SMALL BITES N°1 Progression

If Patience summarizes 2022, Progression is my vibe for January 2023.

Over the last decade, I have failed several times. Yet, in my failures, I learned everything I needed to build LEXINGTON BAKES with clarity, agility, and perseverance.

My Fleur De Sel Brownies propelled the idea of LXB into existence with an unexpected presale of $5,000 in five days on IG before a product was even ready to ship. In 6 weeks, I took an idea with some traction and built a fully operating, legal business — producing and shipping 500 luxury brownies by Christmas. In the following weeks, I designed and built a site, developed our second product, and officially launched LXB on January 17th.

Within the first few weeks, our presale of Choc Chip N°5 Cookies had sold out. Since then, I've developed and launched five new products, including two Gluten Free options and a limited edition Valentine's Day flavor people have been raving about ever since.

By March, we had landed our first retail partnership with FOXTROT Market. LXB was a Top 3 Finalist out of 1,000 submissions to FOXTROT's Up & Comers contest. On June 1st, we landed at all FOXTROT stores across Chicago, Dallas, and D.C. — selling out in our first week at $10 a unit. 🤯 

In the Fall, we joined Pop Up Grocer at their Denver destination selling 2x the average units sold per brand; We worked with Palisades Canyon to bring LXB to their corporate gifting clients; We found our first LA retail home with the new Pink Dot Xpress, where our luxury treats have been a bestseller since their opening day; and we ended the year with our holiday orders selling out our store.

One year later, I'm still a one-person show, but I'm backed by the support of an incredible community of friends, family, and new industry friends. Together we moved over $100,000 (retail value) of our natural, ethical, luxury treats in our first year.

This first year has been nothing short of extraordinary. I could not be better positioned to progress LEXINGTON BAKES to the next stage of development. Let's dig in to 2023! 🕺

🔥 Spicy Appetizers 🔥

• LEXINGTON BAKES secured a highly coveted spot at Melrose Place Market

• StartupCPG's aims The Spotlight on LEXINGTON BAKES in Winter Issue

• LEXINGTON BAKES alongside Perfect Day, Bored Cow, and Pop Up Grocer at NOSH Live Sustainability Panel

• How LEXINGTON BAKES is building brand advocates on TASTE Radio at NOSH Live (@ 45:00)

• LEXINGTON BAKES live on Thingtesting with several 5-star reviews

• LEXINGTON BAKES voted in the top 15 of 500 brands submitted to CPGD.xyz

• $1,000 sold in 4 hours at Culver City IVY Station Holiday Market Pop Up

January Tasting 👨🏻‍🍳

🍫 Top Priorities

• Grand opening of LXB @ Melrose Place Market

• Reformulating nearly all products to 98% Organic Ingredients

• Finalizing Co-manufacturer Production Plan

🍪 In the Oven

• Seed Round Fundraising Kickoff

• 2023 Goals & Roadmap Planning

• Packaging Updates

• PR Strategy & Physical Experience Kits

• New Art Direction & Photography

• Broader Content Strategy

🍭 Sprinkles (dropping soon)

• Raspberry Velvet Brownies return! Pre-orders are now open!

• Making a splash on TikTok with new series launch

• Two new podcast interviews go live

🧊 On Ice

• Black Forrest Flavor as Cookie or Brownie?

• Mall Kiosk for Holiday '23

• Corp Gifting Program Improvements

• Premium Gift Note Cards

À La Carte 🛒

🍿 Savory Insights, Research & Reports

• Sustainability proves to be the future of food and bev on multiple facets via NeilsonIQ.

• Consumers seek freshness, indulgence, and premium ingredients in bakery goods.

• Earn trust with 'Minimalist Messaging' on health benefits for 'Slacktivists' via Mintel.

• Cocoa is safe according to NCA response to heavy metals found in Dark Chocolate.

• Antibiotics wipe out gut microbiome. Restoring it might help curb sugar cravings.

🍭 Sweet Content Shares

• Express Checkout by Nate Rosen is a treasure trove of info I look forward to each week

• The History of Ice Cream on Trail Blazers was insightfully entertaining

• Rachel Krupa's interview on In The Sauce offers a perfect perspective on PR

• David Greenfeld on StartupCPG will help you win with brand content across channels

• Get organized and improve productivity with Jessi Freitag's advice on Evolve CPG

😋 Tasty New Treats Worth Trying

• TiDBiTS Wild Berry gummies are fantastic! I can't get over how such a large serving is so delicious with only 4g of sugar and no alt sweeteners. Well done Kristi! 🙌

• VEGOBEARS are EVERYTHING I have been looking for in a gummy bear.

• I'm a big fan of Joolies dates, and the new blood orange Jooliettes are delish.

• BOOP bakery makes a great oatmeal cranberry cookie. Cheers Ken! 🙌

• Not a brand, but I just tried my first persimmon and I'm obsessed. YUM!

Simmering Thoughts ☕️

• Your first customers won't care about the things customers of million-dollar brands care about. Early adopters have more patience, understanding, and loyalty. 💛

• Focusing on the customers you have vs prospective customers is highly underrated.

• Subscriptions are too easy to start and stop. What incentivizes people keep them?

• LXB hoodie can't just be a logo. How does merch best extend the brand mission?

• Berry Lemonade Blondie for Summer? Partnership with LEMONADE in LA? 🍋

Thanks for reading! I'm happy to have you along my journey to build LEXINGTON BAKES into the next great American bakery brand. 🍪

Feel free to strike a chat about anything you've read here — that's kind of the point. 💛

Until next time,Lex