From the editor: Muses and mentors

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From the editor: Muses and mentors

8 Nov 2024

Joanie Spencer

Since 2008, Joanie Spencer has covered the retail and wholesale sides of the baking industry.
Serving associations such as the American Society of Baking (ASB) and BEMA, Joanie is also in demand as an industry presenter on bakery operations and trends. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Rockhurst University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

When she’s not running or playing soccer, Joanie spends her time with her husband and 11-year-old son.

KANSAS CITY, MO — Who did you want to be when you grew up? I’ll confess … when I was a little girl, I wanted to be country singer Crystal Gale. But alas, my hair could never grow that long, and my singing career never went past karaoke night. (Note: If you’re younger than 40, Google her.)

The truth is, I was well into adulthood before I realistically saw people I wanted to be when I grew up (like when I first met Cordia Harrington). After all, we have to know who we are before we can identify who we want to be, right? Sure, there are the coveted few who self-actualized early in life, but I’ll venture to guess it took most of us a while to figure it out.

What I love about discovering muses and mentors at this stage in life and career is how they remind us that we’re never finished learning. When I see someone I want to be “when I grow up,” well, at 52, it’s nice to feel like I still have room to grow.

I felt that when I visited More Than A Bakery for this issue’s cover story. It had been about seven years since I’d been there, and it was amazing to not only see how far the operation had come but also experience a reminder of what’s still possible for our own business, which is just a few years younger than the bakery.

I’ve known Bill Quigg, More Than A Bakery’s president, and Felicia Quigg, VP of family pride, for several years. As they both take on industry leadership roles — Bill as board chair for the American Bakers Association and Felicia as the Cookie and Snack Bakers Association board chair — they helped me visualize where I want to be on my own industry journey.

But we can learn from more than just old friends, right? Often, it’s new connections that open our eyes to what’s still possible. My hope is that, on these pages ahead, you’ll find someone who inspires you — no matter where you are in your career — and reminds you to think about what’s possible.

This has been adapted from the October | Q4 2024 issue of Commercial Baking. Read the digital edition here.

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