Tanya & Mike Clowers live in Williamsburg, IA and sell custom-decorated cookies and other baked goods with their cottage food business, South Street Cookies.

Tanya & Mike’s cottage food story has truly humble beginnings. Just a few years ago, Mike became very ill and lost his job, leading them to rely on a local food bank to get by while Tanya worked 4 different part-time jobs.

But as their cottage bakery became more successful, she was able to quit her other jobs and focus on this business full-time.

Tanya has now grown not only a strong customer base, but also a huge social media presence. She now has over 100k subscribers on her YouTube channel, and in this episode, we discuss how to use YouTube to boost a cottage food business.

Tanya & Mike’s journey is quite remarkable and is a great example of how a cottage food business can literally be a life-changing opportunity.

• Start With What You Have and Grow From There: Tanya had never baked or decorated cookies before watching a few videos online and giving it a try. At the same time, she was juggling multiple jobs and caring for a one year old. There was no perfect setup or clear plan. She just kept showing up and practicing. This is a great reminder that you do not need everything figured out before you start. The skills, confidence, and momentum come from doing the work.
• Create Multiple Streams of Income for Stability: Because of hand pain from carpal tunnel, Tanya knew she could not rely on decorated cookies alone. So she and Mike added farmers markets, simple baked goods, mystery bags, classes, and even social media income. This flexibility allowed them to protect Tanya’s health and still grow the business. For you, this could mean adding one extra product or sales channel that makes your business more sustainable long term.
• Use Social Media to Build Real Community, Not Just Views: What started as short cookie decorating videos turned into a huge YouTube following. People now travel long distances (even from other states) to attend Tanya’s cookie classes. This shows how sharing your process and your personality can do far more than build views. It can build trust, community, and real customers for your business.

South Street Cookies website (Youtube | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok)

Iowa Cottage Food Law

Host David Crabill’s Cottage Food Pro membership is a great opportunity to get personalized feedback directly from David and other members.

The membership includes monthly group calls, plus tutorials designed to grow your business without breaking the bank. Learn more at cottagefoodpro.com

Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/156

Alecia Ryan lives in Ardmore, PA and sells cookies and mini desserts with her cottage food business, Lee Cee Pie.

Back in 2022, Alecia started her business on a whim after discovering an amazing pie recipe, but then paused her business for almost 2 years due to life circumstances.

Last year, she started up the business again by partnering with a coffee shop and developing a very strong brand, and she quickly went from having no orders to selling hundreds of cookies in a week! And now she is now in the process of renting a commercial kitchen to take her bakery even further.

In this episode, Alecia shares how she built her business into a success by focusing on branding and customer relationships, despite facing many unpredictable changes along the way.

• Start Before You’re Ready: Alecia launched her business just one day after discovering her signature hand pie recipe. She did not wait for everything to be perfect. Instead, she shared her creation with friends and family and let her passion lead the way. If you are hesitating to start, remember you can tweak and improve as you go. Progress is always better than waiting for perfection.
• Let Your Brand Reflect Your Values: Alecia’s brand is all about being organic, whimsical, and minimalist. She uses thoughtfully sourced ingredients and designs her packaging to match her clean, artistic vision. This authenticity not only sets her apart but also attracts customers who value quality and care. Think about what makes your business unique and let it shine through every detail.
• Build Relationships, Not Just Sales: Alecia grew her business by donating cookies to local businesses and events, which led to repeat orders and valuable partnerships. She shows that investing in relationships, whether through samples, collaborations, or simply showing up, can open doors and grow your customer base. Do not be afraid to put yourself out there and connect with your community.

Lee Cee Pie website (Instagram | Pinterest)

Episode 78 with Carla Jones-Harris

Pennsylvania Cottage Food Law

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.

I created this free tutorial that will walk you through the essentials of using Kit to build an email list and get more followers!

Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/155

Katie Sacoman of Albuquerque, NM sells many types of baked goods with her business, Sweet Pea Bakery.

Katie never expected to be running her own business, but after having her daughter, she realized that she didn’t want to go back to her former career. She started decorating sugar cookies for fun, and pretty soon family and friends started ordering them for events.

As she built her business, she eventually became overwhelmed with the number of custom orders she was getting, so she transitioned to selling more traditional baked goods at markets. And then when that became overwhelming, she transitioned again to a commercial kitchen so she could produce more and sell wholesale.

In this episode, Katie shares how she transitioned from custom orders to markets to wholesale by remaining adaptable and embracing the messiness that inevitably comes with growing your own business.

• Stay adaptable and open-handed: Katie’s business evolved from custom sugar cookies to markets and wholesale. Each shift came from paying attention to what worked and being willing to pivot when needed. Her story is a powerful reminder that flexibility is your biggest advantage.
• Let community shape your business: From advocating to change Albuquerque’s cottage food restrictions to donating a portion of profits to local schools, Katie built Sweet Pea Bakery around connection and service. Her approach shows how small home-based food businesses can make a big impact locally.
• Create boundaries that protect your joy: Katie’s been candid about the challenges of burnout especially when your kitchen doubles as your workspace. She shares how taking time off, hiring help, and separating “home” from “work” helped her keep the joy in baking.

Sweet Pea Bakery website (Instagram | Facebook)

New Mexico Cottage Food Law

A lot of entrepreneurs still think they need to spend money to get a good website, and that is simply not true anymore.

I created this free tutorial that will walk you through how to set up a totally free website on Square Online in less than an hour!

Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/154

Alina Eisenhauer lives in Worcester, MA and helps coach cottage food entrepreneurs with her business, Cottage Baking Success Academy.

Alina started her first baking business way back in 2003 when she was 6 months pregnant. A couple of years later, she expanded into her first storefront, and then kept expanding the idea until she had a full-blown restaurant with 40 employees.

She has competed in many cooking competitions on national TV, has been featured in many books, and has consulted for major restaurants. Eventually she shifted her focus to coaching, first to help people with gluten-free cooking, and now to help cottage food entrepreneurs too.

In this episode, she shares many of the lessons she learned, including avoiding burnout, becoming profitable, and leveraging productive business systems.

• Start Small and Stay Sustainable: Alina learned firsthand that “bigger isn’t always better.” Even after building a 5,000 sq. ft. bakery with 40 employees, she realized that home-based businesses often have better margins and less stress. Her advice? Focus on what fits your lifestyle before chasing scale.
• Systems = Freedom: Burnout hits fast when everything lives in your head. Alina swears by simple systems — production schedules, recipe organization, and batching tasks across days. “You shouldn’t be mixing, baking, and packaging all in one day!” she says. Structure = sanity.
• Build Relationships (and an Email List!): “Start collecting emails yesterday,” Alina jokes — because staying top-of-mind turns one-time buyers into loyal fans. Whether through a notebook at your market table or a quick signup link, nurturing your list keeps your community coming back for more.

Chef Alina website (Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | Classes)

Ultimate Cottage Baking Checklist Pack

Cottage Baking Success Academy (use coupon code “forrager” for 10% off)

Gluten-Free Baking Bootcamp

Facebook Groups:

• Gluten Free Baking Secrets, Tips & Tricks with Chef Alina
• Cottage Baking Success Academy

Episode 150 (features Alina)

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.

I created this free tutorial that will walk you through the essentials of using Kit to build an email list and get more followers!

Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/153

This is Part 2 of Lisa He’s interview. You can listen to Part 1 on Episode 151.

Lisa He lives in Orlando, FL and now runs multiple businesses, including Borderlands Bakery where she sells custom-decorated cookies and cookie decorating supplies. She also has an online course business called Baking with Borderlands, and a software business for cottage bakers called My Custom Bakes.

Her Instagram page for Borderlands Bakery now has over 175k followers, and she is one of the top influencers not just in the cookie decorating world, but now in the cottage food industry as a whole.

In the last episode, Lisa shared how she started and grew her cottage food bakery into a massive success.

And in this episode, she shares how she turned that success into multiple businesses that help support other cottage food bakers.

Just like the last episode, this one is also filled with tons of helpful business advice, including many social media strategies.

• Authenticity builds real connection: Lisa grew her 175K+ following by showing up as herself, sharing her wins, struggles, and process. She reminded us that people can sense when you are being real, and that’s what keeps customers coming back for more. Be genuine. Be you. That is your secret ingredient.
• Consistency beats perfection: Whether you are posting stories every day or just a couple of reels each week, consistency matters more than perfection. Lisa’s mix of educational videos, behind-the-scenes peeks, and packaging tips helped her attract loyal fans and repeat buyers. Small, steady steps build big results.
• Growth means being open to change: Lisa started with a cottage bakery and eventually launched My Custom Bakes to help other bakers streamline their orders. She showed that success is not about doing one thing forever but about solving problems, trusting your gut, and evolving as you grow.

My Custom Bakes (Instagram | FB Group)

Borderlands Bakery website (Blog | Shop | Instagram | Youtube | FB Group)

Post + Prosper: 100-Day Social Media Visibility Challenge for Creative Entrepreneurs

Lisa’s free classes on Amazon

Related episodes:

• Episode 151 (Part 1 of Lisa’s interview)
• Episode 150 (features Lisa)
• Episode 133 with Matt Rosen

Next year, in the spring of 2026, get ready for CottageFoodieCon — the first ever, in-person, nationwide cottage food conference!

Lisa will be co-hosting the conference and you should get your ticket now, since prices will be going up very soon.

To learn more about the conference and to get email updates when registration opens, go to cottagefoodiecon.com

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.

I created this free tutorial that will walk you through the essentials of using Kit to build an email list and get more followers!

Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/152

Lisa He lives in Orlando, FL and now runs multiple businesses, including Borderlands Bakery where she sells custom-decorated cookies and cookie decorating supplies. She also has an online course business called Baking with Borderlands, and a software business for cottage bakers called My Custom Bakes.

Lisa’s journey began back in college when she started making custom-decorated cookies, a hobby that ultimately completely changed her life. Her cookie business quickly became quite successful, leading Lisa to appear on cooking shows on The Food Network and Netflix.

Her Instagram page for Borderlands Bakery now has over 175k followers, and she is one of the top influencers not just in the cookie decorating world, but now in the cottage food industry as a whole.

This episode is Part 1 of Lisa’s interview, where she shares how she started and grew her cottage food bakery into a massive success that not only led to many opportunities, but also some very serious consequences as well.

• Build skills and confidence, then raise your prices: Lisa started selling her decorated cookies for just $1.50 each. Over time, as she improved her craft, refined her brand, and built trust online, she confidently raised her prices to $100+ per dozen. Her reminder: your worth grows with your experience. Don’t be afraid to charge for it!
• Marketing isn’t magic, it’s consistency: Lisa spent years showing up every day, posting content, engaging with her audience, and giving out cookie samples at local shops. That consistency helped her turn a side hobby into a full-fledged business and brand.
• Protect your peace as much as your profit: In her early years, Lisa worked nonstop, baking after her 9–5 day job and staying up till 3am. It eventually led to burnout. Her advice today? Build your business around your life, not the other way around. Sustainable success beats fast success every time.

Borderlands Bakery website (Blog| Shop | Instagram | Youtube | FB Group)

My Custom Bakes (Instagram | FB Group)

Episode 150 (features Lisa)

California Cottage Food Law

Host David Crabill’s Cottage Food Pro membership is a great opportunity to get personalized feedback directly from David and other members.

The membership includes monthly group calls, plus tutorials designed to grow your business without breaking the bank. Learn more at cottagefoodpro.com

Next year, in April 2026, get ready for CottageFoodieCon — the first ever, in-person, nationwide cottage food conference!

Lisa will be co-hosting the conference and you should get your ticket now, since prices will be going up very soon.

To learn more about the conference and to get email updates when registration opens, go to cottagefoodiecon.com

Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/151

In this special 150th episode of The Forrager Podcast, we hear from cottage food industry influencers!

The guests on this episode represent over 1.5 million followers across their top platforms! They’ve built communities on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and beyond, all in support of cottage food entrepreneurs.

On this episode, each guest shares a quick tip to help you start, grow, or strengthen your home food business.

The cottage food industry is thriving thanks in large part to individuals like these, who dedicate their time to teaching, supporting, and inspiring others.

This episode not only provides some of the very best advice for cottage food entrepreneurs, but also celebrates the many influencers who continue to help this industry grow!

• The Pink Crumbb website | Instagram | Facebook
• The Pink Crumbb VIP Membership
• Episode #113 & #114
• Tip: Don’t let fear stop you; do things your own way

• Cake Business School website | Podcast| Instagram | Facebook Group
• Book: Baking Your Way To The Top
• Cake Biz Bootcamp
• Tip: Believe your hobby can be a business

• Out of Home Baker website | Instagram | Facebook| Youtube
• Business School for Bakers
• Episode #83
• Tip: Just get started; don’t wait to be perfect

• Chef Alina website | Instagram| Facebook | Classes | Youtube
•  Cottage Baking Success Academy
•  Gluten Free Baking Boot Camp
• FB Group: Gluten Free Baking Secrets, Tips & Tricks with Chef Alina
• Tip: Build a cohesive brand; your display is your salesperson

• Cassie’s Country Cupboard website | Instagram
• FB Group: Ohio Cottage Food / Home Bakery License Producers
• Episode #64
• Tip: Find gaps in your market; offer something unique

• Colby Jack Rabbit website | Tiktok | Youtube|Instagram | Facebook
• Episode #107
• Tip: Use storytelling in your marketing

• Bakery Tee Co website| Instagram| Facebook
• FB Group: Cookie Society by Bakery Tee Co
• Episode #50
• Tip: Show your face; be local, real, and consistent on social media

• South Street Cookies website | Youtube | Instagram | TikTok | Facebook
• Online Cookie Decorating Classes on Etsy
• Tip: Post consistent & simple YouTube videos; find your own format

• The Bake Fest website| Instagram | Facebook
• Baker Bosses
• Baking Basics Bootcamp
• Tip: Use AI for marketing, data, and business mentoring

• Joy-Full Bites website| Instagram | Facebook
• FB Group: Gourmet Cookie Creators: Recipes, Tips & Sweet Support
• FB Group: Cottage Food and Home Bakers: Advice, Tips, and More!
• Tip: Build and nurture an email list

• Baking for Business website | Stan Store
• Instagram| Facebook | Podcast
• Digital Product Community
• The Entrepreneur Community
• Episode #80
• Tip: Add digital products for extra revenue

• Home Sweet Home Baker website |Store| Instagram | Facebook
• The Baker’s Library
• How to Start a Home Bakery Course
• Episode #140
• Tip: Be consistent; be friendly & engaging with customers

• Little House Bread Co. website | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube
• Little House Bread Co. Stan Store
• Tip: Start small; set boundaries; grow sustainably

• Borderlands Bakery website | Instagram| Facebook
• My Custom Bakes |Instagram| Facebook
• Tip: Stay disciplined; keep yourself accountable

• The Better Baker Club website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Stan Store
• Better Baker Club Courses & Tools
• FB Group: Home Bakery Business Tips
• Episode #136
• Tip: Track income & expenses regularly; separate business finances

• Cakepops by Rachel website | Instagram | Facebook
• School of Cakepop website | Instagram
• Episode #135
• Tip: Price for profit; value your time

• The Monetization Chef Facebook
• FB Group: Cottage Food Business
• Newsletter: Cottage Foodology
• Tip: Build credit early; prepare for financing before you need it

• CRUMB Sourdough Microbakery website | Instagram
• FB Group: Oregon Cottage Food Law & Resource Group
• Episode #74
• Tip: Be confident in wholesale; start small and scale

• The Cottage Foodie website | Facebook | Instagram
• CottageFoodieCon 2026 | Facebook | Instagram
• Sergeant Shortbread website | Facebook | Instagram
• Episode #133
• Tip: Join your Chamber of Commerce; show up and network

Host David Crabill’s Cottage Food Pro membership is a great opportunity to get personalized feedback directly from David and other members.

The membership includes monthly group calls, plus tutorials designed to grow your business without breaking the bank. Learn more at cottagefoodpro.com

Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/150

Alanna T’ia lives in Columbia, MO and sells semi-custom decorated cakes and other treats with her cottage food business, Sugar, Butter & Flour.

Alanna always made her kids’ birthday cakes as they were growing up, but after making her daughter’s wedding cake in 2019, she decided to turn her longtime hobby into a home bakery.

It wasn’t long before Alanna became the go-to cake maker in her area, and she has now made over $100,000 per year in sales multiple times!

In this episode, Alanna shares how she became a 6-figure baker by creating a professional setup with streamlined systems, exceptional customer service, and consistent high-quality products.

• Treat It Like a Business from Day One: Alanna didn’t just bake. She set up a professional website, used a CRM for orders, and streamlined her systems. She says, “I run my bakery, my home bakery, like I would a shop.” This mindset helped her hit $100K+ in sales multiple times!
• Be Transparent & Set Boundaries: On her website, Alanna lays out all options, prices, and policies upfront. No guesswork for customers. She’s clear about what she does (and doesn’t) offer, which saves time and attracts the right clients. She even has strict business hours and a contract to protect her time. Take it from her: “Just because I work out of my home doesn’t mean I’m less professional.”
• Adapt, Innovate, and Know Your Why: From shifting her menu to match trends (hello, dessert spreads and sourdough!) to advocating for better cottage food laws, Alanna is always evolving. She reminds us: “Find your why, and once you’ve found it, figure out your backend and start selling legitimately.” Her passion for supporting her family keeps her motivated, even through those 16-hour days!

Sugar, Butter & Flour website (Instagram | Facebook)

Dubsado (Customer Relationship Management tool)

Missouri Cottage Food Law

Do you spend too much time juggling spreadsheets, managing DMs, and trying to keep track of custom orders?

If so, you absolutely should check out My Custom Bakes. It’s an order-management platform built by cottage bakers, for cottage bakers. It’s an easy way to market, manage, and monetize custom orders — all in one place.

Your shop comes with a semi-customizable website, automated quote-to-order workflows, and a built-in chat feature. You can manage availability, scheduling, presales, and custom product options without the hassle.

Best of all? It’s community-funded and has no hidden fees or percentage cuts. Join the 1,000+ bakers who rely on My Custom Bakes to stay focused on baking, not busywork.

To learn more, go to mycustombakes.com.

Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/149

Lauri Lee & Bob Stafford live in Surprise, AZ and sell low-sodium spices and seasonings with their food business, Lauri Lee’s.

Back when Lauri Lee invented her low-sodium seasonings, she had no intentions of selling them, but soon many friends and family were asking for them as well.

So in 2023, Lauri Lee and Bob took a big leap of faith and pursued this business as their only source of income, and in just the past two and a half years, they’ve already sold over 20,000 containers of their seasonings!

In this episode, Lauri Lee & Bob share the strategies they’ve used to continue scaling their business by becoming a major presence at markets, adding wholesale accounts, switching to a co-packer, and more.

• Start with a Need, Grow with Passion: Lauri Lee’s low-sodium seasonings were born out of a real health challenge, Bob’s need to cut back on salt. What started as a way to bring flavor back to their own table quickly became a business when friends and family kept asking for more. Their story is a reminder that the best products often come from solving your own problems. If you’re passionate about your creation, others will be too!
• Stand Out at Markets with Branding & Community: From day one, Bob’s creative background helped them design eye-catching banners and a cohesive booth that made Lauri Lee’s stand out at every market. But it didn’t stop there. Lauri Lee’s live streams and genuine support for other vendors turned their booth into a community hub. Their tip? Don’t just sell, connect! Your brand is more than your product; it’s the experience you create.
• Embrace Growth & Don’t Fear the Next Step: After a year as a cottage food business, they took the leap to work with a co-packer, allowing them to expand beyond local markets and ship nationwide. It wasn’t always easy. Finding the right partners and letting go of some control was scary. But their willingness to learn, adapt, and trust the process helped them scale. If you’re feeling stuck, remember: growth means stepping out of your comfort zone!

Lauri Lee’s website (Instagram | Facebook | TikTok)

Arizona Cottage Food Law

A lot of entrepreneurs still think they need to spend money to get a good website, and that is simply not true anymore.

I created this free tutorial that will walk you through how to set up a totally free website on Square Online in less than an hour!

Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/148

Soralla Gonzalez lives in Tampa Bay, FL and sells sourdough and other healthy baked goods with her cottage food business, Delicious Healthy Bakes.

Soralla started selling baked goods at the beginning of 2023 and initially thought that she’d focus on keto products, but struggled to find enough demand for them in her area. But one day she brought some sourdough bread to a market, and it sold out immediately.

She’s now switched over to selling mostly sourdough baked goods, but still has had many ups and downs in trying to find the right customers for her healthy baked items.

In this episode, Soralla shares how she has overcome struggles and has steadily grown her bakery by being resilient, implementing various marketing strategies, failing fast, and staying focused on her true passion.

• Embrace Change & “Fail Fast”: Soralla started out selling keto baked goods, but when she noticed sourdough bread was flying off the table, she pivoted fast! She’s tried everything from selling on Etsy to opening a pop-up shop in an Airstream, and isn’t afraid to move on when something doesn’t work. Her motto? “Done is better than perfect.” Don’t wait for perfect… try, learn, and keep moving!
• Consistent Marketing Equals Loyal Customers: In the early days, Soralla didn’t collect emails or focus on marketing. Once she started building her email list and posting regularly on Instagram, she saw more returning customers and steady growth. Even a simple “Where I’ll be this week” email keeps her top of mind. If you’re not building your list yet, start today!
• Stay True to Your Values & Be Resilient: Despite ups and downs (like slow markets or closing her Airstream shop), Soralla never compromises on her mission to offer healthy, gluten-free, and sugar-free treats. She reminds herself — and us — that “the only people who fail are the ones who quit.” Her positive mindset and gratitude keep her going, even on tough days.

Delicious Healthy Bakes website (Instagram | Facebook)

Pico Plus Commercial Oven

Episode 126 with Kristi Otto

Florida Cottage Food Law

Soralla Gonzalez is a member of Cottage Food Pro, a new membership created by host David Crabill.

Cottage Food Pro is still new and small, which makes it a great opportunity to get personalized feedback directly from David Crabill and other members like Soralla.

The membership includes monthly group calls, plus tutorials designed to grow your business without breaking the bank. Learn more at cottagefoodpro.com

Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/147