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I love hearing stories of moms making entrepreneurship work for them, and Dana’s is a great one. If you have that side hustle bug (or even if you don’t) I have a feeling you’re going to love Dana and what she has to say.
Dana is the founder and CEO of Dana's Bakery, a direct to consumer bakery specializing in French macarons with an American twist, and also mom to Leni, who's almost three, and another baby girl due later this summer.
In this conversation, we talk about motherhood, entrepreneurship, and some of the little life stuff in between.
Episode Highlights
- 1:25 – Why Dana started Dana's Bakery, why entrepreneurship didn't scare her (she ain't afraid of no ghosts), and why the guys at her previous job joked that she was definitely going to be making creatine cupcakes.
- 9:25 – The shitstorm of all shitstorms. The worst thing that could’ve happened to Dana and her business… happened. While she was super pregnant. During the height of her season. She survived #thanksforasking.
- 12:13 – Running a business while becoming a mother is no joke. Dana tells the story of managing a photoshoot on her way home from the hospital with baby Leni in arms.
- 12:55 – How she’s planning to do things differently this time around.
- 16:30 – Dana's Bakery (Baby #1) meets Leni (Baby #2/Real Baby #1) and how motherhood has changed the way she works.
- 17:48 – Dana's outlook on being a woman in business. (And Megan's too.)
- 25:03 – How parenthood factored (slash didn't factor at all) into the business plan (because Dana is way more go-with-the-flow than Megan could ever be.)
- 26:06 – How she and Adam co-parent like champions (with the help of a great nanny).
- 29:05 – Sisters!! A bit about Dana's sister, and why Dana is so excited to be the mother of sisters.
- 30:49 – What Dana's excited to do differently this time around. (Ditching anxiety is high on the list.)
- 33:18 – The curse of a great first born (a.k.a. hopes and prayers the second born is as easy). Chill parents; chill baby.
- 41:56 – Dana's favorite baby gear. (Megan's too.)
- 47:47 – Dana's advice for new moms.
Linkable Mentions
- Dana's Bakery – Where you can get yourself some American-style macarons immédiatemment.
- @danaloia – Where you can follow Dana personally.
- @danasbakery – Where you can follow Dana's Bakery and try not to drool all over your phone.
- Zara – If you're not already shopping here for your kids' clothes, who even are you?
- H&M – Similar story as above but with slightly less judgement.
- Mustela – Dana's favorite baby bath products. (FYI, most Mustela products are a 4 on the EWG Skin Deep scale, primarily because they contain artificial fragrances.)
- Fairy Tales Curly-Q Shampoo – The shampoo Dana couldn't remember that she loves for little curls. (This shampoo is also a 4 on the EWG Skin Deep scale.)
- Water Wipes – Dana's fave because they smell like nothing. We approve.
- Aden + Anais Swaddles – Dana's choice for baby burrito-ing. We're a fan too.
- Velcro Swaddles – Megan votes yes on these because they're way easier than burrito-ing.
- BabyBjorn Bouncy Chair – A lifesaver for baby #2.
- GroVia All in One Cloth Diapers – Cloth diapers used to be weird. Now they're still weird but Megan likes them a lot. These are the best ones.
- BabyBjorn Carrier – Dana's go-to for the witching hour.
- Solly Baby Wrap – Megan's go-to for the fourth trimester. (Would it even be an Also Mom podcast without a totally unsponsored Solly plug?)
What Dana Said
You’re in a constant state of panic and discovery and learning when you first start. And then it starts to become more familiar. And you start to get a little more confidence. And it’s not your first time at the rodeo. That’s when it starts to get a little easier.
Being an entrepreneur never really scared me.
For the longest time, I definitely had—and I still do—mom guilt, in terms of not being there and feeling absent and feeling like I want to be in two places at the same time. Because this… the bakery… is my first baby. I have 40 children here.
Having Leni has definitely made me a stronger business woman. I’m so much more aware of my time. I know I need to get certain things done because if they’re not done it means I can’t leave or I can’t do other things, and then that takes away from my time with my family. So I think it’s actually helped me and structured me in a way. I feel more urgency now to be a little bit more rigid. “Time is valuable” has a new meaning for me.
I have a different outlook on what being a woman in business is all about. But now that I have a daughter—and I’m going to have daughters—I want it to be a take away for them, and [for] them to see that they can do anything.
How does an experience like this that changes your life and is something that you live every day not affect every other aspect of your life for the better?
