Odette D'Aniello is the Founder and CEO of Celebrity Cake Studio, a family-owned and operated retail cake boutique. The company has received numerous awards, including winning Best of Western Washington several times. With experience in the food industry, business strategy sales, and marketing, Odette has obtained additional skills in product design and brand development, event management, and team building.

She is also the Owner of Dragonfly Cakes, the wholesale sister company to Celebrity Cake Studio, designing, developing, and manufacturing delicious handmade and clean-label petit fours, tea cakes, and mini desserts. Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, she hosts the Celebrity Gourmet Podcast, where she shares insights from successful individuals in the food and beverage sector.

In this episode…

In the high-pressure baking and specialty foods industry, balancing creativity, collaboration, and communication can be a challenge. Teams often struggle to deliver constructive feedback without damaging morale, and unresolved conflicts can quickly erode trust and productivity. How can leaders create a psychologically safe environment where feedback fuels growth rather than resentment?

Odette D'Aniello, a seasoned entrepreneur and leadership expert in the specialty food industry, offers practical strategies for fostering open communication and emotional intelligence at work. She emphasizes focusing feedback on the product, not the person, tailoring communication to experience levels, and promoting a culture of psychological safety through recognition and compassion. Odette also highlights the importance of active listening, mindfulness, and empathy in resolving conflicts and strengthening team well-being.

In this episode of the Celebrity Gourmet Podcast, Karen Tinglev-Hansen interviews Odette D'Aniello, Founder and CEO of Celebrity Cake Studio, about how to build healthier, more collaborative teams in the bakery and specialty food industry. Odette discusses constructive feedback techniques, managing workplace conflict, and creating psychologically safe cultures while sharing personal stories, mindful leadership practices, and ways to sustain long-term team harmony.