[00:00] Tasha Eizinger:

Welcome to Diary of a Dreamer, where resilience unlocks your potential.

I’m Tasha Eizinger, and each week I’ll bring you powerful stories and practical insights from my own experiences and inspiring guests. Whether you’re facing challenges or chasing dreams, this podcast is your go-to source for motivation, confidence-building, and practical tips for transforming obstacles into opportunities.

Be sure to visit my website at TashaEizinger.com.

Let’s dive into today’s episode and start turning your dreams into reality.

[00:35] Tasha:

Today we’re joined by Emily Christensen, and I’m so excited to have her here.

If you’re looking for someone to follow on Instagram who will constantly make you hungry and inspire you to try new recipes, she’s the perfect person to follow.

Honestly, I wish we were doing this interview in your home so we could be breaking bread together.

[00:55] Emily Christensen:

I always have plenty of samples.

[00:58] Tasha:

I’m happy to be your official taste tester anytime.

Emily worked in corporate America before becoming a stay-at-home mom and eventually stumbling into sourdough bread making. Today, she has built an audience of hundreds of thousands of followers and published a beautiful cookbook.

I’ve seen the cookbook in person, and it is absolutely stunning. Your content is incredibly well done, and I’m honored to have you here.

Thank you for joining me.

[01:30] Emily:

Thank you so much.

[01:32] Tasha:

Let’s start at the beginning.

What were you doing in corporate America?

[01:37] Emily:

I worked in marketing.

After earning my marketing degree, I got a job while we were living in Idaho with a company called Melaleuca. I worked in brand management and supported their hair care, skin care, and cosmetics lines.

I also managed social media for those brands and worked on seasonal product launches. I helped select things like nail polish colors, lipstick shades, and eyeshadow palettes.

It was a lot of fun.

[02:18] Tasha:

So you learned a lot about branding.

[02:19] Emily:

Absolutely.

I loved working with designers, photographers, and creative teams. We would put together shot lists and coordinate all kinds of marketing projects.

Looking back, I feel like that experience really prepared me to build my own business.

Because Melaleuca operates with relatively small teams, I gained experience in many different areas. When I eventually started my own company, I already had a strong foundation.

[02:54] Tasha:

That’s fascinating because I actually got my start in network marketing as well.

[03:00] Emily:

Really?

[03:01] Tasha:

Yes. Melaleuca is a network marketing company, and I was on the distributor side building a team.

What’s interesting is that what you learned on the corporate side has translated directly into your business, and what I learned on the distributor side translated into mine.

I think it’s important to remove some of the stigma around network marketing because many people gain valuable business experience through it.

[03:33] Emily:

I agree.

Working alongside distributors and seeing what they were building was inspiring. They were creating businesses from home and building flexibility into their lives.

That’s one of the reasons I eventually started my own company.

I wanted flexibility.

I wanted to be home with my children.

My husband is currently in residency, and when I started my business, he was in medical school. His schedule was incredibly demanding.

There were many times when I felt almost like a single parent because he was gone so much.

I wanted something that allowed me to be available when my children needed me.

[04:57] Tasha:

I also think it’s important for every stay-at-home mom to have something that’s hers.

It doesn’t have to be a business. It could be a hobby, a side project, or a job outside the home.

But eventually your children grow up. They go to school. They become more independent.

Having something that belongs to you gives your brain a chance to engage in something beyond the daily demands of motherhood.

[05:44] Emily:

That was one of the biggest reasons I started.

After leaving my corporate job, I felt a little lost.

I had just had my second son in December, and I started Country Road Sourdough the following April. He was only four months old.

I needed something beyond being a mom all day long.

I loved motherhood, but I also needed something creative and personal.

That’s really how Country Road Sourdough started.

At first, it was simply local sourdough classes.

I remember posting my first class announcement and feeling completely terrified.

I thought, “This is ridiculous. Nobody is going to sign up.”

All of those doubts started flooding my mind.

[06:49] Tasha:

You’re sleep-deprived, your hormones are adjusting, and you’re putting yourself out there. That’s a lot.

[06:56] Emily:

Exactly.

I had quickly put together a logo in Canva and came up with the name Country Road Sourdough because we were living in West Virginia at the time.

“Country Roads” is iconic there, and the name seemed to fit.

I created a flyer, posted it on social media, and immediately felt sick to my stomach.

I wanted to delete it.

I was convinced no one would sign up.

But I left it up.

And it worked.

I ended up selling out both classes.

That’s when I realized there might actually be something here.

The whole thing started because friends kept encouraging me. I had been teaching sourdough to them for fun, and they kept saying, “You should really do this.”

I’m so glad I listened.

[08:08] Tasha:

So you didn’t start out thinking, “I’m going to build a social media audience of nearly a million followers.”

[08:15] Emily:

Not at all.

[08:17] Tasha:

I think that’s important because people put so much pressure on themselves when they begin.

I’m sure your content wasn’t nearly as polished then as it is today.

Your classes, your teaching style, your systems—everything has evolved.

Your first class was probably good, but not nearly what it would be today.

[08:46] Emily:

Absolutely.

You have to get past perfectionism or you’ll never put anything into the world.

My first classes weren’t perfect.

Later, when people from other states wanted to learn from me, I decided to record a virtual class.

I think it was on Zoom.

Looking back, the quality was terrible. The camera wasn’t great. The table probably shook during the recording.

But people still found value in it.

You improve as you go.

The same thing happened with social media.

When I look back at my earliest posts, I cringe a little.

But everyone starts somewhere.

The more you practice, the better you become.

One of the biggest parts of entrepreneurship is being willing to learn, put yourself out there, and continually evolve.

[10:41] Tasha:

I often tell people that being an entrepreneur means being willing to humiliate yourself publicly in order to learn and grow.

[10:50] Emily:

That’s so true.

[10:53] Tasha:

Most people are actually very supportive when they see someone genuinely trying.

It’s often later, after success starts showing up, that criticism becomes louder.

At the beginning, most people are cheering you on.

[11:20] Emily:

Exactly.

That’s why it’s so important to have people in your corner.

Whether it’s a spouse, a parent, a friend, or a sibling, having someone who believes in you makes such a difference.

My mom has always been one of my biggest supporters.

She still shares my content and cheers me on.

I also remember calling my sister after posting my first class because I was so nervous.

She has her own cookie business and understood exactly what I was feeling.

She told me, “It’ll be okay. Leave it up.”

Having people who can talk you off the ledge is invaluable.

[12:20] Tasha:

I’ve noticed something similar.

I’ve never met a truly successful person who tears down someone who’s trying.

Successful people usually encourage beginners because they’ve been there themselves.

I love the quote from Shark Tank:

“If you’re not embarrassed by your first product, you waited too long.”

[12:44] Emily:

I love that.

[12:45] Tasha:

How long have you been in business?

[12:51] Emily:

I started in April of 2022.

The classes were doing well, and eventually I decided to start sharing content on Instagram.

At first, growth was slow.

Very slow.

[13:21] Tasha:

Let’s define slow.

What does consistency actually mean to you?

[13:37] Emily:

For me, consistency meant posting about five times per week.

Not necessarily every single day, but frequently and consistently.

I did that for about eight months before things really started to take off.

Eventually a few posts went viral, and growth accelerated dramatically.

Today, my audience has grown into the hundreds of thousands.

But it didn’t happen overnight.

Resilience was a huge part of the process.

A lot of people quit after a month or two because they don’t see immediate results.

But those eight months were important because I was improving.

My content was getting better.

I was learning.

And when growth finally came, I was prepared for it.

Even today, I continue posting consistently because that’s been a major contributor to my growth.

[15:44] Tasha:

I hope people caught something important there.

You didn’t just keep going—you kept learning.

After everything you did, you refined it, improved it, and got better.

Do you have a team helping you now?

Because when I look at your content, it’s clear there’s a lot happening behind the scenes.

[16:27] Emily:

Yes.

My blog is actually the primary source of income for my business.

I create recipes, publish them on my website, and work with an advertising network.

Because of that revenue, I’ve been able to hire help.

I currently have two virtual assistants.

One helps with blog content. I develop and test the recipes, then she helps build the blog posts, organize content, and assist with email marketing.

The other helps manage social media. I still personally handle Instagram, but she repurposes content across Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest.

As the business grows, delegation becomes essential.

One thing I’m focusing on this year is staying in my zone of genius—focusing on the things I do best and hiring out the rest.

[18:33] Tasha:

And I think that’s because entrepreneurship comes from a place of excitement, creativity, possibility, and building something meaningful…

[18:45] Tasha Eizinger:

I think that’s an important distinction for people to understand. That’s why entrepreneurs can’t turn it off. It’s so fun. It’s like a puzzle you’re always trying to solve.

[18:56] Emily Christensen:

Yeah. You love it so much.

I’m having the time of my life building my business. It’s been incredible. I know it’s cliché—the whole “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life” saying—but there really is some truth to it.

Of course, there are days when I don’t want to do certain parts of my business. But overall, it’s been so much fun.

Going back to hiring people, at the beginning I did everything myself because that’s what I could afford. That’s often how it works when you’re starting a business.

But once you’re able to bring in help and focus on what you do best—the things that bring you joy—it changes everything.

For a long time, I felt like I was drowning. I have little boys at home, my husband has a very demanding schedule, and life was busy. Being able to offload some responsibilities allowed me to become creative again.

For a while, I felt bogged down by the mundane tasks of simply keeping the business running. There was no room left in my brain for inspiration or creativity.

Once I handed some of those responsibilities to other people, I could focus on the things that drew people to me in the first place: creating, experimenting, and sharing ideas.

When you’re constantly overwhelmed or stressed, there’s no room for creativity.

Launching my cookbook was a perfect example. It was so much work. I knew it would be a lot of work, but it was ten times more than I expected.

[21:15] Tasha:

More than you thought it would be?

[21:18] Emily:

Absolutely.

By the end of it, I felt completely drained. Nothing inspired me. My content felt boring. The recipes I was creating felt boring.

I was just exhausted.

[21:39] Tasha:

I like that you said exhausted instead of burned out.

It’s kind of like running a marathon. Most people don’t finish a marathon and then immediately run another one the next day. They need recovery time.

That doesn’t mean they’re burned out on running. It means they need rest and recovery.

As small business owners, we don’t always get to completely stop, but sometimes our bodies force us to slow down and recharge before we ramp back up again.

How long do you think it took you to recover after the cookbook launch?

[22:16] Emily:

Probably about two months.

I was still working during that time, but I was mostly maintaining things. I wasn’t creating many new recipes because I was exhausted.

I scaled back, worked less, and eventually found myself wanting to be back in the kitchen again.

The inspiration came back.

That’s why I think rest is so important. Small business owners can’t always step away completely, but even scaling back for a short period can make a huge difference.

You’re able to create better work when you’re not operating from an empty cup.

[23:17] Tasha:

Absolutely.

We charge our phones all the time and never think anything of it.

We don’t say, “Oh no, my phone is burned out.”

We charge it, give it a little time, and then it’s ready again.

[23:28] Emily:

Exactly.

For me, one thing that helps refill my cup is going to the gym.

During the cookbook process, I barely had time for it. But the gym has always been a place where I can reset, clear my mind, and feel my best.

When I intentionally made time for it again, it helped tremendously.

Even if it’s just one or two small things that bring you joy—reading, walking, exercising, or something else—those things matter.

[24:20] Tasha:

Not scrolling social media.

That doesn’t count.

[24:24] Emily:

Definitely not.

[24:26] Tasha:

One of my favorite things is taking a walk, even if it’s only ten minutes.

My neighbors probably think I’m crazy because I’m walking around talking to myself.

But really, I’m processing. I’m having a meeting with myself.

I think there’s a lot of value in taking even five or ten minutes and saying, “This time is for me.”

As moms especially, we don’t get much alone time. We’re always on.

Building a business as a mom is different. It just is.

[25:25] Emily:

Yes.

[25:26] Tasha:

You’ve built the blog, grown social media, and launched your first cookbook.

Do you think you’ll write another cookbook?

[25:37] Emily:

I told my husband, “Don’t ever let me do this again.”

But it’s kind of like having a baby. Eventually you forget how hard parts of it were.

Now I’m already thinking about another cookbook.

I even have the title idea.

[26:46] Tasha:

Is your husband sticking to his promise not to let you?

[26:49] Emily:

He realizes it doesn’t matter what he says. I’m going to do it anyway.

[26:56] Tasha:

My kind of woman.

(Conversation continues discussing entrepreneurship, cookbook creation, audience building, customer research, handling criticism, social media, self-awareness, and protecting mental health.)

[43:57] Tasha:

I look forward to celebrating your next cookbook and all the success that continues to come your way.

Thank you for being here today.

How can people connect with you?

[44:26] Emily:

My website is Country Road Sourdough.

If you’re looking for quick and easy sourdough recipes, that’s the best place to start.

Instagram is the platform I’m personally on the most, and my handle is Country Road Sourdough.

You can also find me on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest.

If you’re interested in my cookbook, it’s available through my online shop as well.

[45:00] Tasha:

Thank you so much, Emily, for being here.

And if you ever need someone to taste-test recipes, I’m available.

I’m a foodie.

[45:12] Emily:

I’ll keep that in mind.

Thank you so much for having me.

[45:23] Tasha:

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Diary of a Dreamer.

I hope the stories and insights shared today encouraged you and reminded you that every challenge is an opportunity to grow.

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could use a little encouragement.

You can learn more about me at TashaEizinger.com.

Until next time, keep dreaming, keep growing, and keep moving forward.