Georgi DeCosta lives in Kaneohe, HI and sells banana breads and bundt cakes with her cottage food business, Georgi’s Goodies.

Georgi has been through some incredibly dark times in her life. Over 25 years ago, she recovered from a dangerous addiction to meth and heroin, and more recently during the pandemic, she dealt with very serious depression.

She never expected to end up in the food industry, but she found that baking provided her with a much-needed reprieve from her depression.

With the help of her boyfriend, she’s turned her baking therapy into a legitimate cottage food bakery, and now sells close to $1,000 of baked goods at her markets.

But Georgi’s story is less about making money, and more about finding purpose when facing adversity.

3 Key Takeaways

• Turning Passion into Purpose: Georgi’s journey into baking started as a way to find purpose during a tough time. She turned her love for baking into a thriving business, proving that passion can lead to success. So if you’re feeling stuck, find something you love and let it drive you forward!
• Starting Small and Scaling Up: Georgi advises starting small with what you love and do well. She began with her famous banana bread and bundt cakes, gradually expanding her product line as she gained confidence and customers. Start with your best recipes and let your business grow organically. 
• Building and Leaning on Your Community: From getting help when her stove broke down to loyal customers who return week after week, Georgi’s story underscores the importance of community. Engaging authentically with your audience can create a support system that helps your business thrive. 

Resources

Georgi’s Goodies Linktree (Instagram | Facebook | Civil Beat Article)

Hawaii Cottage Bakers & Treat Makers (Facebook Group)

Hawaii Cottage Food Law

Free Tutorial: Intro To Email Marketing

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Are you building an email list for your business yet? If not, you really should be collecting customers’ email addresses and emailing them on a regular basis. Even these days, email continues to be better than social media for generating consistent sales, and the best part is that you own it. Once you build an email list, nobody can take it away from you.

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Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/142