I Didn't Start in Luxury Bakeries.
I'm from Detroit. That matters, because Detroit teaches you early that work is real, consequences are real, and nothing runs on talent alone. I started working in kitchens and bakeries at a young age, learning production under pressure and seeing firsthand what happens when systems fail.
After years in underground music—touring Europe, releasing records, living inside high-pressure creative environments—I watched talented people burn out because the systems around them couldn't support the work. That lesson never left me.
The Pivot That Changed Everything
After the band years, I ran to Austin, Texas in the 1990s, convinced I could resurrect my music career. Instead, I took a job at the Four Seasons to help replace a friend who was leaving to go on tour. That unplanned decision changed everything. I entered my first true mentorship in international pastry, put down my guitar, picked up the tools of the craft, and committed fully to mastering the discipline.
During my tenure with Four Seasons and The Peninsula Hotel, I trained extensively in Europe—studying at the École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie in France, competing at the Truffe d'Or in Switzerland (now World Chocolate Masters), and completing advanced chocolatier studies in Barcelona. These experiences shaped a systems-driven, international approach to craft at the highest level.
As Director of Pastry Operations for Mariano's in Chicago, I built and scaled bakery operations across a 45-store upscale grocery chain. My work on the Chicago Restaurant Pastry Competition video series earned multiple Emmy Awards. The James Beard Foundation recognized me as both a Broadcast Media Awards finalist and a semi-finalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef.
Today, through Successful Bakery, I help established bakery owners install practical operating systems that bring clarity to production, control to labor, and predictability to profit—so your bakery can scale without burning you out. Because your craft deserves a business structure strong enough to support it.
Awards & Recognition
Multi-Emmy Award Winner
Creator and producer of the Chicago Restaurant Pastry Competition video series
James Beard Foundation
Broadcast Media Awards finalist and Outstanding Pastry Chef semi-finalist
Top Ten Pastry Chef in America
Recognized among the nation's foremost pastry talents
StarChefs Rising Star
Honored for groundbreaking creativity and industry contributions
Product & Concept Innovation
Award from Mariano's Fresh Markets for bakery innovation across 45 stores
30+ Years Experience
In hospitality, food service, manufacturing, and bakery operations
What I Believe
Every established bakery has the potential to become a highly profitable, system-run business. The problem is never talent or work ethic—bakery owners have plenty of both. The problem is the absence of systems.
- Systems over chaos — Build operations that run without you
- Profit over busy — Focus on what actually drives the bottom line
- People over problems — Develop teams that perform independently
- Progress over perfection — Implement changes that compound over time
