How did Christina Tosi turn a love for baking into a business empire? In this episode, the creative force behind Milk Bar reveals how she blended curiosity, hustle, and creativity to transform a small bakery into a nationwide phenomenon. Known for its iconic creations like Birthday Cake and Cereal Milk, Milk Bar now boasts legions of fans, but Christina’s journey was far from easy. We dive into the importance of embracing creative risks, celebrating failures, and pushing boundaries, while also exploring how her obsession with product iteration and customer experience has driven the brand’s success. A two-time James Beard Award-winning chef, Christina also gives us a preview of her new cookbook Bake Club, out November 12, which features over 100 unfussy, mouthwatering sweet and savory recipes.
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Show Notes
- How to make a career out of your passions (2:03)
- How Christina found her lane by exploring multiple career avenues and staying curious and open to opportunities (7:58)
- Your destiny is impossible to miss (11:04)
- Celebrate your failures- they are a necessary ingredient in the creative process (13:53)
- You can show up who you are authentically and still thrive (17:49)
- How to help your team embrace discomfort as a pathway to growth (21:26)
- Help your people become obsessed with their ideas so that they can dare to dream and then dare to achieve (21:54)
- The origin story behind Milk Bar (23:08)
- How Milk Bar stays relevant despite the competition (25:49)
- Limitation breeds innovation. Ask: What if I have everything I need? (29:36)
- If you’re not obsessed with it, you can’t expect others to be (30:12)
- Be your customer every single day (33:06)
- Work-life balance isn’t about 50/50 (38:10)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Milk Bar
- Bake Club by Christina Tosi
- MasterChef Junior
- Bake Squad
- Chef’s Table: Pastry
- All About Cookies by Christina Tosi
- Bouley
- Bake Club
- Will Guidara
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- The Power of Exceeding People’s Expectations with Will Guidara
- Rebecca Minkoff on Break the Rules and Re-Write Your Life
- Ellen Bennett on Dream First, Details Later
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