We were lucky to catch up with Keri Hayes recently and have shared our conversation below.
Keri, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from how I was raised and what I’ve lived through. Growing up in downtown Detroit, nothing was handed to us. My dad was a handyman, my mom worked long shifts at GM, and I learned early on that if something needed to get done, you figure it out and you don’t complain. That environment taught me grit, creativity, and self-reliance. It also taught me that challenges aren’t stop signs—they’re invitations to grow. So when I face adversity now, I don’t ask ‘Why me?’ I ask, ‘What can this teach me?’ That mindset is the core of my resilience.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am the founder and head baker at Get Baked Seattle, a gourmet protein bakery where indulgence meets intention. What makes what I do so special is that I get to completely rewrite the narrative around baked goods—proving that you don’t have to choose between something that tastes incredible and something that fuels your body. We create cookies, banana pudding, and other treats that are rich, decadent, and chef-inspired, yet packed with protein and made with purposeful ingredients.
What excites me most is watching people’s reactions when they take that first bite—they expect ‘protein’ to mean dry or bland, and instead their eyes light up because it’s one of the best cookies they’ve ever had, period. Our brand is built on joy, creativity, and inclusion. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, a dessert lover, or someone with dietary goals, there’s a place for you at our table.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, the three qualities that had the most impact on my journey were resilience, resourcefulness, and emotional intelligence.
• Resilience – Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. Things go wrong—often. The ability to stay steady, keep perspective, and not let setbacks define you is critical. To develop this: do hard things on purpose. Put yourself in situations that test you, whether that’s starting small side projects or pushing past your comfort zone. Resilience is built, not gifted.
• Resourcefulness – I didn’t have investors or a blueprint when I started. I had to figure everything out—suppliers, packaging, marketing, logistics—one problem at a time. Resourcefulness is the skill of staying curious, asking better questions, and finding solutions when none are obvious. To build it: stop waiting for perfect conditions. Start with what you have, and let constraints become your creativity.
• Emotional Intelligence – From managing staff to connecting with customers, understanding people—really understanding them—has been a game changer. It’s how you build a loyal community and brand that people feel a part of. To develop it: listen more than you speak, ask questions with the intent to understand, and remain open to feedback—not as criticism, but as data that makes you better.
If you’re at the beginning of your journey, don’t worry about having it all figured out. Focus on building these core muscles. Skills can be taught—but who you become in the process is what will define your success.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was model work ethic and self-reliance. My dad didn’t just fix things—he figured them out. I lost my dad when I just turned 6 years old. But I remember so much about him and how hard he worked for our family. We had land up north in Michigan, he was clearing it himself, he made most of our dinners at night because we worked from home. He picked me up from nursery school everyday. He would teach me how to dig for night-crawlers for fishing, or how to use his tools.
I was raised by a very strong, determined single mother. She reinvented herself—leaving her job at GM to become the office manager at a neurosurgeon’s office—and she did it without ever making us feel like we were lacking anything.
We didn’t get allowances—I earned what I wanted by contributing at home. We didn’t eat out much, but she taught us how to cook real, nourishing meals from scratch. Thank goodness we’re Italian, so many great meals. What she really instilled in me was the belief that you don’t wait for opportunities or handouts—you create them. Watching her navigate life with grace, discipline, and grit gave me the foundation for everything I am today as a business owner and leader and a mother. She didn’t just raise me; she modeled resilience, resourcefulness, and pride in doing things well. She’s now gone and I miss my parents dearly and try to make them proud every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.getbakedseattle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/get_baked_seattle_cookie_shop/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568836084252
- Linkedin: Keri Hayes
- Yelp: Get Baked Seattle
Image Credits
Melinda Hope Photography, LLC
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