Kristin Middleton didn’t let age, depression, or detours hold her back. After a rich career in wine and a life-changing health scare, she launched BougieGougies.com — a Seattle bakery reviving the French cheese puff.
This conversation dives deep into courage, reinvention, and the kind of clarity that only comes with time. Kristin's story reminds us: it’s never too late to dream again.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro + Kristin’s Early Dream of Entrepreneurship
0:03 – First Brush with Baking & the Magic of Gougères
0:08 – Career Detour: Banking, Wine, and Depression
0:16 – Hitting Reset in Her 60s + Canyon Ranch Turning Point
0:21 – COVID, Recovery, and the Idea That Wouldn’t Let Go
0:26 – Testing Bougie Gougies at Parties (Market Validation)
0:30 – Reading Candace Nelson’s Book: The Deciding Moment
0:33 – Launching Bougie Gougies in her 60's
0:36 – Mental Health, Energy, and Morning Structure
0:41 – The Role of Consultants and Business Support
0:45 – Goop Feature + Holiday Spike + Co-Manufacturing Plans
0:48 – Why Starting Late Can Be a Strength, Not a Weakness
Here is the list of a few books, Podcasts, Business Consultant, and Digital Marketing Consultant Kristin touched on:
Books
-Sweet Success by Candace Nelson https://amzn.to/3EWLF4Z
-The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma https://amzn.to/4k63b5w
-On Brand by Aliza Licht https://amzn.to/43iQNto
-Small Graces: The Quiet Gifts of Everyday Life by Kent Nerburn https://amzn.to/43mkz0k
-Dare to Lead by Brene Brown https://amzn.to/3ETdsmW
Podcasts
-Powerful Ladies (Host: Kara Duffy)
-Robin Sharma (for daily inspiration)
-A Touch More (Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird)
Business Consultant: Kara Duffy (Kara Duffy.com)
Digital Marketing Consultant
-Marissa Stahl
-Cherry-Creative.com
Public Relations with Food & Beverage Specialty
-Delaney Vetter (Delaneyvettercommunications.com)
📬 Follow the journey on Substack (www.unlostcause.com) #UnLostCause #EncoreEntrepreneur #ReinventionAfter40 #Gougères #BougieGougies
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Charlie is America's hardest working grassroots activist who has your inside scoop on the biggest news of the day and what's really going on behind the headlines. The founder of Turning Point USA and one of social media's most engaged personalities, Charlie is on the front lines of America’s culture war, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of students on over 3,500 college and high school campuses across the country, bringing you your daily dose of clarity in a sea of chaos all from his signature no-holds-barred, unapologetically conservative, freedom-loving point of view. You can also watch Charlie Kirk on Salem News Channel