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In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 171 - Say It - Don't, Spray It, we wanted to cover a topic to help us help you help us. Because it's how you ask questions in Facebook groups that dictate the kind of answers you'll get.

Depending on how you asked it, 🤩 you're either going to get really solid advice that moves your business forward, 🚮 or you'll end up with bottom-of-the-barrel, trash comments that do nothing other than get you even more worked up. 😡

🔑 You hold the keys to your own post - 🔓 whether your post gets locked or not is really up to you - the OP (original poster). And when you post in a way that garners good advice, it makes the group a better place.

👿 And when you post spun content that makes your client look like the devil's stunt double, you give the mod team more work - 🔒 because your thread will get locked by the mod team. It's our job to keep this space a resource for folks, not an echo chamber of the worthless comment, "🏃‍♂ RUN."

🤔 Ask yourself: "What am I looking for with this post - advice or validation?" If you're looking for validation, reconsider posting altogether. 💥 We aren't here to clean up a crime scene. If you want advice, we're your people. 🚔 We can help prevent the cookie car accident altogether with the right strategy.

If you find somethin' in here that looks like what you've asked in the past - no hard feelings. Your thread is a learning lesson to everyone, and for that, I am thankful (now stop posting threads that get locked, mkaaaay).

🙊 Example 1 - Unhappy Client Help

Let's start off with unhappy client help. It's a guarantee in business (and life) that you won't be able to please everyone. As such, dealing with upset clients is a business-ownership guarantee. How you handle that separates the proverbial "men from the boys" or should I say, "the business bakers from the business boo-ers."

😡 Spun Bad Question:

• "I took a last minute order, it was rushed, I fit her in - she begged! My icing wasn't perfect, but now she's upset about how they turned out. I wasn't even going to take the order and I let her know that it wouldn't be perfect, but she's saying the icing isn't the right color. I tell them in my terms that icing won't match, so she knew that going into it. I don't have time to rebake, and I will not refund her. What should I do? Any help?"

🤔 Alternate Healthy Question:

• "I took a last-minute order and in hindsight, I shouldn't have. I broke my own boundaries, and I acknowledge I have a hard time telling people no. The cookies that include piped names have bumpy icing - not my best work by far. What should I do in this situation? The client is unhappy with those cookies."

🙊 Example 2 - Pricing Wheelin' 'n Dealin'

Example 2 - a client who pushes back on price. It's a bummer when the client doesn't just pay the asking price but thinks there's room for bargain hunting. While likely there isn't much wiggle room, we can still play ball - in fact, that's likely what they expected you to do (remember - there are people who operate off the premise, "the answer to every unasked question is no, so ask").

😡 Spun Bad Question:

• "I secured a corporate recurring order and now they want to know if I can lower the price! They waited until after we nailed everything down and frankly, I don't want to work with them anymore anyway, but I want her to know I won't do business like that. How can I tell them they're being unfair?"

🤔 Alternate Healthy Question:

• "I secured a corporate order - and it would be a ni

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In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 170 - Class Supplies, (another) Heather (of One Smart Cookies and Crafts - also a returning Vendy this year) asked us to cover what cookie class supplies we bring and why.

(🤫 Pssst - if you're a Cookie Class Kits or Cookie College member, you get this list with every class drop). Let's go through our general "class supplies" list we use for every class we teach.

Yours may differ - we try to keep it pretty lean so we have less to pack, manage, and clean up. Hey - if time's money, the less time we spend packin' and preppin', the more money we keep in our apron pockets.

✂️ 1. To-Go Boxes

Everyone always likes a box recommendation - so here's ours (keeping the direct links in the newsletter - the Zuck hates a 'Zon link on socials, so check your email for the hyperlinks).

Our to-go boxes we use for class attendees to take their bakes home in are the same ones we use for the DIY Kit boxes - but Corrie will grab a cheap pack of stickers from Hobby Lobby.

• 📦 9x9x2.5 Window Boxes (Amazon)

✂️ 2. Piping Bags

While we're not diehards for any one brand of piping bag, when we find one we like, we try to stick with it. I prefer a "middle of the road" micron count - too loose and you'll have a bag bursting. Too hard and you'll have a crunchy-sounding class.

• 👜 Piping Bags (10) (Busy Bakers Supplies)
• 👜 Bag Ties (200) (Amazon)

Bring some extras - in the event of a bag bursting, it's nice to have these on hand. Plus, if you let your attendees cut their own bags (more on that in the #PodcastPoll below), and they get too clippy, you can rebag and save the flow (and the day).

✂️ 3. Trays.

I love these trays. They really help "set an area" for each attendee. We use two different-sized trays per station - a large one where we display the cookies and a smaller one where we put their icing. Both are lined with parchment paper (links below) for easy clean up too.

• 📤 Large Trays (9.5x13) (Webstaurant)
• 📤 Small Trays (6.5x9.5) (Webstaurant)

Trays make it easy to designate the station for attendees, keep sprinkles from running free, and help us keep a better headcount. The ones we use aren't the cheapest, but we've been reusing them for 4.5 years now, so worth the investment. Amazon has cheaper alternatives though.

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In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 169 - Corrie-tisol, Corrie said, "I want to talk about ways to manage stress." And for good reason - in 2022 she was admitted to the hospital because her kidneys were shutting down. The cause? Chronic, unmanaged stress.

So while this is a business podcast, the business of managing stress will keep you in business. 😫 Chronic stress is no good for the bottom line 📉 - it'll lead to burnout, and up until the day you throw the ol' "tea towel" in, you'll be cursin' the day you first picked up that piping bag.

It's M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E.

So - the solution? Well, as with everything - it's a plan of attack, not a single pill to solve all of our proverbial problems (💊 but wouldn't that be nice?!).

Here are 5 things Twin #2 did to cut down on the cortisol spikes.

☕ 1. Manage Caffeine intake.

Caffeine - I love it, I love it, I want some more of it. But when it comes to cortisol, shelving the caffeine (or at least delaying it) may be the answer. 👣 Instead of going cold turkey, try "baby-stepping" your way to a healthier relationship with the brown nectar.

• 🧊🦃 Limit your first cup until later morning (letting your body catch up naturally to what the day holds).
• 🧊🦃 Try going "every other" with a 🫗 glass of water in between caffeine-heavy sodas (where my diet coke lovers at?!).

🧠 2. Identify Stressful Triggers.

I spent 35 years strengthening my stressors, so it could take just as long to tear them down. Being able to identify what causes stress spikes is our key to developing new patterns in handling stress.

• 🧠 What are the things you can control in a stressful situation?
• 🧠 What are the things outside of your control?

Once you identify what you can change and what you can't, you can then channel your thoughts into finding solutions - not fretting about all the worst possible outcomes.

“A man who suffers before it is necessary suffers more than is necessary.” - Seneca

💆🏼‍♀ 3. Implement Relaxation Techniques.

Okay - we've identified what we can control, and we've let go of what we can't control. Now fill up that newly found free time with things you find relaxing. I got Corrie a Calmigo (heads up - I can't believe I spent that much money on something so basic - but hey, her kidneys were shutting down, seemed like a cheaper option than a hospital bill). Science says that deep, conscious breathing in and out can really have an immediate effect on cortisol spikes. Walking is a great way to lower stress hormones too.

• 😮‍💨 Breathing exercises (shortness of breath = high cortisol)
• 😮‍💨 Low impact exercise routine can use up excess cortisol - so walking during a stressful situation
• 😮‍💨 Good sleep hygiene (be on time, sleep long enough, phones outta the room, cool dark room)

🖍️ 4. Find a Non-Baking Hobby.

Unfortunately, most of us turned our baking hobbies into baking jobbies - they're no longer the stress relievers we intended them to be. The answer? Find a new hobby that lets you let down your guard for a bit. The more mindless, the better. They say not to move to your favorite vacation destination because it turns "a place where I can relax" into "a place where I have to mow and pay the HOA." Here are some mind-numbing ideas.

• 🖍️ Lettering / Calligraphy
• 🖍️ Sewing
• 🖍️ Coloring Books / Paint Gems
• 🖍️ Animal Crossing (Video Games)