Pandala and Priorities
September 2014. I had just gotten back to Ecuador, this time not to Ibarra, but to Cotacachi. After a few happy days of just being, I started to look for bread. I wasn't too surprised as I noticed that there wasn't anything worth being called such, so I got some flour instead, a few seeds and a little bit of dry yeast to start.
A couple of weeks later, a friend told me that I should sell my bread at the Farmer's Market next to his place, so I talked to the organizer, and was one of 5 people selling stuff there. I had 3 bread pans and a home oven, and way too much time, so I started selling. First 3 loaves. Then 6. Then 9. And then the name "Pandala" was created. Things escalated quickly, a year later I bough my first professional oven and kneading machine, in 2017 I had a real space and the first co-worker, and now, 2025, the bakery is providing income for 7 people, myself included.
Sounds great. But was very hard. Working nights while my ex-wife worked days was one of the many reasons why those two letters are before the noun. Social life was almost in-existent inner week as I went to bed at 7pm. Stress went over my head many times, causing an inner lock-down and "just get through it" mentality.
Hence, my chosen topic for this weeks weekend-engagement is number 5: Have you ever run your own business? How did you cope with the workload and complexities that often arise, how did you find detachment and time to recharge?
The workload was immense, especially during the first years. It started Monday at 12pm with preparation of the pre-fermentation, getting all the pans oiled and ready, mixing the flours. I went to sleep at 7pm, got up at around 1am, off to work. Bread came out of the oven at 7.30am, after packing everything up I had around 15-20min for a short breakfast (Blueberry Muffin and another coffee), then off to sell, either in Cotacachi or Ibarra. 20min power nap around noon, then starting with the preparation for the next day, getting the orders together and such.
90-100h of work per week was normal, especially around 2017. 2018 it got worse, as my daughter was born, so I came home to wash diapers and try to do my best in the household, cooking. While I was single, it was easier to get it all done without any problems. Now, not anymore.
Early on, it was mostly partying that brought me some balance. On some Fridays, I was up for 26-28h into the Saturday. Music was a big factor, Jamsessions and such. Alcohol was an accepted and welcomed tool to let loose a little, as was casual sex or friends-with-benefits-relations (depending on whether I was single or not).
Then came the burn-out in 2023/24. It had all gotten way too much, and work was a big factor. I was struggling with 2 members of my staff who repeated the same mistakes over and over again, while I was trying to find ways to help them to stop doing so. Step by step I realized that I was giving way more than I was receiving. Not in terms of money, but in terms of me having to put more energy into them than what their work saved me. Not sustainable at all.
That time, I went for healthier coping mechanisms, consciously. Regulating my eating habits, meditation, taking certain supplements, organizing my schedule strictly in order to implement reading, podcasts and music again. And I started writing again, probably the most effective stress exhaust for me.
Questioning my whole approach on why I was even doing that work was a substantial part, too. I wanted to sell the bakery, I was sick of it. But instead, I hired a new administrator who until now is having my back a lot. That doesn't mean that I'm not needed, I just noticed that I'm very much needed as I had to slap everyone around for several issues, like a decreasing revenue.
But as I gained distance, I can now see things clearer and be more objective about it. I'm thinking ahead again, instead of just hastily reacting to everything that is thrown at me. That is one of the things I find most important, to be able to stick your head out of the pile of manure and look around instead of just pushing through blindly.
Everything is better with music!
It's still Saturday here in Ecuador, so I'll take advantage and present three songs. I hope it's okay to mix the #weekend-engagement with the #saturdayselections .
While preparing the bread, I always listened through a lot of music. One of my favorites was Andean Electronic Music:
Of course, there are those moments when energy is low and I needed a kick. Ska-Punk always delivered, like:
When I hired Diego (now the main baker) to work the nights with me, the music changed drastically. He loves to dance salsa, and whenever I saw him going down in energy, I'd put on this song, and he'd start dancing while kneading the bread or whatever he was doing.
Guayacán Orquesta - Oiga, Mire, Vea
Thank you very much for reading! Any feedback and remarks are always welcome, especially when it's constructive criticism - there's always room to improve!
Wow! Your post speaks about so many things. One it’s says a lot about your never give up attitude. I understand how overwhelming everyday must have been for you to think of calling it quit. Especially if what you get and what you invest is more. I understand when you say not money, because even putting in efforts requires the right mindset and people making mistakes cause setbacks!
Another thing is the addition of the new person. I believe for something to work out well, we need the right people. As you say, till now he has your back. Evidently in your writing, he has given you less presence which means you have enough time to look at things differently.
So right all good, wish you the best in your bakery! Don’t worry about the revenue. It will go up in due time. Best wishes!
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Thank you very much!
The attitude is really something hard to change in people. The sad thing is that sometimes they have the right attitude, but just not the tools to use their energy efficiently, nor are they able to learn. They work hard, but still do a bad job. That's highly frustrating for me, as I tend to really like my co-workers and one of the main things we do is help them grow.
The revenue will go up now that the quality is up. It's just a matter of time, patience and a lot of good communication :-)
I thought that baking lark would be a doddle. I have a bread machine. You simply put the ingredients in the machine, set the alarm for 4 hours and have a snooze while the machine does the work:)
That's exactly how it was! When I was baking for myself... But that's what happens when you turn your needs-based hobby into a business... We now go through 300kg of flour every week. 2 kneading machines, 2 ovens, around 100 pans, easily 50 sheets. Reminds me, I have to do inventory again one of these days... But not today!