Letter from the Editor: Go Ahead, Burn the Toast

This morning as I began to realize the smell of burnt sourdough in the toaster oven, I had to laugh at myself.

I burn something In the toaster oven every single day. Yesterday it was more sourdough, the day before that was a home made pop tart I bought from the LKA Chef at Lakefest over the weekend (Delicious, by the way). My husband had just walked in the door from dropping the kids off at school for their last week before summer break, and immediately asked me with a grin… “Burn some toast again?” We laughed together.

Burning toast doesn’t bother me anymore. And why should it? Should I be frustrated that I get so engaged in my work that I lose track of time?

Should I blame the toaster oven for working too slow, or the clock for working too fast, or my brain for being too impatient and getting easily distracted? Maybe it’s the setting on the toaster oven, someone suggested (…how very kind of you, Leigh, to give me the benefit of the doubt)!

I give myself permission to be human. And while I accept there are things that are out of my control, I also take responsibility for the things that are in my control. I give myself permission to burn the toast.
I’ll take responsibility for burning the toast today, and burning the toast tomorrow. And I’ll just make a new piece.

And next time – maybe, just maybe, I’ll remember to set the timer.

Jen Bailey

Hi! I’m Jennifer Bailey and I partner with entrepreneurs who have massive ideas that could change the world. Most marketing is meaningless. Filled with empty promises, its only job is to bring in new traffic, new leads, and new customers. But I’ve drawn a line in the sand, and I’ve learned that marketing can do so much more than reach business goals and build profit. My methods give businesses the fire and soul they need to reach the right people, set the groundwork for sustainable relationships, and offer true value to the people on both the giving and receiving ends of marketing.