Episode 11.2: From Cocktails to Community - Odette Orola's Recipe for Radical Transformation

What happens when you retire from 22 years of cocktail waitressing, move to rural South Carolina, and realize you've never baked anything in your life? For Odette Ceriola Orola, it became the foundation of something extraordinary.

In this deeply authentic conversation, host Chloé sits down with Odette, the force behind Odette's Bakery & Wellness Supply Center in Seneca, South Carolina. From her first terrible blueberry muffin to building a thriving community destination that went from 28 followers to nearly 3,600 in less than a year, Odette's story is a masterclass in intentional transformation and trusting the process.

Key Moments

The Pivot Point - How one question from her partner Henry ("Why do you go to work and have to ask to be off?") sparked Odette to put in her two weeks notice without a plan

Building Anyway - Odette's philosophy: "Regardless of what's happening, whether you're angry, you're sad, you're not feeling well, you have no support, you feel like you've been defeated, build anyway"

The Power of Asking - "How can I turn my business into a tree?" - Odette's vision for creating something that benefits her entire community, not just herself

Learning at Any Age - From never having baked anything to selling out sourdough brownies every weekend, all while allowing ego to step aside

Manifesting Community - Opening with one table in 30-degree weather with no menu, no plan, just cinnamon rolls and trust

Quotable Moments

"Change always comes with chaos. So go with it. Go with it as much as you can."

"It's always your moment. Take a breath, get out of the back of your head and put it in the front, ground yourself."

"Ask good questions. Ask really, really good, detailed questions and be open to anything that comes to you that's gonna benefit you."

About the Guest

Odette Orola is the founder of Odette's Bakery & Wellness Supply Center in Seneca, South Carolina. After retiring from the cocktail industry, she taught herself to bake by watching The Great British Baking Show and built a thriving weekend destination known for sourdough baked goods (especially those famous brownies) and curated wellness products. She's also an avid poker player with her sights set on winning the World Series of Poker.

Find Odette's Bakery in Seneca, SC - open weekends, featuring rotating food vendors, dill pickle lemonade, and a community that feels like coming home.

Episode Theme: Perspective Shifts & Vision Season: Season [X] Guest: Odette Sirola Oola Location: Odette's Bakery & Wellness Supply Center, Seneca, SC

#PerspectiveShift #SmallBusiness #BakeryLife #CommunityBuilding #IntentionalLiving #SourdoughBaking #WellnessJourney #SouthCarolina #Entrepreneurship #SecondAct

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