Sourdough certainly had a moment during the pandemic and now that televised sports have returned, for some, that moment is over. 

But not for me. Don’t get me wrong— I missed watching sports too. But I’m not ready to give up on the challenge of creating irresistible sourdough bread in my very own kitchen.

I’ve tried. Numerous times. I’ve had the dough stick completely to the well floured bowl it was resting on. I ordered a banneton proofing basket only to find it stick to that. I read that it’s a good idea to proof the dough in the oven with just the light turned on. So I did that only to find my oven thermometer get up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and essentially kill off the yeast. I’ve called the King Arthur’s Baking Hotline multiple times to see if they could identify what I was doing wrong. The thing is, I don’t give up easily. So tossing 9 cups of flour, some starter (aka Stevie Budd), and salt into the trash just makes me more determined to figure it all out. And this time it worked. 

I’m relaying this experience because it seems very familiar to a situation we may find in the workplace. We attempt to draft that proposal, make that business pitch, get clarity around a consumer insight, influence investors-- only to come up short. I encourage you to keep at it and, as with creating the perfect sourdough loaf, look at each attempt as an essential step in getting you closer to your goal. 

Ellen Weiss, an accredited partner of GENIUS Business Storytelling, helps business leaders communicate more effectively, authentically, and succinctly. Learn more about public workshops or private sessions for leadership teams at www.GENIUSofSTORY.com.