Co-Owner & Head Chef of Ayu Bakehouse

I started at Breads Bakery in NYC a few weeks before they opened in 2013 and worked there for the better part of a decade. I moved to New York with the goal of learning as much as possible, and Breads Bakery was an ample training ground to learn everything from bread & pastry skills to hospitality to business strategy. The influence on how I work and think today is undeniable.

Daycare pick up is at 5! I have no other choice but to go, so I have to set the team up accordingly. I try to extend that same work-life balance to the team. Full time staff, including salaried managers, work 40-45 hours max.

Google Sheets is essential for my job! We basically run our whole production from it. I have a pretty huge system of spreadsheets that organizes all of our orders (for the shop, wholesale and pre-orders) and converts it into production plans for each department. The goal is to give everyone the information they need, but not so much that it bogs them down. I think people really underestimate the data side of the job—both how crucial it is, and how much time it takes.

In hiring interviews, I always tell people that my goal is to never get to the day when people are dreading coming to work—otherwise, what’s the point of all this effort? While I can’t control everyone’s mood and mindset, I can try to create a work environment that is respectful and supportive with clear expectations for the team. The work is hard enough as it is, let’s not make it any harder for people because of egos and bad attitudes.

Our north star for Ayu is to build something sustainable (for people, planet and profits), and providing an inclusive and caring environment is part of what helps achieve this. We do the basics like providing fair wages (the average wage is over $20/hr), steady schedules and PTO, but we also have added benefits like free mental health care, health insurance stipends, annual bonuses, Ayu Schoolhouse, and other opportunities for further learning and development, like trips to the Kneading Conference and leadership classes with ZingTrain. We also throw two big staff parties every year as a way to allow people to relax and connect outside of the workplace. It’s fun to get to see people in a different environment and meet their partners/families/friends.

My favorite memories are of working in very diverse kitchens — at one point, there were 12 different languages spoken within one team. Every culture has a different approach to baking and making food, and there’s no one right answer on how to do it.

I have a pretty deeply ingrained sense of stick-to-itiveness, probably from playing soccer competitively growing up. For better or worse, I stuck through the hard times (70+ hour weeks, always working on holidays, very early mornings) because I had some sense that I didn’t want to give up. That let me build the relationships and trust that helped me build my own business (where we prioritize working more sustainably!).

I was on the pre-med track at Tulane until second-semester Organic Chemistry broke me, and I resorted to baking in the communal kitchen to stay sane. Some friends and I were watching the movie “Stranger Than Fiction” while cramming for midterms when Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character delivered her “I left Harvard Law to bake” monologue. The whole room turned to look at me, and I switched majors the next month (to Glass Blowing, but close enough).

I knew I wanted to be in this industry when I did a one-day job shadow at the local bakery in high school, and I left covered in buttercream. It was exhilarating to make things and see people come in and buy them. It felt very tangible and direct.

I can’t take full responsibility for others’ motivation—some of that has to be internal. But we do try to hold up our end of the deal. This starts with the basics like fair wages and benefits. Last year, we created Ayu Schoolhouse, a paid employee development program built to share knowledge with our team. Classes range from business and leadership to the science of coffee and how to temper chocolate.

These days I'm mostly reading books on how to wrangle a quickly-growing toddler.

To prevent burnout, I remind myself it can get done tomorrow! There’s only so much that can be done in a day, and while occasionally we go above and beyond to get something done, we try not to let that rule our lives. This frees up the space to do the things that sustain me, like going to the gym regularly, and not taking work home with me after I pick up my kid from daycare.

I don't find inspiration from any single place. Inspiration can be everywhere all the time, it’s just a matter of connecting with it at the right place and right time.

For my job, it's important to possess the following: 1) Respect: I’m asking people to spend 40+ hours a week to make my life dream a reality. Respect for that team is the bare minimum. 2) Patience: you must meet everyone where they’re at, and making mistakes is part of learning. 3) Humility: no matter how much experience you have, there is always more to learn, and that knowledge can come from anywhere.

When hiring, I look for someone who genuinely wants to be doing this work and thinks it will bring them joy. I can teach anyone if they want to learn. I also look for signs of humility. This is humbling work. Not only will you not get rich quick, but it’s also harder than it looks!

When you become someone’s manager, you also might become their mom/dad/other authority figure, and with that come a lot of complicated feelings (that are not always about you, even if directed at you)! All you can control is that you act with integrity.