Today I will be introducing you into the electrifying world of Dana’s Bakery, where Dana Pollack reigns as the fearless innovator and mastermind behind the iconic bakery where sweetness prevails. She is a whirlwind of determination, showing us that sweet success is not just about crafting decadent macarons—it is actually about embracing what sets your soul free. Dana’s relentless passion is recognizable as she shatters expectations and redefines what it means to go for your ambitions.
On March 1, 2024, I was able to chat with Dana, reflecting upon her road to achieving the career of her dreams and her ability to soar as a powerful female entrepreneur, living to inspire, educate, and celebrate the sweetness of success.
At the start of our interview, I asked Dana how her time in high school set her up for her career today. Dana replied:
“Answering truthfully, I was never really a math and science girl. However, I had always been very creative. In high school, I started a lot of very small businesses, not all successful, but I always was trying to come up with new, innovative ideas. Living at home during my high school years, I think that is when I really began to grow my interest in the entrepreneurship field because I was so heavily influenced by my parents and grandparents. My grandparents were both incredibly successful entrepreneurs, owning their own company, working until they were forced to retire in their early 90s, instilling in me the importance of hard work and that passion to be a self-starter. I knew early on what it was like to be your own boss, seeing the stresses but also the rewards of owning your own business. So, that time in my life really helped me set the path to really go out on my own and pursue my own passions.” She added, “You don’t need to know who or what you want to be in high school. You change, you grow, you learn, and that’s the beauty of life!” Dana, proud and somewhat surprised at her sage advice, giggled, “Wow! That was deep, so deep!”
Following that question, I asked Dana what motivated her to reach for her goals in life, especially starting her own business from scratch. She replied:
“When I went to college, I got a BFA in Photography, so I always followed my comfort zone, which was the arts and the creative side of school. At the time, I really did not know I was going to own a bakery. I started off my career, post college, as a photo editor before quitting my job and going to culinary school. However, I am so thankful for my past job experiences because I was able to learn what made me happy and what didn’t. So, with my artistic eye from studying photography post-grad, it has really allowed me to pursue my success as an entrepreneur, mixing my past career with my current. ”
Continuing, I asked Dana if she could share a piece of advice for students yearning to explore a similar career as an entrepreneur: With excitement, Dana replied:
“I think when you’re younger, your passions and interests are going to be all over the place. Some people know what they want right away, some not so much. So, I would say challenge yourself. Challenges are good. Just because something is hard or there is a long trajectory doesn’t necessarily mean that it is bad. As long as you keep that passion, and as long as you are learning, it will be worth it. I know it sounds clichè, but I really mean it when I say ‘as long as you enjoy what you do, it won’t feel like work.’” With enthusiasm, Dana continued, “If you don’t have the passion, nine times out of ten, I want to say you will burn out. But if you do have that passion, you will recover, and you will keep on moving on!”
A question that I had been waiting to ask Dana was why she specifically chose Macarons to build an online bakery off of. Dana answered:
“When I quit my job, as mentioned before, I was a photo editor for years, and I was just not that happy and fulfilled with my job. It was so stressful, and the pay was awful. I would just sit in my little cubicle, editing pictures, and I was like, ‘What am I doing with my life?’ However, I had always been very passionate about baking, and whenever I was stressed out, I would bake. Baking was always who I was.” Reflecting, Dana continued, “Both of my parents are my biggest supporters, and my mom would say to me, ‘What are we going to do about this?’ With that, I went to culinary school in order to figure out what I really wanted to commit to as my job. So, ultimately, I quit my job, enrolled in culinary school, still unsure what I was going to do with my career. In culinary school, during the day, I would be at school, and during nights and weekends, I would serve at restaurants, so it would honestly be a 24/7 cycle of working with food. Getting immersed in the real ‘food’ world, I realized that working in the kitchen was too much for me, and it wasn’t what I was looking for. However, in culinary school, I fell in love with French macarons. I had always seen them, and during that time, 2010, they really were not as widespread as they are today. I mean, the places that were selling them were selling the same flavors, and I didn’t understand why people weren’t making them in fun flavors, and there were so many untouched opportunities. So, that’s how the concept of Dana’s Bakery came about!”
Dana continued, “It was at brunch with my now husband and my mom where we discussed which direction I should take my career, and it was at that very brunch where we decided that macarons are the move! We saw that there was an untouched potential in the market.”
And perhaps the most important question, I asked Dana which of her macarons is her favorite. With uncertainty, Dana replied:
“That’s so tricky because that’s like asking me who’s my favorite child! I really do love them all because they are all developed by flavor profiles that my team and I just love. They are all created and drawn from seasonal candies or nostalgic treats. So, we do have our tried and true flavors, the ones I created over 11 years ago when I first started Dana’s Bakery. I would have to say maybe our fruity cereal macaron, that is one of my favorites. I also really love the flavors of the month. We switch up our flavors every month to come up with new flavors, and they are just so creative, and they are only available for a limited time, so I really love them. However, now, if you were to ask me what my favorite product was, we have cookies, Mookies (macaron stuffed cookies), and now we have Krisp Bars. When I tell you that our Krisp Bars are the most insane things I have ever had, I literally eat them ALL the time!”
Switching gears from sweet treats, I asked Dana if she was not currently an entrepreneur, what would be her dream industry to work in. To my surprise, Dana replied:
“I really love interior design. When I was a photo editor, I did event production, and I really do love living and working in beautiful spaces. So, I always said if I was not in the culinary world, I would for sure do something in interior design!”
Nearing the end of our conversation, I asked Dana if she could provide us with one fun fact about herself:
“I mean I am a big karaoke queen, but something that may surprise a lot of people is that I am a big metal head! Like giant! I went to see Metallica by myself, and it was the best time ever!”
Concluding our interview, I asked Dana who she would say her ultimate role model was. After some deep thought, she replied:
“I don’t have one person. I want to say it is really more like a group. I have a lot of friends who are entrepreneurs, and I have a lot of friends who are moms who run businesses, who run empires, and I really feel that it is a juggle. It is really hard to balance taking care of others and taking care of yourself, so when I see a lot of my friends doing that, it is so refreshing and inspirational. However, there are so many women I don’t know doing the same like Sarah Blakely from Spanx. I mean we work hard, we hustle. Nobody is ever perfect, but at the end of the day, we all try.”
I would like to personally thank Dana for being a true role model. Thank you for bringing so much sweetness to our world (literally!). You have proven that success comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors, proving our passions allow us to achieve our greatest goals. You are simply MACnificent, and I can’t wait to see where your sweet success leads you next!!
