Creating a Business Around Your Life by Megan Wagstaff From Lady Yum Bakery

Celebrity Gourmet Podcast

Megan Wagstaff is the CEO of Lady Yum, a Washington state-based pastry shop specializing in assorted-flavored macarons. She began her love affair with baking as a child growing up in a remote Alaskan village. After a brief career in investment banking, Megan followed her heart to open her dream bakery shop. Her adoration for baking and champagne inspired her macarons concept. Lady Yum has six locations, including Bellevue Square, Downtown Kirkland, Pioneer Square, the Amazon Seattle Campus, and the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

In this episode…

For years, societal norms have dictated that we go to college after high school, graduate, and acquire a steady job. Though many people choose to skip continuing education, statistics still show higher employment rates and salaries favor college graduates. The issue for many is that high-dollar paychecks don’t necessarily buy happiness.

Business owner Megan Wagstaff followed the traditional career path after graduating college. She earned a hefty paycheck and professes she was good at her job. But daily life at her desk became daunting. After experiencing an epiphany, she risked a steady salary to go into business for herself. But the rewards of entrepreneurship didn’t immediately follow. Instead, Megan earned a different kind of education. She spent countless hours conducting research, gaining new skills, and learning to ask for help – all before drafting a business plan.

In this episode of The Celebrity Gourmet Podcast, Odette D’Aniello interviews Megan Wagstaff, CEO of Lady Yum, to muse on the ebbs and flows of being a business owner. Megan reflects on her decision to quit her job in investment banking to live out her dream, how she raised funds to open her first store, and her decision to use creative marketing to grow her business.