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.
The Perfect Rise: Conversations with RBA
The Hidden Ingredient: Why Mental Health Matters in Every Bakery
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The baking industry has always celebrated resilience, grit, and the ability to push through. But what happens when the cost of that resilience becomes too high?
In this re-released episode of The Perfect Rise, Kimberly Houston sits down with Jasmine Papadopoulos, Chief Growth Officer of CHOW (Culinary Hospitality Outreach & Wellness), for a conversation that is just as relevant today as when it first aired. Together, they explore the mental health challenges facing food and hospitality professionals, why burnout has become so common, and how bakery owners and leaders can begin creating workplaces where people thrive instead of simply survive.
Jasmine shares the powerful story behind CHOW's founding following the loss of Anthony Bourdain, explains how the organization now supports hospitality professionals through free peer meetings, workplace training, and practical wellness resources, and offers actionable steps any bakery can take to normalize conversations around mental health. Kimberly also opens up about her own journey through injury, identity loss, and recovery, making this one of the most personal episodes of the podcast.
Whether you're a bakery owner, pastry chef, educator, or team leader, this episode is a reminder that healthier businesses begin with healthier people.
In this episode you'll learn:
- Why burnout is one of the industry's biggest challenges
- How to recognize the signs that someone may be struggling
- Practical ways leaders can create psychologically safe workplaces
- The role vulnerability plays in building stronger teams
- Free mental health resources available through CHOW
Because the future of our industry isn't just about sustaining great bakeries. It's about sustaining the people who make them possible.
