From a micro-bakery and a newborn in her tiny flat, to make-shift bakeries catching fire and getting rejected by potential investors, to an iconic chain of unforgettably pink bakeries across London with queues down the street - Sourdough Sophia is an unusual story of family legacy and traditional craft intersecting with business acumen, entrepreneurial grit, and working professionally with family.
We had an honest, relatable chat about the challenges and rewards of running a family business, sacrifice, resilience, validation and coming back from failure, managing stress, the value of community, and Sophia's German heritage and mission to bring real bread to the UK.
Sophia Handschuh - @sourdoughsophia on insta
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Hosted by Vicky Clarfelt
Produced by Taqwa Sadiq
Artwork by Poppy Newman
Video by Nada Smiljanic
Mixed by George Powell
Brought to you by Clarfelt + Co, a people consultancy. Find out more and say hello at https://www.clarfeltandco.com
Chapters
(00:00) Meet Sophia: Founder of Sourdough Sophia
(01:31) A Rustic Childhood and Family Traditions
(03:52) Escaping to the UK
(05:24) The Bread Crisis in the UK
(07:48) The Origin Story of Sourdough Sophia
(10:24) Closing the Business in Covid
(14:11) Balancing Work and Personal Life
(14:33) Marriage and Work Stress
(15:55) Fire!
(17:37) A Rough Start
(19:40) Success, Resilience, Validation
(23:18) Doing Business as a Couple
(26:24) Expanding the Business
(27:04) Rejected by Investors
(27:37) Community Funding and Investment
(28:07) Family Legacy
(29:38) Future Plans and Conclusion
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