Success From Scratch: How B's Bakery Turned Passion Into a Thriving Business

We love celebrating local entrepreneurs who turn big dreams into reality, so on this week's episode of our Making Sense of Money podcast, we sat down with Brittin Fleshman, owner of B's Bakery in Lewiston, Idaho. From baking in an Easy-Bake Oven to selling out her storefront every Saturday, Brittin’s journey is a sweet reminder that with passion, persistence, and a little financial know-how, anything is possible.

 

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a young woman with overalls making cupcakes

The Recipe for Success

Brittin’s love of baking started with her grandma. "I also had an Easy-Bake Oven as a child… I baked so much with it that my mom stopped buying the premixed packages and started printing out recipes from the internet. So I would bake from scratch in my Easy-Bake Oven." The real turning point came when she boldly left her teaching path behind and enrolled in a cake-decorating program in Spokane, Washington. That leap set the stage for her career path forward.


From Side Hustle to Storefront

Running a business as a side hustle from home wasn't easy. The days were filled with long hours, limited income, and no real separation between work and life. "I realized I wasn't supporting my family the way I wanted to," Brittin shared. So, she and her husband used a HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) to finance the new storefront. It was an important financial decision, allowing her to grow B's Bakery while avoiding traditional business debt.

Growth and Goals

Since opening the storefront, B's Bakery has become a local favorite. "When we first opened… we would bake like over 1,000 treats for just Saturday every week, and we would sell out within the first, like, two or three hours. People would line up down the street… it was really cool." But like any new business, there were challenges and obstacles to overcome, especially as Brittin navigated motherhood and growing her team.

Her goals for this year are to delegate more, expand, and diversify her income. That includes bringing back custom cakes and using her food permit to offer new menu items like pizza rolls and cheesecake cups. “We're actually going to get into wholesaling," Brittin says, "with a food permit, we can do anything that has to be refrigerated, so we have a lot more opportunity to expand our menu."

 

Lessons for Aspiring Business Owners

Brittin did not back down from becoming a new business owner, but she admits that it comes with challenges. Her advice to others is to delegate sooner, lean into your resources, and don't let fear stop you from taking that next step. She says, "Definitely… delegate. Don't be like me, because I really struggle with that… I think it's important to lean into the resources that you have and to push yourself to do the hard things.

 

Sweet Takeaways

Brittin's story is more than a tale of turning flour and sugar into something delicious, it’s a testament to what can happen when you combine creativity, courage, and community support. At P1FCU, we’re proud to support local entrepreneurs who invest in their dreams and the neighborhoods we call home. Whether you're just starting your own business journey or looking for ways to grow, let B's Bakery be a reminder that success is possible, one step, one recipe, and one bold decision at a time.