Summary:
Recorded October 26, 2021 – Not one to shy away from a challenge, we speak with Lisa Sanguedolce of Le Dolci Bakery & Culinary Classroom and her new venture, The Lactation Cookie Company. We hear what inspires Lisa and how she maintains her ‘Yes, I can!’ attitude.
Show Description:
Lisa Sanguedolce began her baking career as she pivoted out of her successful international Public Relations career.
It all began in London, England in 2008. Lisa had been laid off from her PR job and was getting excited about her friend’s wedding. When her friend asked what she was going to do next, Lisa replied, “Why don’t I make your wedding cake?”
With no baking experience and an eternally optimistic outlook, Lisa threw herself into the cake baking world and that’s where she discovered her passion.
She started researching, attended cake shows and bought all the necessary cake supplies. She began baking out of her kitchen and baked into the wee hours of the night. On the day of the wedding, Lisa set up shop in the basement of the wedding venue. The cake was made, it was a success and Lisa attended the wedding covered in flour.
At the wedding, when asked by guests if she makes cakes, she said, “YES!”. And that’s how it all began.
She loves baking and finds that when she bakes, it puts her in a Zen state. Time both flies and stops at the same time.
Lisa decided to change her career as a successful PR consultant, finding that even though she put in 150% effort into her work, most top positions were reserved for men. That and erratic and crazy managers drove her to reconsider her career path. She wanted to start her own business and decided to give baking a chance.
Taking her savings from the various jobs she’d had, Lisa moved back to Toronto and invested in her business. She began hosting weekend baking classes in her King Street loft and when things got busy, she decided to open a storefront to support her growing needs.
Lisa opened the storefront on Dundas Street West across from Trinity Bellwoods Park. Soon after people were requesting cakes and she realised that she could sell cakes to customers and stores to balance out her income.
At the beginning of Covid Lisa had just given birth to her son, she had just moved into her new location on Dufferin Street and she had just landed a large new customer, Loblaws. She was stressed out. As Covid hit, her in-house classes dropped to zero. More stress. And somehow she balanced things out.
Today La Dolci Bakery & Culinary Classroom has created a new brand, The Lactation Cookie Company. The cookies are a delicious way to support breastfeeding moms. She had a few new customers lined up but challenges with the supply chain have slowed her production and progress.
Lisa is very optimistic and always says “Yes, I Can”, and then figures things out.
Lisa believes that one needs to set goals, “If you don’t set a goal, you won’t reach it.” She joins business groups in order to expand her business views and believes that you need to surround yourself with people that want to see you succeed.
Today Lisa Sanguedolce loves Toronto. She lives in the Beaches, not far away from the water. She takes her son to play by the water and is making future plans to travel as a family.
Website: www.ledolci.com and www.thelactationcookiecompany.com
IG: @ledolci and @thelactationcookieco
