Patti Stobaugh is the Owner of PattiCakes Bakery, a Central Arkansas-based pastry shop serving European-style cookies, cakes, and pies. Patti left her corporate accounting job in 2005 to start what she calls her “encore career” as a bakery owner. The first PattiCakes opened in Russellville in 2006. Later, she decided to close it to concentrate on the Conway flagship store. PattiCakes is frequently honored in the USA Today Readers’ Choice Competitions. Along with her husband, Patti has four PattiCakes locations and two Stoby’s Restaurant locations.
Patti is active in the community and has served on multiple committees and boards, including the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, Haven House — a shelter for women who are victims of domestic abuse — and currently serves as the Treasurer for the Retail Bakers of America.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- Patti Stobaugh shares her career background and the inspiration for starting PattiCakes Bakery
- How Patti learned to make decorative cakes
- What is the Viva paper towel trick?
- The reason behind changing PattiCakes’ business model
- How the pandemic affected business operations
- Why it’s important to communicate with your employees
- The lesson Patti learned from her grandmother and how it sparked her fondness for helping novice bakery owners
In this episode…
There aren’t many happy memories associated with the onset of COVID-19, mainly because it sparked fear in most people. The pandemic also forced people to reassess their lives and career choices. Many were inspired to learn new skills and make professional pivots. But for bakery owner Patti Stobaugh, it didn’t take a global pandemic to sway her to change careers.
While working the hostess stand at her husband’s restaurant, Patti caught sight of a liquidation sign that changed the trajectory of her life. Leaving behind the stress of her corporate job, she pursued her dream of becoming a bakery owner. As an entrepreneur, Patti’s mission is to run a burden-free organization sans strict work hours, giving her employees a flexible work-life balance.
On this episode of The Celebrity Gourmet Podcast Odette D’Aniello interviews Patti Stobaugh, Owner of PattiCakes Bakery, to discuss why opening her bakery was the best thing for her. Patti shares what inspired her to pursue entrepreneurship, why she made changes to her business model, the importance of communication, and the life lesson her grandmother gifted her.
Resources Mentioned in this episode
- Celebrity Cake Studio
- Dragonfly Cakes
- Odette D’Aniello on LinkedIn
- Email Odette D’Aniello: Odette@CelebrityGourmet.com
- Patti Stobaugh on LinkedIn
- PattiCakes Bakery
- Stoby’s Restaurant
- Natalie Bleifuss on LinkedIn
- Katie Poppe on LinkedIn
- Marlene Goetzeler on LinkedIn
- Retail Bakers of America
Sponsor for this episode…
Today’s episode is brought to you by Celebrity Cake Studio, a family-owned and operated cake boutique.
Celebrity Cake Studio has been baking joy into all of their artistically designed cakes and desserts for 21 years.
They are proud to work with a vibrant team of cake designers and bakers that help you celebrate the sweet moments in your lives.
They have received numerous awards, winning Best of Western Washington for many years in a row and various small business accolades.
To learn more about how you can celebrate yourselves or the ones you love, visit www.celebritycakestudio.com or email them at info@celebritycakestudio.com.