What do a cozy murder mystery and a real-life cookie shop have in common? More than you'd think. This week I'm sitting down with Ellie Alexander, author of the beloved Bakeshop Mystery Series — 25 books deep and still going strong — to talk about what it really looks like to build a creative career around the world you love. Whether you're a baker, a reader, or a creative entrepreneur, this conversation will hit home.

In This Episode:

• How Ellie went from a second-grade mystery writer to a published author with 25+ books
• The cozy mystery genre and why the baking details matter just as much as the murder plot
• Why Ellie spends real time in real kitchens — shadowing professional bakers, baristas, and pastry chefs — to get the details right
• The reader rule: readers will forgive the most outlandish murder plot, but get the bake wrong and you'll hear about it
• How baking and writing share the same superpower: presence
• The moment Dani told her husband "I think I'm a baker now" — and what it means to own your creative identity
• Why comparison is the thief of joy, and how to step into who you already are
• Grief, growth, and the character of Jules Capshaw — and why coming home to run the family bake shop is more personal than it looks
• What keeps a 25-book series fresh (hint: secondary characters finally getting their moment)

Guest Bio:
Ellie Alexander is the author of the long-running Bakeshop Mystery Series published by Macmillan, which follows pastry chef Jules Capshaw as she returns home to run her family's artisan bake shop, Torte, in Ashland, Oregon. With more than 22 books in the series (and counting), every title includes original recipes tested by Ellie herself — because in her world, the baking is just as important as the mystery.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Bakeshop Mystery Series by Ellie Alexander — start with Meet Your Baker
• Ellie's website: https://elliealexander.co/
• Ellie on Instagram: @ellie_alexander
• Dani's Kitchen Shop: https://www.daniskitchenshop.com/
• Follow along on Instagram: @daniskitchenshop

Hobbies don't show up on your P&L — but they might be some of the most important infrastructure in a well-built life. In this episode, Dani gets personal about working from home more this summer, why her dahlia garden has gotten "a little big," and what happened when she almost talked herself out of planting this year.

In This Episode:

• Why hobbies aren't a luxury — they're load-bearing when you're building a business around your life
• What the research actually says about hobbies, gardening, and your mental health
• How Dani stumbled into dahlias seven years ago — before she even knew it was a trend
• The honest math: 398 tubers planted, 150 given away, zero organizational system — on purpose
• Why Dani applies systems to everything in her business but refuses to apply them to her garden
• The internal argument she had about water shortages in the Pacific Northwest, and the conversation with her husband Herbie that settled it
• What she hopes her daughter Winnie takes away from growing up in the dahlia rows
• A shoutout to Jen at The Flowering Farmhouse and the Dahlia Design Summit this September

Resources Mentioned:

• The Flowering Farmhouse (digging, dividing, and dahlia resources): https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com
• Dahlia Design Summit — September 13–18, 2026 (tickets open July 6th)
• Dani's Kitchen Shop: https://www.daniskitchenshop.com/
• Follow along on Instagram: @daniskitchenshop

Connect with Dani:

• Website: https://www.daniskitchenshop.com/
• Instagram: @daniskitchenshop

Ever sat down to do something and scrapped it... two or three times before finally just going for it? Same. In this episode, Dani gets real about ditching the polished, scripted version of things and embracing "good enough to ship" as a genuine business skill.

In This Episode:

• Why perfectionism often disguises itself as "high standards" when it's really fear of being seen before you're ready
• The truth behind Dani's "imperfect" moments — typos, rustic pop-up displays, recipe cards revised after posting — and why none of it actually hurt her
• Why your first version of anything (your first table, price list, or post) is a draft, not a debut
• How "done" gives you real feedback while "perfect" gives you nothing but anxiety
• The "perfection budget" trick: set a timer, and when it goes off, it ships
• How this all connects to the Foundation stage of A Bakery of Your Own — and why no one is supposed to have it all figured out before they start

Resources Mentioned:

• Dani's Kitchen Shop: https://www.daniskitchenshop.com/
• Follow along on Instagram: @daniskitchenshop

Connect with Dani:

• Website: https://www.daniskitchenshop.com/
• Instagram: @daniskitchenshop