This Military Spouse Spotlight is about a military spouse in Guam who is turning her hobbies into an amazing small business. Warning: This article will make you hungry!
There’s a certain kind of magic that comes from transforming a hobby into a business. For Mackenzie, her love for baking has blossomed into Lyre & Loaf, a small sourdough business that has boosted her confidence and helped her find a greater sense of community. From finding the courage to begin to celebrating the small stepping stones and victories, Mackenzie’s journey is a lesson in the power of leveraging your passions, especially when you’re scared.
From Newlyweds to Air Force Life
Mackenzie and her husband began dating after high school, and after seven years together, they were inspired to make a change. Mackenzie’s husband was looking for a long-term career that would enable them to support a family and own a home. He ultimately decided to join the Air Force, so, a week after the pair tied the knot, he left to start his military career.
Mackenzie felt that her husband joining the Air Force was a “really great decision” for them, but it was a lot of change at once. After her husband finished basic training, he attended school for almost a year, and Mackenzie became pregnant with their daughter during that time. She quit working at Sephora when she was six months pregnant, and she was grateful for the support of her husband’s family, especially since he would be away until her due date.
Three months later, the family moved to Guam, which represented yet another massive change. In addition to living thousands of miles away from their family with a young baby, it was the first time that they had their own home together. They had only one car for the first nine months, so Mackenzie spent much of that time at home with her daughter, and her passion for baking and sourdough blossomed.
“Other people are happy to support you; there’s really no negatives to put yourself out there.”
— Mackenzie
Starting a Sourdough Business as a Military Spouse in Guam
Mackenize said that she had always been “the baker,” but because she had lived with her husband’s family since she was seventeen, she had “never had my own space to dive into sourdough.” Inspired by social media and having her own kitchen, Mackenzie nurtured her sourdough starter and worked up the courage to make her first loaf.
Mackenzie described herself as a very hesitant person because she wants everything to be perfect, but her baking journey has proved to her again and again that taking the leap of faith has been worth it. She began bringing her baked goods to events and built her confidence with each positive reception. Because she’d worked since she was sixteen years old, she was itching to have her “own thing,” so she made it her New Year’s resolution to start selling her bread. It was the “best decision I made,” she proudly said, despite the anxiety that came with those first, tentative steps.
Her first menus featured two kinds of sourdough loaves and bagels to keep it simple, and she created a logo and social media flyer to advertise them. She was “so nervous I was shaking,” she said about her first online advertisement, and she admitted that she had to walk away from social media after she posted. However, she was so pleasantly surprised to see that everyone who interacted with her post was so kind and supportive. She worked up the courage to participate in the base’s PTA market, and even though “it was a lot of pressure, I was grateful I did it.”
As the weeks have gone on, she’s continued to tinker with her menu, expanding, downsizing, adding, and removing items to see what she can handle in her home oven and what her customers are interested in. She looked at other bakeries to see what they were selling and to do something different; for instance, she sold scones because she saw a lack of them among her competitors. Time management, she said, is key because sourdough is a two-day process, and she and her daughter still have full days to play and socialize together.
Mackenzie urged other creatives to consider selling their products because “other people are happy to support you; there’s really no negatives to put yourself out there.”
What Military Spouses Can Take From Mackenzie’s Story
Mackenzie’s journey with Lyre & Loaf is about more than sourdough. It is a reminder that military spouses can create something meaningful even in seasons of change, loneliness, and uncertainty.
- You don’t have to feel ready to begin. Sometimes confidence comes after you take the first step.
- Your duty station can become part of your story. Even far from home, community can grow in unexpected ways.
- Start small and adjust as you go. Mackenzie began with a simple menu and learned what worked over time.
- Your passion might be more powerful than you think. A hobby can become a source of purpose, connection, and joy.
Finding Community as a New Mom in Guam
Raising your first child thousands of miles away from home can be intimidating, but Mackenzie has worked hard to find ways to connect herself and her daughter–who she calls her “center of everything–” with the local military community. Each Wednesday, they go to story time at the base’s library, which she believed was a great way to meet other moms. In fact, it’s how she met her first friend in Guam. She’s also active in the Guam Littles Playgroup, which offers playdates on- and off-base, as well as activities and support for moms.
Her husband’s work also provided her with a supportive pathway towards making friends; there is a spouse group that hosts a monthly social meetup with an interactive activity. In the past few months, the spouses have gotten to make jewelry, lumpia, and perfume, and Mackenzie felt more confident attending and meeting potential new friends because there was something hands-on to do.
She hopes their next move will bring them closer to family while their daughter is young, but she does appreciate the opportunity to live in and explore new places. “We got exactly what we asked for,” she said because she’s always wanted to travel. For now, she’s looking forward to an extended summer trip back to the States and then a visit to nearby Japan.
