I met Bonnie Alton, owner of the St Paul Great Harvest Bread Co. nearly two decades ago when she was about to open her bakery in St Paul, MN.
While interviewing her last week, I was delighted to discover all the more reasons I like her. I’m continually impressed with how she manages her business and her life.
For most of her pre-bakery career, Bonnie worked in small business. She always thought if she had her own business, it would be a relationship building, interactive type of business where you had the same customers coming back on a regular basis. When she was in her mid-30’s, she had the opportunity to work for a large company as Director of Marketing. She thought she should do something bigger with her life, and took the job. It paid well but she hated it. She would go to work every day, work hard, but it didn’t matter what she did, as a small cog in a large machine, she couldn’t make a difference in people’s lives.
Her business travels took her to Milwaukee, where she visited a local Great Harvest Bakery. As it turns out, the owner of the store, Jill, was a marathon training buddy. One day, while living in the Twin Cities area, Bonnie was on the phone with Jill and was informed that Tom and Sally, owners of the Minneapolis Great Harvest, were looking for someone to partner with in St Paul. Bonnie said the whole chain of events was serendipitous. She had been a customer of Tom and Sally’s Minneapolis Great Harvest for years and the whole idea of a neighborhood bakery fit right into the relationship-building business she had been waiting for.
Reflecting on the experience, she noted there were things she could do well from the beginning. Marketing and making the bread and products were easy. She had a marketing background, was detailed oriented, and a Foodie. She had to grow into other aspects of the business.
Bonnie says she didn’t come out of the box being a good boss. She didn’t trust herself enough to trust her people, and was anxious about making sure things were done perfectly. She came to realize they were making bread, it wasn’t brain surgery, and made it her goal to establish a positive, supporting work culture. Bonnie explains, “You have to let go, believe in people, accept that mistakes that will be made. You can establish a life-giving work environment.”
In her St Paul store, Bonnie created a culture of people who work hard, like work, do it well together and give customers an outstanding product. “It’s all about relationship, within, and with customers. We only have about 3 sick days a year. Everyone shows up for work. Everyone cares for each other.” Her work force ranges from ages 15 to 76.
About small business in general? Bonnie told me, “If something’s not working, you need to go back to ‘ownership by the owner,’ look at behaviors, and make adjustments. I’m not afraid to do any work I ask my people to do.” Bonnie is in the thick of things every day. As a single owner operator, she has no qualms about that. She has no goal to be CEO. She wants to work side by side with her people. She says to love the work, you have to want to be in relationship with people.
Bonnie and her husband, Brian, live in the neighborhood where the bakery is. They work with other small business owners and are involved in all kinds of local organizations that give back to the community, including those that deal with youth and a lending organization that specializes in loans for women to get started in business. I got unsolicited comments from a customer when I visited in July about the store being a wonderful part of the community. In addition to their work and community activities, Bonnie and Brian managed last summer to participate in RAGBRAI, an epic annual 471 mile bicycle ride across Iowa.
Bonnie’s store was originally on Grand Avenue for 10 years. Nine years ago, she moved to 534 Selby Avenue. I guarantee you’ll find a pleasurable neighborhood bakery experience when you stop in.
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