Blondery Update with Auzerais Bellamy
I love all things food and am dedicating the month of May to food conversations on the podcast. I’m a fan of Food Network, and I view chefs the way people view artists or rock stars. Cooking is an art form, and I’m constantly impressed by the people out there raising the game and the bar for food standards.
When I think about amazing and game-changing chefs, I can’t help but think of Financial Gym scholarship winner Auzerais Bellamy. I connected with Auzerais in 2020, and she was previously on the show to share her experience of working in fine dining as a woman of color.
She founded her company, Blondery, to change the face of baking, and she joins me today to share an update on what she’s been up to since we last connected. She has some significant updates you’ll want to hear.
What are we drinking?
Auzerais - Essential Water
Shannon - Black Cherry Schweppes
Podcast Notes
What’s new with Blondery since we last spoke?
The last time Auzerais was on the show, Blondery was located in Brooklyn and they were renting a kitchen from another bakery. When it was time to renew the lease, the landlord decided not to resign, and they had eight days to move. This was in September of that year, heading into the busiest season.
She contacted everyone she knew in New York and told them she was looking for a kitchen. Auzerais toured so many spaces and eventually found one in Hudson Valley. This was a rushed move, with the plan for the space to be temporary. When the time came to decide whether she wanted to stay or move the bakery back to Brooklyn, an opportunity came through.
The Mayor of Peekskill herself came out to the bakery, and within a month, she was in touch with Auzerais about a new space available on Main Street. The location was operating as a bakery but at a different capacity than Blondery, and they left everything there. There was work to do, but they didn't have to start from scratch.
You can visit the physical location, but it's not quite your average retail bakery experience. The majority of Blondery's business is online at the moment.
What has been the process of scaling-up Blondery?
Finding and working with the right mentors was a big part of the process. Eileen from Brownies.com and Candace Nelson from Sprinkles are both mentors. Both of these folks were not VC funded and scaled their businesses.
Once they were in the new space, it was about setting it up for their business and picking out the new supplies. Auzerais got to buy the Mercedes of ovens that can bake 20 sheet trays of blondies at a time.
She also purchased a new blondie cutter. This tool can cut a tray in less than a minute, whereas doing it by hand took the team 45 minutes. This tool, specifically, is one of her biggest accomplishments.
She now has a team of people helping her. There are three full-time bakers and three that work part-time. In the past, she only hired contractors on an as-needed basis.
Auzerais is open to working with a partner, but it must be the right fit. They must be aligned with her; if not, she will keep exploring until she finds the right one.
What’s next for Blondery?
Blondery was recently on CBS Mornings. They were looking for small women-owned businesses and featured Blondery. Talking on camera was easy, but she was not expecting the business to explode the way it did after that segment.
The end-of-year holiday season is usually the busiest time for Blondery, but in April, they’ve already surpassed last year’s totals. Even though this bump in the business has been incredible, Auzerais is already planning for what’s next.
She knows this momentum is not sustainable and is being very strategic with hiring and the next steps. Part of the hiring process is potential candidates coming in and trail for a shift. Blondry pays all their perspectives when they come to shadow, and they’ve found excellent team members.
You can also order on apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats.
The Blondry website is open 24/7 and their retail location is open Thursday - Sunday. The next step is expanding the in-person location and adding some additional elements.
Listen to Auzerais’ first appearance on MAYM: Blondery with Auzerias Bellamy
Visit Blondery in Peekskill Thursday - Sunday: Get Directions
Takeaway: My biggest takeaway is the importance of believing in yourself no matter what people may say. If your gut is telling you to start a business or take a big leap like Auzerais did, you owe it to yourself to take the chance.
Random Three Questions
If you had two weeks away from work, what would you do?
What do you do during your commute?
If this was your last meal on earth, what would it be?
Connect with Auzerais Bellamy
Website: blondery.com - Use promo code of MAYM for 10% off orders of $35 or more!
Instagram: @bondery
If you have any topics you would like me to cover on this podcast, or if you’d like to get in the financially naked hot seat, I encourage you to email me at Shannon@fingyms.com, or join the private Martinis and Your Money Face, and let me know what you want to hear.
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