Rising Stars: Meet Kristin Brumm

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Brumm.

Hi Kristin, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always loved baking, but a few years back I started playing around with different pie crust designs, using the dough as a medium for art. The designs began getting a lot of attention on Instagram and people started reaching out asking if I would sell pies. Last year I decided to open a business so I could do just that. Pie Goddess is a cottage bakery, which means I don’t have a storefront and work out of my home. I work in the nonprofit sector, so this is a part-time business. I take special orders, offer themed pies for the holidays and do occasional pop-ups. I create budgets all day at work, so I enjoy having an outlet of creative expression through my baking.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been fairly smooth so far. I only have one oven, which limits the number of pies I can crank out for a holiday or pop-up sale. At this point, I’m not interested in expanding since I enjoy my work in the nonprofit field, so I just have to put a cap on what I can sell.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
There are a number of places to get really good pies in Kansas City, but I’m not aware of any other bakers in Kansas doing highly decorative crust designs. It’s a fairly rare niche. If someone wants to personalize a pie with a name or celebrate a specific occasion, I can work with them to design something specific to their needs. I’ve done graduation pies, birthdays, anniversaries and even weddings. My favorite designs, however, are the ones I do just for fun, which feature things I love. If you look at my Instagram feed, you’ll see lots of ocean- and kitty-themed pies!

I am contacted from time to time by recruiters for baking shows. In early March of last year, I was being considered as a contestant on the Great American Baking Show, which is filmed on the set of GBBO in London. There are multiple steps to qualify, the next of which was baking in-person for a panel of judges. But then Covid hit and put a stop to the process and the filming was canceled. I’ll never know whether I would have made the cut, but it was fun to even be considered.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I started my business in October of last year, so right in the middle of Covid. I have a permanent part-time job in the nonprofit field, which I do from home, and I was supplementing that with nonprofit consulting. When Covid hit, I wasn’t eager to venture into different workplaces, so put the consulting on pause. But I had time on my hands, so that’s when the baking business was born. I love that it’s something I can do from my home and that I have the ability to control the workflow to a degree. I set up contactless pick-up on my porch to add a further layer of protection for myself and my customers.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: piegoddess.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/pie_goddess
• Facebook: facebook.com/piegoddessks