Susie Sarich on Building SusieCakes Through Community, Hospitality, and Customer Loyalty

“So I don't think there's a right way or wrong way to handle it. It's just how you need to handle it for yourself.”

In this heartwarming and deeply inspiring episode of The Entreprenista Podcast, we sit down with Susie Sarich, founder and CEO of SusieCakes, the beloved bakery brand known for its nostalgic, made-from-scratch desserts and empowering company culture. From humble beginnings in Chicago to launching over 30 locations nationwide, Susie shares how she turned her grandmothers’ simple wisdom — “work hard and be nice to people” — into the cornerstone of her business and life philosophy.

With honesty, humor, and heart, Susie proves that success isn’t just about the bottom line — it’s about building something meaningful, lifting others up, and believing you can do anything you set your mind to.

For Susie Sarich, the idea for SusieCakes came from a combination of family history, hospitality experience, and a belief that businesses could create meaningful careers for women. Long before the company expanded to dozens of locations, she was standing outside her first bakery handing out cupcakes and introducing herself to customers one by one.

In this Entreprenista Podcast, Susie shares how she raised her first $250,000, built a loyal community around the brand, expanded from a single bakery to 31 locations, and created a company culture designed to support women at every stage of their careers.

You can listen to the full episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Here Are a Few Moments From the Podcast

Susie explains how her grandmothers, hospitality career, and frustration with restaurant desserts inspired SusieCakes:

"I grew up in Chicago and both of my grandmothers, their names were Mildred and Madeline, they lived across the alley from each other.

There was always some amazing baked good on one or their other kitchen tables for me.

I wanted to honor my grandmother's legacies, having those recipes, seeing a need in the market for good Midwest desserts made with real ingredients, and being able to build a business around women.

So all those things converged."

She shares how difficult it was to secure funding for a bakery concept that many people dismissed:

"I got rejected from over 20 banks and I don't have the rejection letters anymore, but every negative thing that could be said to me was said to me.

'Baking is a hobby, not a business.'

'No one eats sweets in California.'

So I started giving my business plan to every single person I came in contact with, hoping somebody would write a check for any amount."

One of the strongest lessons in the episode is her perspective on entrepreneurship and support systems:

"You're going to get the people that tell you bad idea, bad idea, bad idea.

But if you just have one or two people in your corner who are like, 'No, you can do this and we want to see you do this and we believe in you,' that's all you need."

Susie explains how community involvement became the foundation of the company's growth strategy:

"I was out front and I was meeting and talking to every single person who came.

Making sure they knew we were willing to donate and support their schools.

Being really part of the community because our business is hyper, hyper local and tons of word of mouth.

I knew that if the right cake wound up on the right birthday table with the right group of people, that's all we really needed to do."

She also attributes much of SusieCakes' growth to consistently giving back:

"Anything that we can be part of, we are.

We say yes to as many things as we possibly can.

I strongly believe that is why the business was able to scale to 31 locations over the last 19 years.

People trust. People want to do business with somebody they trust and who feels is giving back."

When asked about the legacy she hopes to leave behind, Susie's answer reflects the philosophy that has guided her career:

"The life lesson I got as a child from my grandmothers was work hard and be nice to people.

To this day, it's the best piece of advice I've gotten.

You really can do anything you put your mind to.

I hope that people, when they hear my story and the struggles that I went through starting out and still today, think, 'Okay, Susie did that. I can do that too.'"

You May Also Like

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• Gwen Whiting, The Fill: What She Wishes She Knew Before Selling Her Business

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Connect with Susie:

• Instagram: Susie Sarich (@susiesarich)
• LinkedIn: Susan Sarich - Founder/CEO SusieCakes 
• Website: Susan Sarich CEO & Founder of SusieCakes 

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Updated on: June 26, 2026