https://veteransbusinessnetwork.com/article/matt-robinsons-vetrepreneurs-chris-wysong-of-bucket-of-bread.html
Chris Wysong
U.S. Army Operations Officer
Bucket of Bread
After 10 years in the Army (during which he erved in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm and also in Operation Provide Comfort and Operation Iraqi Freedom), Chris Wysong wanted to find a way to provide comfort in a new way.
As he had spent much of his time in the Army assisting with operations, planning, and training management in support of the Army Reserve’s Combat Support Training Program and also tracking organizational tasks and activity reports in order to establish, organize, and delegate responsibility and outline procedures for all organizational operations, he had developed a strong sense of how to work well with others and how to get things done.
In his Captains Career Course Wysong further focused on planning, multifunctional logistics, and coordination with the private sector.
All of these skills have helped him as the founder of Bucket of Bread, an organic bakery that he developed with help from academic institutions in and around his home in WI that offers the best possible ingredients to help sustain and please as many people as it can. In addition to supporting customers, Wysong’s company also donates to kitchens and pantries to help fellow Veterans and others who have fallen on hard times.
What does your company do? The art of baking is in your hands and it couldn’t be easier with this special mix. Bucket of Bread (BoB for short) brings bakery fresh restaurant quality gourmet breads directly to your home. BoB is more than a Bucket of Bread though. Customers who visit the website may become members for free, receive special offers, watch pro-tip training videos, share ideas in the forums, learn new recipes, and become active with potential new friends with similar interests. Bob’s mission is to create socially and environmentally responsible products that enhance the creative juices for every customer. The company gives back to those less fortunate than some through the “Bucket Benefit” program. Learn more and join Bucket of Bread today!
What promoted you to launch it? Chris, the owner, and founder has always been an avid at home cook and baker. Growing up, some of the best memories are with his mother creating masterpieces and inventing twists on recipes they created together in the kitchen. Even making a frozen pizza isn’t made using the instructions on the box because he always adds ingredients as additional toppings just to put a creative spin on it.
During time spent overseas living in Germany, Chris always enjoyed visiting bakeries and having fresh baked bread with his meals. When returning in the mid-nineties, the bread was one thing he missed. The solution? He just started making his own.
He always enjoyed making his own bread as it really is so much better than store bought. After years of using different methods, he finally found one which reminded him of his favorite bakery in Germany. He has baked it for multiple charity events and has achieved a high level of success each time. While receiving an outpouring of compliments on how delicious it was he found he was always running out of the loaves donated.
One day in August of 2020, at about 3 a.m., Chris woke up with one of those can’t shake dreams of an idea that just won’t go away. While sitting there pondering all the ways this idea could be put to reality, he rolled over to his obviously sleeping partner and said, “You know how everyone likes the bread I bake? I could totally sell my bread and help people at the same time. And, I could put it in a bucket!” The reply was short, sweet, and followed by the purring snuffle sounds of heavy sleeping. “Do it!”
How has your military life educated and influenced your business life? “Patience is a virtue” they say and not everything goes according to plan. The ability to adapt to the changes and twists of even the best laid plan is something I really appreciate having picked up as a skill set.
What do you hope to do with your business? I hope to be successful enough to someday present an organization that helps people less fortunate with one of those giant checks filled out in big black marker ink from Bucket of Bread LLC.
What advice would you give other Veterans looking to own a business? Work with the Small Business Development Centers at your state university.