Today we’d like to introduce you to Mickey Ly.
Mickey, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up cooking in the kitchen with my mom. She showed me how wonderful it is to use your hands to create things. Because of her, I found a comfortable niche from a very young age. I decided to go to culinary school to pursue a cooking career. I worked long, sweaty hours in a professional kitchen and learned many inspiring things.
However, the reality of the debt brought on from culinary school ultimately pushed me to make the tough decision of choosing a higher-paying bookkeeping job in order to make life work. I continued to cook and bake for my family and friends for fun. I knew I never wanted to stay being a bookkeeper for the rest of my life though. I got a lucky break when the culinary school I went to lost a class action lawsuit and had to pay out settlements to its past graduates.
With the small settlement I received, I decided to go all-in on myself. I bought the cooking and baking equipment I needed to start a little cottage bakery from my home kitchen. At first, I baked mostly for my family and close friends but soon after Covid-19 hit, I started getting requests from their friends about my bakes. Though my kitchen is still a small-scaled startup and not making a livable salary just yet, I’m excited about all of my tomorrows! I am really grateful for the years working in a professional kitchen as a cook and in an office cubicle as a bookkeeper. These gigs burned me out at times but they were the stepping stones I needed to help run my small business.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I believe everyone has had a bit of a rugged road. Mine was my school debt; it was like a heavy anchor. No matter how hard I tried to work it off, it barely budged. The debt alone led me to make decisions that I didn’t want to make. My emotions would dip from time to time, but I still feel very lucky and am so grateful that I was able to work it through. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I’m here because of those things happening the way it did.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Home Bread – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I run a small bakery from my home kitchen. I mainly bake bread and pies to sell, but I love to bake it all! I make everything to-order so it’s as fresh as can be when picked up or delivered. I love the autonomy, creativity, and community my small business has given me. I’m a shy person, and it’s incredible to own something that tells people a little bit about me without having to say too much.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I want to keep on creating and learning in my kitchen. I would love to have more folks try my bakes so I’m trying out different ways to market my food. I hope to have the best kind of problem in the future, which is figuring out how to keep up with orders!
Pricing:
- Pies $18 – $22
- Bread $5 – $8
Contact Info:
- Website: homebreadhere.wixsite.com/homebread
- Phone: (626) 863-2082
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/homebreadhere/
- Twitter: twitter.com/grreatscotch
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