You Can't
YOU CAN'T
All my life, I've been told I can't.
And I know that experience is not unique to me. We all go through our life being told that we can't for one reason or another - we're not smart enough, tall enough, good-looking enough, clever enough, funny enough, charming enough, strong enough, focused enough, the list goes on...
And that is often paired with the worst 4-letter word: "should." (I know, I know. It's 6 letters.)
"You can't do this. But you should do that."
I was lucky. My parents believed in fully supporting me and my decisions, so I learned that just because someone tells me I can't doesn't mean they get to decide whether I can.
I do.
So when I was told that you can't hold laminated pastries in a proofer all morning to bake as needed, I didn't listen.
When people told me a bakery being on the third floor wouldn't work because, "How would anyone find you?" I didn't listen.
"Shouldn't I go to culinary school first?"
I kept following my heart and my vision.
As a business owner, you get told no all day long. This week has been a tough one. We've been surrounded by a lot of that isn't the way things are done, you can't ask us for that, you should accept things the way they are, and you should do it the way everyone else does.
It drives me up the wall.
Thankfully, we've also surrounded ourselves with a team that may not always know if we can, but they're game to try. If it works, then we've grown and stretched what we're capable of. If it doesn't, we learn something and move on.
My latest little win? Our 25+ year-old espresso machine broke. We were told we should toss it and buy a new one. We decided to fix it instead. The first repair didn't do it. We dug deeper, found a bigger problem, replaced the boiler, and got that old machine running again. It worked.
But even if it hadn't, I'd still be proud that we tried. See the story here.
I guess I'm writing this for somewhat selfish reasons today. I needed to remind myself that I can. To keep on trucking. To trust the vision. To not let a week full of people telling us what we can't do convince me that they're right.
And maybe somebody reading this needs the reminder too.
You can.
Come join us at the bakeshop, my altar and living proof that we can.
OPEN EVERY DAY 7a–2p
In a rush? Just give us a call at 619-289-8358 when you arrive and we'll bring your order out to ya - we call it IZOLA Drive By.
My First Croissants Over 700+ tests later, IZOLA Croissants today
WHAT MAKES THE CUT
Our team has been deep in testing mode these past few weeks as we figure out what’s next for the menu.
That means a lot of tasting. A lot of tinkering. A few pretty tense debates about what earns a permanent spot on the menu — and what may be on its way out.
We’ve gotten to fill our bellies with some pretty incredible things — which, for Jenny, is basically her favorite part of the job — but more than anything, we just keep learning. What works. What almost works. What sounded great in our heads but needs another round. And occasionally, what surprises all of us.
We’re running these tests on weekdays, and sometimes we send them straight out into the dining room. So if you’re here at the right moment, you may get pulled into the experiment too!
Our next launch is a few weeks away, and you, our newsletter fam will be the first to hear what made the cut, and what might be leaving the menu to make room for it.
And if you’re not already following us on Instagram, now’s a good time. We’ll be inviting a few people to come taste one of the new creations at the bake bar with Chef JB before it officially hits the menu.
So if you’ve been meaning to try the Kimchi Gruyère Bun — or there’s something on the menu you’d be sad to lose — this might be a good time to come by.
Nothing is ever quite as permanent as it looks...
SATURDAY LIVE MUSIC
Every Saturday, we host live music at the bakeshop. Come on by to see how talented our local San Diego musicians are! Follow us on Instagram to see the lineup each week.
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