Rise Up! #215 - Chris DiPiazza
Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck
When Chris DiPiazza needed a break from his IT business, he took a cooking class with a bread baker. That class opened up a portal that changed his life and career. From small beginnings, Chris slowly built up his wholesale business until opening Mighty Bread Co. in a small corner of a larger building in 2017. These days, his bakery is the main player in the building, as Chris and his team go from success to success. In this episode, Mark and Chris talk about how Chris' role has changed over the years, how they keep the team's creativity high and cohesion tight, and how he is...
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Rise Up! #214 - Erica Leahy
Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck
Erica Leahy was working in an office job when she realized she had missed her calling. So she gave up her stock options and health plan, left the office and set off for the life of a pastry chef. After unpaid internships, several stints baking for fine restaurants, finding her feet in a commissary kitchen and starting a family, she opened Three Daughters Baking Co. in 2018. In this episode, Mark and Erica talk about the people in her life that have been cheering her on (and pitching in) throughout Erica's baking career, and how she's put down deep roots over the past 16 years in...
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Rise Up! #213 - Gillian Lundgren
Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck
Gillian Lundgren was lured to the Bay Area by her favourite aunt and has never left. Through a long and varied career as a baker in San Francisco, from bakeries to pop ups, she founded Black Jet Baking Co. right down the block from where she got her start. She's putting down deep roots and making sure the people in her neighbourhood are well fed. In this episode, Mark and Gillian talk about both the need for and the short life span of Hustle, how Covid forced her bakery to flip from mostly wholesale to all retail, and how Gillian keeps her creative juices flowing in all aspects of...
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Rise Up! #212 - Carly Rossmeissl
Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck
Carly Rossmeissl wants to experience everything baking has to offer. Since graduating from baking school she's travelled from New York to Austin to Wisconsin, working with bread, cakes, desserts and even stuffed pretzels. But her work keeps coming back to two things: solving problems and building strong, happy teams. In this episode we talk about Carly's long and winding journey in baking, with some trade union talk and even a detour into Halloween costumes as well. There is also talk about the , which has a new session coming in 2025. Helpful Links Mark's Blog,...
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Rise Up! #211 - Jessie Frost
Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck
There's something special about small town bakeries. And when your bakery is on the main street of a small town in the heart of Sonoma, California and you're baking stellar bread from a massive brick oven, well, now you really have something special. Jessie Frost has all that and more. A native of the Sonoma area, she baked around the Bay Area before eventually taking over Nightingale Breads. In this fun, thoughtful episode, Mark and Jessie talk about her love of place, taking the plunge to owner her bakery during a time of turmoil and her slow, steady approach to making the...
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Rise Up! #210 - Mark Hart & Luis Cabral
Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck
When Mark Hart decided to go out on his own, he built a commercial baking space, but not for his own production baking. Instead, he and his partner Luis Cabral started Rise Baking Lab, a teaching and event space where they can share their love of baking with professional and amatuer bakers alike. In this episode, Mark and Luis share their vision for their new bread lab, the joys to teaching, and their growing consulting business, while discussing how there are so many ways to be a part of the baking industry without focusing on early morning production. There is also talk about...
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Rise Up! #209 - Jonathan Stevens
Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck
Jonathan Stevens new book, The Hungry Ghost Bread Book, is a throwback to the first wave of books on artisan baking in the 1990's. And for good reason, because Jonathan has been part of the North American bread scene from the very beginning. In this episode, Mark and Jonathan take a trip back to the early days in Northern California, figuring it out with Alan Scott, opening an opinionated bakery in Western Mass, telling stories, singing songs and writing poetry. And through it all, reconnecting to the power of feeding people good bread day after day. Helpful Links Mark's...
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Rise Up! #208 - Holly Showalter
Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck
Holly Showalter was a pastry chef in Virginia when the big skies of Montana came calling to her. After several years working different jobs and settling into the local community, Holly opened Wild Oats Baking. Now she's feeding the people and the people are fully embracing her and her food. In this episode, Mark and Holly talk a little about tiny houses, more about hiring from within a small town, and a lot about how serving the local community means bringing all your skills to bear on the things they want to eat. Helpful Links Mark's Blog, with the Credits:...
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Rise Up! #207 - Karen Bornarth and Martin Barnett
Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck
Today Mark is joined by Karen Bornarth of the and Martin Barnett of the to talk about the state of the baking industry in North America. They reflect on the success of two recent national meetings, discuss the range of benefits that nationwide education and advocacy can provide, ponder the implications of a $10 loaf of bread, and more. Helpful Links Mark's Blog, with the Credits: Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck Orange Boot Human logo by
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Rise Up! #206 - Lyndsey Bell and Jay Valeri
Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck
Once Lyndsey Bell realized that the corporate life was not for her, she and her partner Jay Valeri dove into the world of donuts and coffee. Since they found their sweet spot and opened Bigfoot Donuts seven years ago they have gone from strength to strength. In this episode, Mark, Lyndsey and Jay talk all things donuts and coffee, being able to take advantage of opportunities when they are presented, who exactly is going to drive their donut truck, and more. It's a fun talk with two hard working bakers. Helpful Links Mark's Blog, with the Credits: Produced and hosted by...
info_outlineSarah Black sadly passed away on February 15, 2024. To commemorate this kind and thoughtful baker and teacher, we are re-publishing Mark's chat with Sarah from Episode 153. Recorded in October, 2021
Sarah's family announced her passing via Sarah's Instagram page.
Helpful Links
Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website
Credits:
Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck
Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck
Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin