll on your body and your wellness. Relax, restore, and rejuvenate at Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique. Book any service of$100 or more and enjoy two hours in our luxury amenities. Unwind in our Himalayan salt saunas, recharge in our wet retreat space with a eucalyptus steam room, hot hydrotherapy pool, and cold plunge. Then drift into deep relaxation with our hanging loungers. What's your panacea? We'll help you find it. Who says you need a special occasion to feel like a celeb? I mean, stress is real, life is busy, and your scalp? Yeah, it deserves some love too. That's where Headspace by Mia Santiago comes in. Treat yourself or someone who deserves it to a luxurious scalp treatment and a killer blowout or cut because nothing says main character energy, honey, like a fresh style from celebrity stylist Mia and her team. And because we love a good deal, mention the Carrie Croft show and get 20% off your service or any gift card for somebody in your life that you love. Headspace by Mia Santiago, because great hair days shouldn't be rare.
SPEAKER_00:My like long-term vision would be another location, but I'm not thinking in Columbus. Um, but I have to do a lot of research on that. My husband thinks I'm crazy.
SPEAKER_01:Well, so that but the thing about it is, going back to what you just said, it's a lot easier for you to control from here. Right. So if I would like my opinion on that would be, yeah, you do another one here. Yeah. Because you can drive there, because you you have control. And it really is like when you go out of market, yeah, it's a whole nother game. Right. Not that you couldn't crush it in Nashville or like wherever. Yeah, for sure. But like replicate it here in your home base. Figure out how to do it. Prove to yourself that, oh wait, hold on. I just did a second one, and guess what? The brand is even it's banging even more than ever. You know, and then okay, now maybe, maybe we can step out.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I would definitely experiment in in this market.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Just for your insanity.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. And I probably do get really like I I just go fucking huge with everything in my brain. And I think probably that's why I'm just like, no, fuck having multiple locations in Columbus. Let's go to Salem, Massachusetts. Like, I just I think I probably go a little like far-fetched with things first, and then I have to reel myself in. Um, so yeah, no, I don't disagree that it could it could be special. I just worry about like two, I don't know, you know, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:There's all kinds of worries. Yeah. You don't strike me as someone though that would let the the brand or the culture um take a back seat. Absolutely. You know, especially with a handful of locations. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I'm so I I've even said, you know, there's people from all over the world that want me to franchise or whatever. And I'm like, fuck no, I'm not doing that because I would have to be hands-on with everything. The art, the way that it looks. Like it's so much, and I'm not talking like it's just like me in a nutshell, like everything about this business is Annie. Nobody else can do it. It wouldn't be able to be replicated by another person. Um, so I would I would be adamant about like you can run it, but I'm going to do literally everything. But that's franchise model. Yeah. Is it?
SPEAKER_01:Have somebody run it. So basically the franchise model is you, it's it's like people call it like a business in a box. So you if you want total control over the brand and the way it looks, you basically, and there's a lot of upfront work that goes into building the franchise, but then you sell it to someone and they have to do everything the way that you have it written. Now, I mean, that's easier said than done, right? So when you have a hundred locations, 500 locations, like things can get lost, right? I don't necessarily know that franchise. Would be the way I would go with you. But yeah, I mean, I could definitely see with a couple locations. One in UA, maybe.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Right next to my house. You think I fit in Upper Erlington?
SPEAKER_01:No, that's what's amazing. That's what I would love about it.
SPEAKER_00:I don't, I think they'd be pissed off.
SPEAKER_01:No, I don't think so. There's a lot of cool people in UA.
SPEAKER_00:Really? Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Don't sleep on UA. Okay. And I'm telling you, you would crush it in UA.
SPEAKER_00:I don't I haven't looked honestly at any other area of town yet because I was oh I was adamant about Clintonville when I opened this one. It's a great fit. It's just wonky. Mm-hmm. It's so fucking weird. Eclectic and I love it. Yeah. Um, so yeah, I I'm I haven't looked at anywhere else yet.
SPEAKER_01:So what are you trying to do? Like what where are the gaps or what are the like puzzles you're trying to solve right now where you're like, man, I wish I could increase sales here, or I wish we could like I Amy had mentioned something about Ohio State tailgates, like that you were trying to like get maybe more like what's the sports ball?
SPEAKER_00:It's the thing of my existence. Is it? Yes, I fucking hate it. I mean, uh don't get don't kill me. No. Um it's like and I think many small business owners would agree with me when it comes to football season. Uh you die on Saturdays. It's such a hurdle to try and overcome because of the nuts, right? Um if there's noon game, you're dead all day. If there's three o'clock game, you're dead at noon. Like finding ways, and this isn't my number one hurdle, but it's definitely something that I'm working on is like, how can we get people in the door? Because no matter how dedicated or how gung ho my fan base or clientele is, sports comes on, and you know, everybody knows the whole city is dead. So we started doing these sports ball catering packages, uh, which I need to push more, but um we're it's like you know, a pre-sale kind of thing. You get like mini reapers shaped like skulls or stuff with like buffalo chicken, stuff like that, cookies, brownies, and snack mix um to pick up and just go take to your tailgate or wherever you are. Um, and we are thinking about doing like on the Michigan game day, um, because we know we're gonna be, there's not a soul is gonna come into that building on the Michigan game day. Um so we're gonna open at like 6 a.m. and close at noon, have coffee and all sorts of fun treats, probably sausage, biscuits, and gravy like from scratch that you can come get and like tailgate before you go sit down and watch the game. Um so we're always trying to find shit like that to do that's like, you know, it it we may be super exciting, but what can we throw in that's gonna like make people get out of bed, come to see us before they go do anything else? Yeah. It's always a struggle.
SPEAKER_01:Do you do like scarlet and gray stuff?
SPEAKER_00:No, I do Buckeye steamed things.
SPEAKER_01:So you refuse?
SPEAKER_00:I don't I wouldn't say so. Zane is my manager and love him. He's been with me for three years. He was my first employee. And he is probably the one person that can tell me things that I and my husband that I'll listen to. Um so for this like monster mash tailgate thing that we're doing, I was like, Can we have balloons? Because I'm vibes and whimsy all the time. Like, I don't, I don't care. I'm like, I don't care how much it costs, let's just get balloons. And I was like, we can have black and gray balloons, right? And he's like, What if we put some red balloons in there? And I was like, no, God. And then a little while later, I was like, fine, we can do it. It's fine. I just like it's not my thing, you know? And I I don't like to bend to fit other people's expectations or you know, whatever.
SPEAKER_01:I totally I mean, listen, I have mad respect for that.
SPEAKER_00:I'll do it, but I'm not gonna be happy about it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you know. I mean, can't we do like a skelet, like a brutist skeleton? Like, you know, can't you like bend like mix the worlds where you're like appealing to that crazy ass Ohio State fan, but still feeling a little bit.
SPEAKER_00:So what I'll do is I'll instead of be getting like instead of getting like super Ohio State about it, I lean heavy into the Buckeye.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Cause, you know, everybody fucking loves a buckeye. Yeah. Um, so we do a lot of, and I'm a peanut butter addict. Um, so anything that we can do that's like Buckeye esque or buckeye themed, like we'll throw it out there. We've got puppy chow bars, we've got like um uh I can't say this word without getting like sued. Um peanut butter cup brownies. Oh yeah, right? Peanut butter cup brownies. Um we do all sorts of stuff, and it's very like Ohio State, right? But it's not Ohio.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So what is your biggest hurdle then if you had to pick one right now?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, right now. Your biggest I mean I've I have massive growing pains right now. Um honestly the space is the biggest thing. Uh that's been our problem for six months and will continue to be our problem until I can find the dollar bucks to do it. Um, and that's what I'm working on the most is number one, where do I go? How much square footage do I need? Because if I just doubled my space, we'd get into it and already be outgrown today. Like if I went to 1200 square feet today, I would be done with it in two months. What do you need? Like 25? I would say probably 25, maybe three. So I'm kind of trying to like calculate my cost per square foot and figure out like what what is the best size for me to be able to be where I need to be, but also grow into because it's not stopping anytime soon.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um, it's just gonna get bigger and bigger. So I'd love to have space for cake classes and supper clubs and all these fun things that I have in my like manic brain that I want to be able to offer to my customers. But uh right now we just there's no fucking way.
SPEAKER_01:Are you like scouring with like an uh broker?
SPEAKER_00:I have a realtor that I've talked to. Um, but I'm waiting to get through this class and get all of my like finances like super in order to take to the bank. Um, I did an SBA loan when I opened up this um spot, and I'm able to like still pull from that, but it's not a ton, right? Like this is gonna be$500,000 minimum, probably, of a renovation because you've got to update equipment, hoods, like and commercial kitchen equipment is not cheap cheap. So, really honestly, money, I guess, is my biggest hurdle. It's like figuring out the smartest way to do it and also still be like within my means, I guess. Like how big can I get without going bankrupt? Yeah, right. Which I, you know, it's scary to think about.
SPEAKER_01:No, it's really scary. I mean,$500,000 is not Trump change. Right. No. So you gotta make sure it's gonna support that.
SPEAKER_00:For sure. And so I just, yeah, that's the biggest thing. It's like I know for sure that my personally, my biggest thing that I need to get a grasp on is numbers. It's always been my number one thing that I struggle with. I haven't looked at a cash flow or a balance statement since the day that I started until last month when I started this class. Um, so I'm really putting in the work right now to figure it all out so that I can see for myself what are we capable of? What's our projections? Where do we want to be in five years? Like I've I've realized very quickly how big this can be. And I don't think there's really a limit on it. I think it can be as big as I want it to be because I don't there may be one or two other alternative subculture goth bakeries in the United States, but there's only one you. There's only one me. And it's I think just taken over.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I mean, and it can be as big as you want it to be. I'd love to hear you say that. Um it's funny, I just started this new email, like weekly email, where I kind of pull together all of everything happening in the B lab world and what I'm doing. And one of the things I talked about on Friday was financial literacy and just building SOS and like how important it is to check yourself on the numbers. Like you want to bake, you want to be with people, you want to do your thing. And like when you say numbers, it's like, well, I don't like the numbers or I'm not good at the numbers. That's everyone's default answer. And so we ignore them. It's like anything else, right? That we don't want to deal with. Yeah. And it is so, so important to put things in place. And I'm so happy to hear you saying you're doing that because you're doing it at a time where it's somewhat manageable. And what we always did was, you know, first of all, any kind of financial, any kind of credit card swipe, any kind of expense was always classed and it was transparent and owned. So you couldn't like sneak, and that may not be a thing now, but like as you grow, hiring a bookkeeper outside that is not a part, not an employee. Um, we would talk to her. I probably talk to her like, I mean, every week, but on a monthly basis, you talk about anomalies, you talk about trends, you talk about what's coming, you talk about things that you need, you know, ask better questions. Yeah. And then you obviously have your accountant that helps you with how do you like look like you made the least amount of money as possible, right? For taxes, and then any kind of future proofing, any kind of you know, smart shit like retirement and all that, and then always having a baseline of cash.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:There is like there is a number that we never went under, not a dollar. And those are like kind of like the fencing or the policing, where it's like, okay, it's not fun. No, but when you get in that rhythm and you kind of have those rails, it's freeing.
SPEAKER_00:Yes. Yeah. I'd say even just within weeks of paying more attention to this. I mean, I was I hadn't paid myself in three fucking years. Because I always just rolled it all right back in. Um I started reading my classmates suggested this to me, reading the book Profit First by Mike something. Um but even just with the class, I'm just like, uh there's no reason why I shouldn't be paying myself. Um and so, you know, super transparent moment there, but I just like I was so blackout focused on growth that I just rolled every penny right back into it. And uh I do a lot of work.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, for sure. But I but I feel you on that too.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's just totally like I worried so much about you know not having enough coffers to be able to buy the new oven or whatever that I am eventually going to need, right? Like something's always breaking, something needs maintenance at all times. So I just like would squirrel everything away so that I made sure I could cover those things.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, and I think I wouldn't say that's a bad thing. No. I think I think, you know, yeah, carving out something, but you're reinvesting in yourself. Yes. So it's you know, like I don't know. I kind of have a a very flexible feel on that because I also, like, even as I'm building everything I'm building now, like I don't necessarily pay myself. I'll do like something on the side, like let's say I'll um pay for my spa or something. I'll do like little things. I won't, I don't take a salary, I don't take a pay check. I'd rather pay like and reinvest and do the things and then you know that you're playing the long game. Right. For sure. But there is fear. Yeah. There you have to fight the scarcity mindset of like, oh my God, do I have any money left? Yeah. What's happening? What's what's going on? Well, I personally love that I know about you now. I didn't know. I just didn't know. And now I do. And I'm gonna make sure everybody else knows. Well, thank you. In my orbit, not that you need it, it doesn't sound like you need the help.
SPEAKER_00:Oh man.
SPEAKER_01:You gotta lie, you gotta line out to freaking high street.
SPEAKER_00:But you know what? I worry all the time that it could just go away tomorrow. I think everybody worries that. Yeah. So it's like always trying to stay relevant within our means, right? It's not like, you know, we're trying to be trendy or anything, but it's, you know, what new exciting thing can we throw out next? Um, what can we put on the menu next month that is gonna be what people want, you know? Um, but yeah, it's all it's super fun. I love what I do. I wouldn't trade it for anything. If it all just went away tomorrow, I'd still be cooking, baking at home, and sharing it on the internet with everybody.
SPEAKER_01:So one more quick one more business question. Have you talked about or to anyone or have you thought about like any kind of like consumer packaged goods where you like package it and sell it to like a Whole Foods or a like you know, outside of I mean it wouldn't be tomorrow.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:But kind of like the Jenny's model where you know she has the shop, the shop. Yo, shout out shout out to the queen. And then next thing you know, they're going into you know the fruit that your grocer's freezer.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, um, I would say um Ginny has been a huge inspiration for me within my business for sure, because I kind of like started my whole model off of the Ginny's vibe, like rotating monthly menu, and we're keeping it fun and we're keeping it smart, and um it's we it's like crazy to say that I know her and can say I can talk to her about advice and all that shit. It's wild, but anyway. Um, yes, I've thought about it. Um, I think again, it comes down to space. I'd need like a fucking factory in order to do some of the things to be able to create it in bulk, but also I'm very, and I'm sure she can help me a lot with this too, is like I'm so adamant about quality over quantity. Um, so I if I was gonna do it, it would have to be done well and right, just like you know, anything else that I do, and that I would rather make a small amount and do it really fucking well than make a huge amount and it be subpar.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So I'm not opposed to it by any means. And I think my husband would be number one, be like, you gotta get pub grub on the shelf stat because it's the most addicting, snacky, crunchy thing. Um, but I need a whole assembly line process to be able to do it.
SPEAKER_01:I think it's I think it could be in your future, you're just like, there's some there's some steps that you need to take to get there. But I can see I can totally see that for you as well. Yeah, there's hurdles. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And I'm not I'm not opposed to it by any means, but yeah, it's just like it's gotta have the Annie stamp of approval. Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Right, which it should be.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I'm so excited for you. Thank you. This is amazing and the sky is the limit. And I just can't wait to watch. I can't wait to just kind of watch and support and see how this all unfolds for you, Annie. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Oh my god, of course. This was fun. Of course.
SPEAKER_00:I love doing shit like this.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you know what? Come back anytime. We're gonna come see you too, by the way. I gotta come see your shop. Hell yeah. You know? Come. I want you to cuss at me and like whatever. I I want to wait, I want to get pissed and wait in line for two hours and then you're it's not like that.
SPEAKER_00:It's not like that. We're like so, I'm so like people meet me and they're like, you're so nice. You are nice. I'm I'm yeah, I wasn't, I wasn't ever trying to make you think that I was mean. You're just you. Yeah, I'm just I tell you how it is.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, you know, like listen, honey, we need more of that in the world.
SPEAKER_00:I'm gonna try. I'm gonna stay this way forever. I'm there's no helping.
SPEAKER_01:Oh hey, listen, don't go changing.
SPEAKER_00:I'm not. I promise you that.
SPEAKER_01:If you're still out there following your girl, follow me on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcast. And until next time, get your ass to bite this. Get there early, get the bagel, whatever it is. Bites. Is that what they are? Bagel bombs. Bagel bombs.
SPEAKER_00:They're officially transitioning to reapers because they're all gonna be shaped like skulls.
SPEAKER_01:Reapers. Become a creep. Become a creep. This is what we call um Annie's fans. And then also the pub pub grub, pub grub, pub grub. Just just get to bite this and let me know how it goes. And keep moving, baby.
