We have amazing women role models in our family of Great Harvest bakery owners. We'd like to share a few of their stories with you. If it sounds like this business could be a good fit for you, order a free information packet to learn more about Great Harvest.

JoEllen Kunz: Taylorsville, Utah
Carol Rutledge: Rome, Georgia
Bobbie Ecklund: Helena, Montana

Great Harvest was a good choice for me because of the freedom, the food, and the people were the true draws of Great Harvest Bread Co. We wanted to own a business that we could create our own little world, but we wanted to do it with support. The art of taking a kernel of wheat and creating a loaf of whole wheat bread was a beautiful thought, and it tasted even better!

At different ages, owning a bakery has meant different things to our kids. When they were little it was just their version of “normal†- Mom and Dad worked at a bakery, and we get “FREE FOOD†- As the kids have grown, they have loved the “fame†of having their pictures on the wall. Jackson (who is now 13) has plans to be a baker with all of his friends. He currently works on Saturday's and he does dishes and has learned how to knead. Alesha is 16, and she sometimes thinks it is simply embarrassing that her parents always have Great Harvest shirts on, and that they seem to know everyone (personally I think she likes the notoriety, but when you're 16 you need to have something to complain about). They do have issues at Christmas time, they wish they had parents before the holiday (our busiest season), but we always take a family trip in January to make up for the lack before December 25th. Overall, owning our own bakery has allowed us opportunities to be so much more involved in our children's lives than would have been possible in more traditional jobs. It has allowed me to have the appearance of a stay-at-home Mom - while still working full time. I am so very grateful!

Owning a Great Harvest bakery has been a wonderful lifestyle choice for me, but I would caution anyone to give it some serious thought. Owning your own business means work never truly ends. This can be hard on a family, but for the right person - it is a GREAT decision.

As a Mom, some of my greatest life lessons have come from being a “Mom†to 12-18 employees at any given time. I've learned to let the idea of control go. Control is an illusion, so let it go! I've learned that the worth of a soul is much greater than the worth a bowl of dough. I've learned that nurturing others ideas - is so much more fulfilling the ‘forcing' my way. All these lessons have changed and shaped my parenting approach with my own children. The ability to give and share bread has allowed a simple way to teach one of life's most valuable lessons -- that of service and sharing.

My cute kids have learned that random acts of kindness can change the course of one's life. They have also learned that sharing a smile and a hello is as important, if not more so than sharing a loaf of bread. It's the generosity of spirit that makes the gift work. When I hire folks, I explain that there are a couple of Mom truths I want to share: 1st - In every situation there is something to learn, and something to share. So look for them. 2nd - Good Choices, Good Memories - So make them good - and lastly - If your goal is to truly celebrate and serve every person you interact with, you will become the person you desire to become.

Life is a journey, it's not a destination. Whatever space of the journey you are in, enjoy it. If you're a Mom of young kids - Don't wish the chaos and monotony of it away, get down on your knees and revel in the moments. If you are in a space of tweens or teens, encourage, love unconditionally, and lead by example not by force. The traits that make a great business owner, are the same that make a great Mom: adaptability, spontaneity, ability to put a good spin on any situation, ability to nurture and coach, the ability to think of a new way to do the same old thing, and the ability to make any day an adventure - So whether you are a Mom, a business owner, or both, remember: Take a deep breath and enjoy where you are, and don't be afraid to dream. And most importantly, take time for you, to restore your own personal balance. Find a friend and go for a walk, a run, a bike ride, a swim, a hike, etc. We cannot give if our own cup is empty. Self nurturing is a gift to yourself and all those around you. Lead by love, - and that includes loving yourself. Accept your weakness, your inadequacies, and giggle a lot!

Great Harvest was an excellent choice for me because I have always cared enough to provide the best possible nutrition for my friends and family. As a Mother of three, making sure my children ate what was good for them was number one on my list of priorities. When they were very young, I learned to grind grain at home and make fabulous bread and sweets from that whole grain. Great Harvest and I share the wonderful philosophy of freshly milled grains being the key to great nutrition.

My children enjoy being a part of Great Harvest because they are proud of what Great Harvest represents in our neighborhood. It represents family!! It represents a warm and comfortable place where people come to feel welcome and cared for. Isn't that what family is all about?

The best advice I can give a Mom who is thinking of opening a bakery is to: Make sure you are at a place in your life, and in the lives of your children, where you can commit fully to this new "child". This new child will need a lot of nurturing and care, just like the children you currently have at home. Be sure that you are able to sacrifice yourself so that the needs of your loved ones will not go un-met.

I have memories of several life lessons that I have learned, or re-learned through the day-to-day operation of my bakery. Here are two that rise to the top:

• People Care. It's that simple. Your customers care, and your crew will care. If you put others ahead of yourself, they will prove it to you over and over again. Recently I took a week off to go away with my daughter Anna Grace. We had been very busy at the bakery, and I was doubting my need to leave. Basically, I left a Train Wreck. Not only did I not hear from them while I was gone, but upon my return, I learned that 2 of my crew had been sick and the others decided that they would pull it out verses call me. They wanted me to have a rest. When I came back into the bakery on Monday morning, the store looked the best it's looked in a while, and there were fresh flowers on all the tables. My crew had worked overtime to make sure I was proud of them upon my return.
• Pure Surprise. At Great Harvest, we believe in giving generously to others. That means always having something to give and not holding a grudge against giving it. Since our opening in 2007, we have given away a lot of bread to just about anyone who needed it. We have fed the homeless countless numbers of times, and helped out worthy organizations with donations. One of our customers, who was moved by our generosity, called 11 Alive TV Station in Atlanta, GA and told them of our generosity. They came with a camera crew and an anchor and filmed two segments in our bakery. The segments were called "Do a good deed for someone today." I never imagined that we would be on national television, but there we were. Remember - people are noticing what you do even when you don't know it.

Great Harvest is a good choice for me for, well, for a couple of reasons. I had worked at the original Great Harvest Bread Co. in Great Falls, Montana in the 1970s and had never forgotten the experience. Being a “freedom franchise†was very important to me. I have the entrepreneurial spirit, but not necessarily all the skills to “go it alone†in small business. I really liked the idea of running my own business and having the franchise skills and experience backing me up when needed. And, that is exactly the way it has played out.

To answer the question of whether my daughter enjoys being a part of Great Harvest, I'd say “yes†and “no.†She is eight years old and likes to tell her friends that her mom is the “bread lady.†She likes to run around the store in the afternoon, being very “proud†of her ability to do as she pleases in the bakery gives her a sense of pride and “grownupness.â€

She is also old enough to resent, at times, the time Mom (me) spends both on and in the business. Still feeling like a new business (less than three years), I am physically at the bakery at least 10 hours a day, on most days. And, when I am not physically at the bakery, my mind is often “still at the bakery†as I ponder actions and things to be done. She is old enough to know when I am preoccupied and not giving her my full attention, which she can at times resent. I don't blame her one bit.

I have really tried to impart to my eight-year-old daughter the immense and broad implications of generosity, and how it comes back to enhance your life in so many ways. We often talk about our bread board at the bakery, where we give out free slices of our fresh hot bread to any one who comes in our bakery. Whether they are buying bread or not. My daughter didn't understand why we did that: why not sell slices of bread? I told her many stories of times I gave out a slice of bread to a person who was clearly not going to buy any bread (kids walking home after school, the indigent, etc), to find out later that that kid's mom has started coming into the bakery because her child told her how he/she gets a slice of bread on the way home. Or the director of a non-profit here in town who calls to do a big sandwich order, simply because we feed some of her clients. This is one way generosity works. It comes back to you ten fold, when you simply give with no idea of its outcome. Stories like that abound at the bakery.

Owning your own business is one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever had. The satisfaction that comes with seeing happy customers, excited employees and watching your business grow can hardly be described with words. I get great pride and satisfaction in knowing (at least hoping) that I am imparting a great work ethic both to my eight-year-old daughter, as well as my young employees. I simply love the ability I have to help my community out, through my business. That is an unexpected plus, that I had not expected. Yet, be as aware as you can, of the tremendous commitment owning a bakery (or any small business) demands. Long hours, early hours, very physically demanding work, and the ability and desire to wear many hats (employer, accountant, marketer, customer service extraordinaire, hand holder to your employees, community advocate, etc) are just a few of the tasks you will encounter on a daily basis. You must be very comfortable in multiple roles, not to mention good at those roles, if you are going at it solo.