Welcome to Season 19 of the Troubleshooting Innovation podcast. We’re talking with Kristen Boschetto, owner and GM of Boston Baking, to learn how generations of baking experience can lead a midsize bakery straight to the future. Sponsored by Tutor Intelligence.
In our final episode, Kristen shares how Boston Baking uses strategic expansion and smart investments in automation to build for the future.
Learn more about this season here, and tune into Troubleshooting Innovation on Apple or Spotify.
Joanie Spencer: Welcome back to our last episode, Kristen.
Kristen Boschetto: Hi, Joanie. It’s great to be back.
Spencer: I have absolutely loved talking with you this month. What a cool story, and a cool company that’s grown in traditional and unconventional ways. This is really neat. Thanks so much for taking time to share your perspective of leadership and operations and culture and growth.
Boschetto: Yes, thank you for listening and allowing this opportunity, and it’s been fun.
Spencer: Alright, so Kristen, your company has done tons of learning and growing in just two generations. So, when you look back on all of it, do you think anyone in your family could have imagined that this is where you’d be?
Boschetto: Oh, that’s a great question. I think we always had the vision, you know, we’re not done yet. We’re always looking to improve in continuous improvement. Do I think we would have been where we are today? I don’t know, but I’m really glad we are here. This is a great place to be. I think it’s one of the greatest industries to be in. And to be in a family business, in a family environment, to me, it’s exciting, it’s motivating. I’m glad that we are able to give opportunities to other people to enhance their lives and their families’ lives. So, the fact that we have this infrastructure that enables other people, this is our vision. It really is. So, to see it come to fruition is, it’s so rewarding. I’m really glad that we stuck through it, through all those hard times when we had very lean, lean years. It was worth it.
Spencer: Just imagine if your dad had stayed with his original chosen profession.
Boschetto: I don’t know what I would be doing. I really don’t.
Spencer: Maybe you would have taken over one of your uncle’s bakeries.
Boschetto: Maybe. I would not be washing the floor with a toothbrush, though. That, I would not be doing.
Spencer: Maybe it would be having someone else wash the floor with a toothbrush.
Boschetto: Learn those lessons. Who knows?
Spencer: Okay, so thinking about your grandfather and your great grandfather and the foundation that they laid for this huge Italian family who became various types of bakers. How would you say Boston Baking is similar to and different from your grandfather and your great-grandfather?
Boschetto: Comparing the two businesses? So, where we started in retail and where we are today in commercial, there are a lot of similarities as far as the foundation. So, the heart of the organization has very much contributed to the values that my great grandfather, my grandfather, and then my dad, you know, really set out to create. If you have good — great — customer service, excellent quality, your customers are going to come back. You need to build those relationships and build that trust. So, it’s those values that we have not wavered from. And they are really the heart and soul of the organization. But we needed to scale the business. That’s only going to get you so far, especially if you want to continue in retail, and my dad didn’t. He had a vision, he wanted to grow, he wanted to scale, he wanted to take that Boschetto name and make it, you know, into a national name in the food industry. And how do we do that? You know, we need to implement systems, we need to bring on more people, people that are far more educated than we are in their desired fields.
So we really had to build out that infrastructure with systems, with processes, with technology. And it’s funny, my grandfather, when he retired, he would come to our bakery every Monday without fail. He would come in at 10am. We would serve him coffee, he would sit there, and he just observed. And he would always comment, ‘You guys have so many meetings.’ It’s like, ‘Well, Grandpa, we’re having meetings for planning, you know, that’s how we grow.’
‘You grow on the bench.’ So, not a lot of planning back then. If you notice that your tray of eclairs was short, you made eclairs that day. There wasn’t really a lot of structure in planning that went into the business back then. But now, there’s a lot of strategic planning, there’s a lot of implementation. It’s not necessarily trial by error, because if you fail, that’s going to have implications. So, the infrastructure and the way we do business, it has evolved. We’ve had to overcome a lot of things throughout the years. We’ve had to overcome recession. We had to overcome COVID and a pandemic. And really, how do you survive that? We were critical to the food chain, so we had to continue working. It’s really having a solid workforce that is dedicated and having ownership that’s committed and working in the business. That is so important to growing and scaling, and I think that is a big difference from who we are today versus who we were in retail. But really tapping into that foundation and having that as a landscape and a decision platform and everything that you’re doing is so important and critical to the success of any business.
Spencer: You are incredibly skilled with your marketing, especially when it comes to promoting your team and you do so well. It sounds like — I know we can’t get into a lot of it in the contract manufacturing space — but it sounds like you’ve gained some pretty big partnerships and celebrity brands. Do you feel like you’re ahead of the curve in how you execute on like sales and marketing and those kinds of partnerships?
Boschetto: I wouldn’t categorize it as ahead of the curve. I think overall Boston Baking is a unique commercial manufacturing bakery. We’re not fully automated, we’re semi-automated, we’re still very much family-owned, family operated. So, how do we communicate that to the industry? Using our, I would say, very traditional marketing strategies, but then tailoring them to being able to communicate who Boston Baking is. So, using that platform, those vehicles for our brand awareness and our value proposition, and what it is that we do offer. We really honed into who we are, and that is a people-centered organization. Our decisions are made by people first, not bottom line, not profits, you know, not how many SKUs we can produce. It’s really, ‘How are these products of these decisions that we make going to impact the people?’ And then how do we recognize those people that dedicate and work so hard for us? So that was really when we developed this marketing strategy, we thought of them first. Let’s recognize them, let’s empower them. People should know who it is that is making their product and who it is that they’re partnering with. And that type of relationship building builds trust, and you partner with people you trust, who you have developed that trust.
I cannot take credit for it. Elizabeth Ortiz is our director of marketing, and she does a phenomenal job of communicating the vision and who Boston Baking is. She is excellent at her job. I can tell her something, and then she brings it to life. So, I can have some crazy idea, and she’ll be able to harness that, and then produce that in a product. And product by means of social media or marketing campaign, etc. And what’s so special about her is she started here as a temp. She was hired as a receptionist, and I had mentioned, you know, the consultant, so we did identify we had a gap in marketing. We were going to hire outside to do all of our marketing, and she asked the question, ‘Can I step into that role?’
And what she did was she went and got a master’s in marketing, and she really educated herself. And eight years later, she’s leading the department. That’s just another story of how a team member went from an entry level position to a leadership role, and how we help support them in their journey, and how it has huge benefits and rewards for the organization. So, she really understood from the ground up who we were and what we wanted to try to accomplish. And I think she does an amazing job of communicating the brand, and it’s not only to the community, but also to the workforce. She’s responsible for communicating who we are and putting together onboarding presentations, and when we have our team member acknowledgements and events, she is so instrumental in putting together the whole package for the team. I don’t necessarily know if we’re ahead of the curve; we’re just doing what we know and just, you know, communicating who we are, and I think that to me that says a lot.
Spencer: I’ve always said it takes a person with a very specific set of skills to get inside someone’s brain and extract the idea and bring it to reality. It is so hard to do, and so when you have that in Elizabeth, it’s like you hold on tight to that and you don’t let go, right?
Boschetto: Yeah, we have a special relationship, most definitely. We’ve been together for a long time. But she understands the vision, and she is excellent at her job and executes it very well.
Spencer: You were telling me a story about coming back from vacation, and the next day having a customer meeting — a customer who brought their entire team — right after you’d been gone for a week, and Elizabeth was the one who laid it all out and allowed you to just show up and do what you do well.
Boschetto: Yes, she did. When I came back from vacation the next day, we had one of our retailers, who has 150-something locations, bring their entire team, and not only Elizabeth, she, I mean, she facilitated everything, but John produced all of the products. And actually that was one of the most special moments that I’ve had in a long time, is just witnessing the whole team come together and just seeing the synergies between their operation and our operation. And everyone just stood around and introduced themselves and talked about how they came to that company and the longevity they’ve been there. As I was listening to their story and comparing it to ours, it was so similar, it was an aha moment for me because it was able to bring to life everything that we want, our whole vision, this is what we stand for, and to be able to showcase who we are in a meeting, and then be able to really strengthen that relationship. And knowing that your team members have stepped up and they have been able to facilitate and execute it,I mean, it’s, it’s just so rewarding. It really is, and it’s one of those, ‘This is why we do what we do’ moments. It was really special,
Spencer: It’s kind of a full circle moment for these five weeks. In the beginning, just talking about your entry into the business and your views in stepping into leadership, and then talking about partnerships — whether it’s with the team members or vendors or customers — and how important that is. This little story just sort of exemplifies all of that. And I gotta say, isn’t it a cool moment when you’re gone, whether it’s because you have to be gone for work or your family or you’re on vacation, and you come back to something really big and really important and you see that the team carried it through and allowed you to do what you need to do. And again, allowing you to step in at that moment to represent the company and do the things that you do best.
Boschetto: It’s almost like a proud mom moment. It really is. You just sit back, you reflect, and you just watch them flourish. The fact that they put all that hard work and dedication into making the company appear to be what they are, there’s nothing more rewarding than that, really. And that they could showcase and highlight who we are, it’s really special.
Spencer: I have an observation with that. Two little things that I noticed. You know the old adage, people don’t leave their jobs, they leave their leaders. I think this is a really good example of people aren’t just committed to their jobs; they’re committed to their leaders. So, it’s a reflection of you and your leadership, and I love saying proud mom moment, and I have a lot of those in my job too. And just when you see the things that you’ve taught that they’re retained, and then they, you have a staff that learns and grows and flourishes and does great things, and you’re just like, ‘You’ve arrived, it’s so great!’ And as a mom, I heard this advice long before I ever became a mother. A friend said, you know, it really bothers me when, if you have a good child, you’re lucky, and if you have a bad child, you’re they blame the parents. Like, ‘Oh, you’re so lucky you have such good kids,’ but then if the kid does something wrong, it’s like, ‘I blame the parents.’ So, when you apply a proud mom moment to leadership, it’s just another way of saying it’s a reflection of you. It’s not luck. It’s a product of a commitment from a leader, and I see that in you and all the stories that you tell in these five weeks and your views, your commitment to this company, and carrying your family name. It’s really something to be proud of.
Boschetto: I’m very humble, and it’s hard even to hear that. So, I do appreciate it, because to me, it’s just this is just what I do, right? It’s just very natural for me, so I appreciate that. I don’t even necessarily consider me a leader, but you know, when there’s moments like that, then you do kind of take a step back.
Spencer: It’s true. And I bet your dad would agree with me too. And then it’s kudos to your dad and his dad and his dad. And just what you said, those similarities, the things that have carried from generation to generation and has helped this company become something that is traditional and modern at the same time.
Boschetto: Yes.
Spencer: So your relationship with Elizabeth, I do want to go back to that because before you were general manager, you were over sales, right?
Boschetto: Correct.
Spencer: So you’ve got the sales mindset, and Elizabeth has the marketing mindset. People want to lump sales and marketing together, but they really are two separate entities. What’s the key for synergy there, where you can tap into the best of sales and the best of marketing to be a growth-minded future-minded company?
Boschetto: I think traditionally they are very separate; they’re separate functions. They both perform very differently, but there needs to be alignment, and they both have to have a common goal. So, whatever the overall objective is, marketing has to have a strategy that supports it, and then sales has to support marketing as well. They all have to align. There has to be some cohesion between the two departments.
We have a unique strategy, and kind of a unique situation, where we’re not just selling a product, so we are selling more capabilities. Our marketing team really gets involved in the sales processes as well because they have to understand what the expectations are of the customer so that they can go out and market and position us So, they get involved a little bit in the customer discovery, just to understand what are what are their needs, what are their capabilities to see, yes, they are a qualified lead or no, they are not a qualified lead at this time. And if it is a co-manufacturer situation, if they’re not at this time, well, how do they either position themselves so that they can work with us, or we can recommend another facility?
We have a lot of sister facilities that we do recommend for people as a steppingstone before they’re able to get to the point of working with us. It’s an interesting approach that we do take, and I think it’s critical to Elizabeth being able to perform her job at the best of her ability, is understanding that sales process. So there is a little bit of overlap, and ultimately then sales will come in and take over the responsibility of closing and then maintaining the customer relationship. But there’s a little bit of overlap, kind of, in that process a little bit. But they are very separate functions, 100%. Because our situation was very unique, and I did a little bit of both, we’re still on the hunt for my replacement. I’m doing dual roles right now, so eventually we are going to be hiring somebody that is exclusive, just in sales. That’s going to be our next phase.
Spencer: I like that perspective, just because for companies, especially if they’re mid-size or smaller size, you’ve got to wear a lot of hats. But I do think it’s important to hear some thought leadership around how they complement each other. And they don’t necessarily do the same things.
Boschetto: Exactly.
Spencer: So the need for marketing, you said, came from the consultant in the objective setting. So, where are you in the latest round of objective settings, and when do you start the next round? And do you know what you think you’ll be focusing on, or have any thoughts or ideas on that?
Boschetto: We’re currently in the process of implementing that right now, so the first step for us was really transitioning from an organization chart to that functional accountability chart. So, really identifying kind of these new positions and how they’re they are aligned with company objectives. So, as some companies, we had a lot of silos, so we had some departments working just within their department, so how do we create that cohesion? We have changed kind of the way in which we operate, so we’re starting to integrate more technology. And when you have an analog type system and relying on paper, it’s really easy to get in the habit of not being able to share information. But since we are kind of evolving into this new technology world now, it’s very easy to kind of share all of this information, not rely on emails or paper, but rely on systems. That is our next big phase of how we are using the guidance from the consultants and how we are now implementing it. And it takes some time. It does take some time as people are developing into these new roles, some of which they have never done before, but they do have some core capabilities and skills that translate into these roles. So, there’s a bit of a learning curve.
I think the whole restructure, as well as implementing technology, that’s our next phase. And, as I mentioned previously, we do have to look for a new ‘home,’ we keep calling it. That is on the forefront of a lot of the decisions that we have to make. That’s a big time consumer for us in really identifying where we want to go. Because we don’t want to go too far in proximity where we are. We don’t want to lose labor; that’s our first priority. There’s a lot of factors that we have to think of when we’re looking into where our next home is going to be,
Spencer: Do you feel like you’ve got to wait until you know where your home’s going to be before you can think about the next set of objectives?
Boschetto: Absolutely not. Nope. We are thinking of those right now. We have a pretty aggressive sales objective, you know, the BB community, so Bob really wants to build out kind of this community inward and then outward of how we give to our current team members and then how we give back to the community. That’s going to take some time to build, and we’re doing it in stages, really enhancing their lives, and then how do we give back to the community. We do that in baby steps. We have partnered with Community Servings. We have partnered with ALS. We did, unfortunately, have a team member that was diagnosed with ALS, so that’s something that is near and dear to us. So, to be able to kind of give back to that community is important. So, we are taking some baby steps and kind of building out this give-back type platform.
And then honing into healthier products. It’s a big buzz around clean label, removal of different artificial colorings and ingredients, etc. But my dad really wants to take it a step beyond. He’s so passionate about health and nutrition and how do we provide food that people can identify with, so recognizable foods, but that has health benefits that can help with any issues that they might have with inflammation, etc. So, really developing these scalable products that are also affordable that we can go to market with. Those are some big initiatives, big objectives that we are working on.
And then we’re talking about, ‘What are the next objectives going to be in five years, after 2028?’ We’re constantly thinking of improving. Innovation is very important to us, and staying relevant. I mean, we’ve been in this industry since the early 1900s; to be able to sustain and last as long as we have, it is really incredible. But how do we continue to sustain? You can’t sustain just being stale. You have to continue to evolve and grow and understand the needs of the industry and the market and be able to adapt,
Spencer: And you know that’s why I was interested in spending the season with you because I wanted to hear your perspective as a fourth-generation baker in a role of leadership in a second-generation bakery. And that is something I think that you are very uniquely positioned to think about legacy and tradition and innovation, all at the same time.
Boschetto: And that’s why it’s so important to continue that heritage brand and being able to sustain since the early 1900s and adapt and evolve with different marketing trends and consumer behavior, and being able to really hone into what the market wants and being able to adapt and grow and evolve. It’s just, I’m very proud of what we have built and what we continue to build. And the fact that we are still maintaining our core values and our core infrastructure. You know, one of my dad’s biggest worries and concerns is if we grow too much, we’re going to lose who we are. And I assure him all the time that is not going to happen. If you continue to hire people with similar values who believe in what we believe in, believe in our vision, believe in our mission, that’s not going to change; it’s just going to scale and grow with us. The core culture, it just, it has to remain as is in order for us to continue at this pace. So that is very critical to, as we’re making decisions and as we’re growing, is that we just don’t lose who we are. And we continue to be humble or hardworking people, and we don’t take for granted these opportunities, and we know how special and lucky we are.
Spencer: On that note, what do you think the future looks like for the next generation of the Boschetto family?
Boschetto: I hope there’s many more Boschettos involved in the business! Because I’m getting tired. No, I love what I do. I really do. I ask my daughter all the time, does she want to come and work with mom, and who knows. She’s 14 years old, so we have a long way away from that. And my nieces and nephews are young as well, so I don’t know. But I do want it available to them if they want it. I want them to have the same opportunity I did, and who knows, they may go in a different path and then eventually find their way back. But I want there to be a place for them that if they want to continue the legacy that it’s here. That would be my hope and goal and vision for the future of this company.
Spencer: I have one last question for you, Kristen. In the first episode, you talked about sort of having that pressure of ‘It can go on with me or it can end with me,’ and you’ve done a lot since you had that moment. I mean, just putting in the plan to go from Bagels to Baking. When you look at everything that you’ve achieved and everything that’s happened in the business so far, what are you most proud of?
Boschetto: Oh, that’s a good question. It’s hard for me to identify one thing. This is going to sound so cliche, but it’s the relationships. It is the relationships that I have built with not only the customers but also with our team members and employees. That is something that I am just so, so proud of. It’s authentic, it’s real. You get to know your customers on more of an intimate level, and that is something that is just, it’s so special to me, and it drives me. And to get to know our team members at that level as well, and to get to know their families, and how this environment helps to create a better family life for them, it’s just, it’s so rewarding. It really is.
Spencer: What that says to me is that even if there’s not another generation of the Boschetto family, the legacy of your family will carry on in this company, and it feels like it’s always going to be a family bakery.
Boschetto: I hope so. Yes, whether it’s with us or extended family, but I hope so.
Spencer: Well, you know what, I think that’s a wonderful note to end this season on. Kristen, what a joy to spend this month with you and learn about you and your family and the company and where it came from and where it’s going. Thank you so much for all of your insight.
Boschetto: Thank you. This has been such a pleasure, and I appreciate you listening to all my stories.
Spencer: Oh my gosh, and we’re friends now.
Boschetto: Yes, and if you’re in the Boston area, come to visit us anytime.
Spencer: I absolutely will, Kristen. Thank you again, and best wishes to you and your family and Boston Baking.
Boschetto: I appreciate it. Thank you so much.
