From Bakery Owner to Digital Marketer | Brooks Nguyen on Navigating a Business as a Woman

Brooks Nguyen is the Director of Operations at The Food Connector, a B2B marketing specialty provider for the food industry, helping generate leads, sell products, and scale brands. As a 20-plus-year veteran in food service, she has created strategies to define operational goals, maximize profit, and support management. Brooks began her pastry career at the Culinary Institute of America in California and has worked across various verticals in the industry, including restaurants, bakeries, distribution and manufacturer sales, and consulting food startups. She also founded Dragonfly Cakes, a mail-order cake company that she exited and sold after 12 years.

In this episode…

Many bakers start their businesses to pursue their passion for the craft and creative freedom. However, women in the industry face challenges they don’t always discuss. Learn firsthand about one woman’s inspiring journey through the craft.

Brooks Nguyen had always dreamed of becoming a pastry chef. After graduating from a prestigious culinary school, she capitalized on an opportunity to purchase and operate a baking company. Brooks designed her business model to create a work-life balance. However, she notes that many women have multiple roles to fill in their personal lives, like caring for their children and elderly parents. As entrepreneurs fulfilling versatile roles, can women create balanced lives?

Join Odette D’Aniello on the Celebrity Gourmet Podcast as she interviews Brooks Nguyen, Director of Operations at The Food Connector, who shares the obstacles associated with being a woman entrepreneur. Brooks reflects on her journey into foodservice, rebranding an existing business, and operating a bakery in a post-COVID food industry.