67 bake from scratch
The Club President
DEBORAH BALINT
Food Editor and Founder of Rainy Day Bites Cookbook Club
Woodinville, Washington#rainydaybitescookbookclub
Follow on Instagram: @rainydaybitesDeborah Balint launched a global community around her
virtual cookbook club, #rainydaybitescookbookclub. In
2014, when Deborah’s busy life as a food editor prevented her
from joining a local cookbook club, she decided to create her own—one with a
fl exible agenda that would allow people from anywhere to join at any time. The
only participation requirement? Have an Instagram account. “Sometimes when
the community you need doesn’t exist, you create it,” Deborah says. After fi ve
years and 60 cookbooks, Deborah has more than 50,000 followers and around 400
participants per cookbook. Here’s how you can get involved:WELCOME TO THE CLUB: Deborah features a monthly cookbook that she
announces in a post on her main feed. She selects two recipes from the book to
feature and the day when recipe photos should be posted.THE AGENDA: Participants make the recipe and upload a picture of it to
Instagram, tagging #rainydaybitescookbookclub in the caption. Be sure to keep
an eye on Deborah’s Instagram stories—that’s where she shares her favorite
creations!WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN: Even if you aren’t able to make a recipe one month,
you can still follow along and join in on the fun. “It’s more than just liking and
commenting on photos,” says Deborah. “It’s a platform for shared experiences.”The Entrepreneur
JOANNE CANADY-
BROWN
Head Baker & Owner of The Gingered PeachLawrence, New Jersey
thegingeredpeach.comFollow on Instagram: @thegingeredpeachJoanne Canady-Brown embodies the potential
that is unlocked when women are empowered
in business. After a career in retail and food
management, Joanne opened her own bakery,
The Gingered Peach, in Lawrence, New Jersey,
in 2014. The Gingered Peach has a welcoming
vibe that makes you feel as if you’ve stepped
into Joanne’s home. The walls are decorated
with her family’s treasures, and the pastry cases
are fi lled with fl aky croissants, caramel-swirled
brioche, and her famous Olive Oil Cake. The
bakery was an instant hit, and soon Joanne
needed funding to fulfi ll all the orders coming
in. Without the knowledge to make successful
pitches, Joanne was denied again and again
for loans. Even though she felt discouraged,
she persisted and searched for resources that
could help. In the winter of 2018, Joanne saw
a call for applications for the James Beard
Foundation’s Women’s Entrepreneurial
Leadership Program (WEL), a mentorship
program for women entrepreneurs in the food
industry. She applied and was accepted to the
class of September 2018. After attending WEL’s
fi ve-day intensive on marketing and fi nance,
Joanne can now pitch effectively to investors
and secure funding. Joanne’s advice for women
entrepreneurs in the industry? “Don’t quit. If
you have grit, you’ll set yourself up for success.”