Family Traditions Fuel Bakery Success and Coaching Aspirations - Episode Hero Image

Family Traditions Fuel Bakery Success and Coaching Aspirations

LEX 18's Hot Mic · · Listen to Original Episode →
Original Title:

TL;DR

  • The bakery's unexpected surge in orders post-announcement, driven by a 500% increase, necessitates immediate operational adjustments, including temporarily shutting down online ordering to manage demand.
  • The family's "manifestation" strategy for Will Stein to become head coach at Kentucky, involving consistent discussion and belief, highlights the psychological impact of shared goals on achieving desired outcomes.
  • Sissy Cakes' "boutique bakery" model, emphasizing fresh, handmade production with a small family team, creates a unique customer experience but requires significant patience from an overwhelmed Big Blue Nation.
  • Will Stein's childhood calmness and early athletic involvement as quarterback from age four, point guard, and pitcher, foreshadowed his ability to handle pressure and consistently perform in high-stakes situations.
  • The family's tradition of using the name "Blakey" and "Blake" across generations, including Will's middle name and daughter's middle name, signifies a deep-rooted familial continuity and shared identity.
  • The strategic use of "Didi" and "Shish" as nicknames for the grandmothers demonstrates an intentional effort to facilitate early childhood language development and create unique familial bonds.
  • The family's approach to handling public scrutiny of Will Stein involves adopting a "blinders" mentality, focusing inward on their own support system rather than external commentary.

Deep Dive

Debbie Stein and Blakey Martin, co-owners of Sissy Cakes bakery and aunts to new University of Kentucky head football coach Will Stein, offer an intimate look into their family's deep-rooted connection to Kentucky and sports. Their journey from home baking to a prominent Louisville bakery, amplified by their nephew's high-profile coaching hire, reveals a family bound by shared traditions, unwavering support, and a touch of Kentucky spirit.

The family's narrative is steeped in a rich history of close-knit relationships, evidenced by their large extended family and the affectionate nickname "lots of nuts" for their group chat. This familial closeness extends to their business, Sissy Cakes, a testament to their 30-year baking partnership. The bakery's success, particularly its signature orange chiffon cake, has become a local landmark, with its location intentionally chosen across from Will Stein's high school alma mater. The recent surge in orders following Will's appointment highlights the community's enthusiasm, prompting discussions about potential expansion, possibly to Lexington. This growing demand, while exciting, presents a logistical challenge, forcing the sisters to manage an overwhelming influx of orders while maintaining their commitment to fresh, handmade products.

Beyond the bakery, sports, particularly football, have played a pivotal role in the Stein family's life. With numerous family members having played football at various levels, the sport serves as a unifying force, bringing them together for games and watch parties. The announcement of Will's appointment as head coach at Kentucky was a culmination of family "manifestation" and anticipation, transforming their support into a tangible reality. This transition, while celebrated, also brings the prospect of increased public scrutiny for Will, a challenge the family plans to navigate by focusing on their own support system and staying off social media. Their advice to Will centers on authenticity and integrity, urging him to remain true to himself as he embraces this new endeavor. The family's timeline for relocating to Kentucky is tied to the end of Oregon's college football playoff run, with the children's comfort being a primary consideration for the move. As they prepare for this new chapter, the family's shared Thanksgiving sentiments underscore their gratitude for each other and the opportunity to be closer geographically, a sentiment that will undoubtedly extend to the Kentucky football season and the vibrant Big Blue Nation.

Action Items

  • Create a customer feedback loop: Implement a system to collect and analyze 10-15 customer reviews weekly to identify recurring themes in cake quality and delivery.
  • Draft a standardized onboarding process: Define 5 key modules for new bakery staff covering hygiene, core recipes, and customer service to ensure consistent quality.
  • Audit current baking workflow: Identify 3-5 bottlenecks in the cake production process (e.g., glazing, pan preparation) to improve efficiency by 10%.
  • Measure order fulfillment time: Track the average time from order placement to pickup for 20-30 orders per week to establish a baseline for improvement.
  • Develop a cross-training matrix: Outline essential skills for 5-7 core bakery tasks and identify staff members who can cover multiple roles to mitigate staffing shortages.

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"We are sisters and we have been baking together for 30 years um we always made treats for our kids um just family parties and the name sissy cakes came because we call each other sis we always have and it when william was little when we were making cakes at one point in time they said oh i want a sissy cake we're like well isn't that adorable that's a darling name and went from there and we said someday we need a little bakery with pink and you know just a cute place where we can bake our cakes and then so that has been in the works for a long time a long time a long time and then we officially opened this store in um well we've been here for four years June will be four years but we had a a commissary kitchen where we baked starting in 2021 yeah during covid yes the christmas of covid Christmas of 2020 was our biggest Christmas with his friends of friends and unknown people were coming to my house to pick up the cakes we had baked in our home wow"

Debbie and Blakey explain the origin of their bakery, Sissy Cakes, highlighting its long-standing development and eventual opening after years of baking for family. This demonstrates the deep personal connection and history behind their business, which is now gaining wider recognition.

"oh my goodness so there's a lot of nuts in fact we have a text line called lots of nuts it's our little group chat a nut house if you will and then i have four sons and sis tell them about i have a daughter is our oldest and then four sons so yeah so we oh my gosh yeah so between the two of us we have eight boys what's it like when you guys get together for holidays oh my it's it's so fun and it's bedlam and it's it's we laugh a lot and we're silly and i mean we could do a secret santa gift exchange and for some reason we've started chanting a lot so oh that's whoever to get their gift is like yeah we chant um but i so being the youngest so debbie's son matthew the oldest of her four is the oldest grandchild and then my henry is the baby of the 19 and he's 15 years old and the whole cousin group says that when he turns 21 they're going to take a cousin trip to vegas so i'm not sure if i'd be ready for that but okay"

Blakey and Debbie describe the large size and lively nature of their family gatherings, emphasizing the humor and close bonds. This illustrates the strong familial support system that underpins their lives and business.

"oh a huge role yes we are very much a football family and every single nut grandchild played football yes wow yeah definitely and um yeah carter and dylan we have one brother in tennessee whose boys are actually collegiate fishermen yes oh wow which is really super cool they're they're north alabama on a bass fishing scholarship um i think at some point in their great school and high school they played football but of our boys yes huge all of them play and i've still too that play high school ball now"

Debbie and Blakey discuss the significant role of football within their family, noting that nearly all grandchildren have played the sport. This highlights how sports, particularly football, are a unifying and central element of their family's identity and shared experiences.

"well so his matthew is the oldest and then 16 months later came and we call him william it's william blake stein blake is our mother's maiden name her name blakey is elizabeth blake so we have lots of blake we've used that name quite a bit throughout our family and of course now elizabeth is we call her blakey and uh so yeah so william blake stein came um second 16 months later and older brother matthew is was always quite active and just kind of into everything but william was very he was very calm he was very calm he was a calm baby he was collected really from the get go he was 10 days late back then they didn't really induce you know like how they do now so he he they dr gilliam just said okay he will he's going to be born when he's to be born so it was 10 days late i was quite large fashionably late so and even when he was born he just kind of cried a little bit and then and then he was so chill so i think that that characteristic is certainly you know a good one to have as a football player and he's always um just so sweet and kind and works hard he he did well in school and everybody's friend everybody liked william"

Debbie describes her son William's childhood, noting his calm demeanor from a young age and his consistent positive traits. This provides insight into the personality of the new head football coach, suggesting his collected nature is a foundational characteristic.

"oh his guitar he's yeah he plays guitar he taught himself guitar player yes very well loves music matthew and william very much love music um he loves the band 311 um just loves country music now so yes he's a very talented guitar player and at darby's wedding reception he was on the stage with the band singing wagon wheel wagon wheel and i was very impressed oh my gosh okay that is a fun fact"

Debbie reveals a surprising hidden talent of her son William: he plays guitar and sings, even performing at his wedding. This adds a layer of personal depth to the public figure, showcasing his artistic side beyond his athletic career.

"well it was here at the kitchen i i had seen a i had there was a picture nate sent me from that derby had sent him of william on sunday in a sport coat and then shorts so i thought oh are there some zoom calls going on or something so there must be some talk and i did not know which school had no idea but again i knew again with all everything going on in the college football landscape i knew that there were there were things out there so had no idea but then on monday it was about i was seeing things on twitter i was like oh my gosh is it happening and then it was about 11 30 on monday there's this picture on my phone come up and then i knew because i took my phone and went to the back ushered to the back room so and we all followed her yeah so he said mom i just you know hello hey honey i mean i didn't go oh my gosh what's that i just go hey honey like i always do or hey sweetie and he said mom i'm going to be a wild cat and with that i was just i think i grabbed my heart and i was getting feeling faint like oh my gosh and so since this is right there and then her son hale he works with us and matthew their oldest were so we were all like back there and he said he said don't please keep this to yourself you know not you know haven't signed the contract yet it's not out there so i was like okay mom's the word so sports do not say a word it does not leave we had the

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "The Big Book of Cakes" by Debbie Stein and Blakey Martin - Mentioned as a source for cake recipes.

People

  • Will Stein - New Kentucky head football coach, son of Debbie Stein and nephew of Blakey Martin.
  • Debbie Stein - Co-owner of Sissy Cakes, mother of Will Stein.
  • Blakey Martin - Co-owner of Sissy Cakes, aunt of Will Stein.
  • Matthew Stein - Oldest son of Debbie Stein, older brother of Will Stein.
  • Nate Stein - Son of Debbie Stein, brother of Will Stein.
  • David Stein - Son of Debbie Stein, brother of Will Stein.
  • Darby Stein - Wife of Will Stein.
  • Joey Stein - Son of Will and Darby Stein.
  • Demi Stein - Daughter of Will and Darby Stein.
  • Bill Mack - Chief Meteorologist at LX 18, known for his tailgate.

Organizations & Institutions

  • Sissy Cakes - Bakery co-owned by Debbie Stein and Blakey Martin.
  • University of Kentucky (UK) - Where Will Stein is the new head football coach.
  • Oregon - Where Will Stein previously coached.
  • National Football League (NFL) - Mentioned in the context of family members playing football.
  • Trinity High School - High school attended by Will Stein.
  • St. Xavier High School - Rival high school to Trinity High School, where Will Stein played quarterback.
  • Michigan State University - University attended by Darby Stein.
  • LX 18 - Local news station where the podcast is hosted.

Websites & Online Resources

  • KSR (Kentucky Sports Radio) - Mentioned in relation to Matt Jones and Jay.
  • Twitter - Used to share news about Will Stein's coaching position.
  • Square - Point of sales system used by Sissy Cakes.

Other Resources

  • Big Blue Nation (BBN) - Refers to the fanbase of the University of Kentucky.
  • Lots of Nuts - Nickname for the family group chat.
  • Orange Juice Cake - A popular cake from Sissy Cakes.
  • Bourbon Orange Cake - A cake from Sissy Cakes with a bourbon glaze.
  • Kentucky Nut Cake - A cake from Sissy Cakes described as a derby pie in a cake.
  • White Castle - A landmark in St. Matthews, Louisville, near Sissy Cakes.
  • Dutch Bros - A coffee shop that replaced White Castle in St. Matthews.
  • Meccarita - Bill Mack's take on a margarita.

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