The Perfect Rise: Conversations with RBA
"The Perfect Rise: Conversations with RBA" is your all-access pass to the heart of the retail baking industry. Each episode brings you inside the kitchen with leading bakers, educators, and innovators who share their stories, tips, and insights. From the secrets of achieving the perfect loaf to navigating business growth, we explore what it takes to elevate your baking craft and career. Whether you’re a seasoned pro, an aspiring baker, or simply hungry for inspiration, tune in and discover how the Retail Bakers of America helps you rise to every challenge—and savor every success.
Episodes
31 episodes
From Engineering to Bakery Owner: The Systems Behind Sustainable Success with Rachel Lou Martindale
Most people think baking is about creativity.Rachel Liu Martindale will tell you it’s about systems.In this episode of The Perfect Rise, Rachel shares what it really looks like to ...
What It Takes to Lead the Baking Industry with Martin Barnett (B.A.C.)
There’s a version of the baking industry that people want to believe in—one where hard work, consistency, and great products are enough to guarantee success. But the reality? It’s more complicated than that. In this epis...
The Business of Flour: Nancy Muller on Relationships, Consistency, and Legacy
What does flour have to do with growth, consistency, and long-term success in the baking industry? More than most people realize. In this episode of The Perfect Rise, Kimberly sits down with Nancy Muller, a foodservice prof...
E28: From Family Bakery to Regional Business: Lynn Schurman’s Story
What does it take to grow a small-town bakery into a thriving regional business?In this episode of The Perfect Rise Podcast, host Kimberly Houston sits down with Lynn Schurman, co-owner of Cold Spring Bakery in Minnesota an...
E27: Raising the Standard in Baking Education
What does it really take to become a Certified Master Baker—and then choose to teach the next generation?In this episode of The Perfect Rise, I sit down with Jesse Jackson III, CMB, Baking & Pastry Instructor a...
E25: Legacy Baking & Profit Literacy: Building a Bakery That Lasts | Chad Ecklof
In this episode of The Perfect Rise, we sit down with Chad Ecklof, third-generation owner of Ecklof Bakery, to talk about legacy, leadership, and why profit literacy—not just passion—is the difference between survival and...
Colette Christian on Mastery, Certifications, and Saying Yes to the Hard Stuff
What does real mastery look like when nobody’s watching?In this episode of The Perfect Rise, I’m joined by Colette Christian—chef, educator, and certification powerhou...
Buddy Valastro on Retail Bakeries, Leadership, and Building a Business That Lasts
Buddy Valastro is often introduced as Cake Boss—but long before television, books, and global recognition, he was (and still is) a retail baker.In this episode of The Perfect Rise: Conversations with the Retail Bakers of Ame...
Where Creativity Meets Chemistry: Kelly DeFusco on Bakery Science & the CMB Journey
Most people think a career in baking means spending your life inside a kitchen—but today’s guest proves the industry is far bigger, more innovative, and more full of possibility than most bakers ever imagine.In this episode, Kimberly sit...
E21: The Bagel Ambassador joins The Perfect Rise!
What happens when you spot a gap in the market that should exist… and decide to build it yourself?BagelFest was born from that exact moment — an idea that didn’t make sense not to exist. In today’s episode, Chef Kimberl...
E20: Icing Smiles: Turning Compassion Into Cake
What if one cake could change everything?In this heartfelt episode of The Perfect Rise Podcast, Chef Kimberly Houston sits down with Tracy Quisenberry, founder of Icing Smiles
E19: Why We’re Losing Chefs — and How CHOW’s Fixing It
What if the same passion that drives your success is quietly breaking you down?In this powerful episode of The Perfect Rise, Chef Kimberly Houston sits down with Jasmin Vitolo Parks-Papadopoulos, Chief Growth Offic...
E18: Mastery, Mindset & Integrity: Lessons from Certified Master Baker Chef Cody Middleton
What does it really take to become a Certified Master Baker—and a true master of your craft?In this episode of The Perfect Rise, Chef Kimberl...
E:17 Chef Matthew Ratliff on Mastering Pastry & Career Success
What does it take to rise to the top of the pastry world? In this episode of The Perfect Rise: Conversations with the RBA, Executive Pastry Chef Matthew Ratliff shares his journey from the Culinary Institute of America to competing (an...
E16: From Fine Dining to Cookie Empire | The Perfect Rise Podcast
What happens when a fine dining pastry chef faces a career-ending injury? For Tracy Mattson, it became the spark that launched Cookie Take a Bite—a boutique cookie brand built on elevated flavors, thoughtful presentation, and a deep co...
E15: From Pastry Chef to Industry Leader: Scott Calvert’s Baking Journey
From Pastry Chef to Industry Leader: Scott Calvert’s Baking JourneyIn this episode of The Perfect Rise, Scott Calvert—President of Tootie Pie Co. and immediate past president of the Retail Bakers of America—shares his 35+...
E14: From Weekend Help to Donut Empire: Gary VanderStelt of Sprinkles Donuts
From Weekend Help to Donut Empire: Gary VanderStelt of Sprinkles Donuts | The Perfect Rise PodcastWhat happens when the kid who swore he’d never work in a bakery ends up running one of the busiest donut operations in Michigan?...
E13: The Truth About Becoming a Certified Master Baker
What does it really take to become a Certified Master Baker? In this episode of The Perfect Rise, Chef LeeAnn Adams shares her journey—from late nights in the kitchen to passing one of the most intense baking exams in the indu...
E12: Baking Isn’t Hard: Taylor Craft on Curiosity & Cake
What does it take to go from actor to baker—and find your flavor voice along the way?In this episode of The Perfect Rise, host Kimberly Houston sits down with Taylor Craft, a Kendall College grad and career changer who left a 13...
E11: Inside the Certified Master Baker Exam with Austin Scoles
What does it take to join the elite ranks of Certified Master Bakers (CMB)? In this powerful episode of The Perfect Rise, we go behind the scenes with Chef Austin Scoles—pastry chef, educator, and one of the newest CMBs certified by th...
E10: Pastry with Jen Heide at Palm Beach’s Elite Everglades Club
From Fine Pastry to Mentorship: Chef Jennifer Hyde on Lifelong Learning in the KitchenWhat does it take to build a career in pastry that spans bread, chocolate, and mentorship? In this episode of The Perfect Rise: Conversation...
E9: How Heather Ugorowski Baked Through Grief and Built a Community—One Pastry at a Time
From decorating cakes at age 12 to launching a bakery in memory of her son, Heather Ugorowski’s baking journey is one of passion, purpose, and perseverance. In this heartfelt episode of The Perfect Rise, the RBA podcast, Heather shares...
E8: How CMB Derek Corsino Built a Career from Cakes, Classrooms, and Bold Yeses
What do you get when you combine a lifelong artist, a pastry chef, and an award-winning educator? You get Certified Master Baker Derek Corsino.In this inspiring episode of T
E7: From Corporate to Crumb: How Amie Smith Built a Beloved Scratch Bakery After 50
What happens when a high-powered marketing consultant trades her corporate corner office for a 30-quart mixer and a dream? In this powerful episode of The Perfect Rise, Kimberly Houston sits down with Amie Smith, pastry chef and owner ...
