Rise Up! #200 - A Conversation with Daisy Chow and Nate Houge

Rise Up! #200 - A Conversation with Daisy Chow and Nate Houge

Author: Mark Dyck: Baker and lover of bakeries December 20, 2023 Duration: 1:51:35

The podcast hits a major milestone by going back to the beginning. 

In this special 200th episode, Mark is joined by Daisy Chow of Breadboard Bakery in Arlington, Mass. and Nate Houge of Brake Bread in St. Paul, Minnesota for a wide ranging conversation about everything that's changed since they first met back at Wheatstalk in Rhode Island in 2018, when the podcast was an idea but not yet a real thing.

Recorded on the Monday before US Thanksgiving, with Nate preparing for a night of baking and Daisy rolling out pie dough on camera, the three friends talk about staffing, about product lineups, and about making the difficult changes to make their bakeries sustainable for the long term. 

Helpful Links

Learn more about the Bakery Leadership Circle workshop!

Daisy on Instagram

Nate on Instagram

Support the Podcast Here!

Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website

The Bakers4Bakers Community

Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series

Mark on Instagram

Credits:

Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck

Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck

Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

 


Behind every great bakery is a story, often one of flour-dusted perseverance and the sweet taste of community. Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck pulls up a stool in the kitchen to hear those stories directly from the source. Hosted by Mark Dyck, a baker himself with a deep affection for the craft, each conversation goes beyond recipes to explore the real heart of the business. You’ll hear from bakers and shop owners across North America and around the globe, sharing candid details about the long nights, the failed experiments, and the eventual triumphs that define a life in bread and pastries. This podcast is built on the understanding that a bakery is more than a retail space; it’s a gathering point, a source of daily comfort, and a testament to skilled hands. Listening feels like being part of a warm, insightful chat between professionals who live for the oven’s heat and the customer’s smile. The dialogue naturally covers the intersection of art and entrepreneurship, revealing how passion is shaped into a viable livelihood. Through these personal narratives, a larger picture emerges about the profound, simple satisfaction found in feeding your neighborhood. It’s for anyone who has ever felt the pull of a crusty loaf or wondered about the life behind the counter.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck
Podcast Episodes
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Duration: 1:28:57
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Rise Up! #184 - Byron Fry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Rise Up! #182 - Haley Landa and Curtis Helm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Duration: 1:28:50
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Rise Up #180 - Anna Gordon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:00
Anna Gordon started selling her amazing cookies at the Brooklyn Flea in 2010 and has since created a delicious destination bakery in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. In this episode, we kick off 2023 with a vibrant conversation a…
Rise Up! #179 - Karen Bornarth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:19
Karen Bornarth has been an active part of the American bread scene for over two decades. This past July, she was named Executive Director of the Bread Bakers Guild of America and is fully engaged moving the baking profes…
Rise Up! #178 - Kitty and Alex Tait [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:08
When Kitty Tait was 14, she went through a very rough time, and baking bread was key to her recovery. She baked, and baked, and baked some more, until her friends and neighbours were well fed, and she kept on baking. Soo…
Rise Up! #177 - Josh Houston [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:16
When Josh Houston started teaching cooking at his local high school, the incumbent chef put him in charge of the baking program. It didn't take long before Josh was baking so much bread and pastries in order to 'crack th…