Cordia Harrington: Looking Forward, Giving Back: A Baker’s Recipe for Success

Listen to the Episode

Subscribe Today    Read a transcript

About the Episode

Cordia Harrington, founder and CEO of Crown Bakeries, shares how maintaining a love for your work and for others leads to personal success and creates opportunities to solidify the well-being of the community as a whole.

Love Your Work. Embrace Compassion. Defy the Odds.

Cordia Harrington joined Dr. Greg Jones to offer insight into how her willingness to risk it all and go against the norm ultimately led to her success as CEO of Crown Bakeries. With the company’s revenue topping over $400 million, Cordia was recently named on Forbes list of Top 100 Self-Made Women for 2023. 

She encourages young entrepreneurs to be prepared for life’s struggles but to give back to others in order to achieve their dreams.

This episode covers…

• The importance of making your voice heard, and being unafraid to bring new ideas to the table.
• How loving and caring for others in turn lifts you up, and strengthens the community around you.
• The vitality of maintaining passion for your work and finding the joy in doing what you love in life.

An Innovative Approach

While reflecting on her successful career, Cordia described the constant pursuit to better her products and how setting her mind toward improvement set her apart.

“I couldn't go into any situation and just be satisfied,” Cordia offered. “I had to improve it; I had to fix it; I had to move it around. I could always see a better way.”

Defining an entrepreneurial mindset, Cordia encouraged Belmont students to believe in themselves and in their work, and spoke on how aspiring entrepreneurs should believe the things they accomplish are limitless.

“No matter what college you're in at Belmont, we send the message that you can reach your dreams,” Cordia illustrated. “It's not rigid, it's not pass or fail. During my life, I've tried to do three things in business and in my personal life: to create opportunities, make a difference and impact lives.”

Love Thy Neighbor

While sharing the struggles she faced as a single mother of three pursuing a career in an otherwise male-dominated industry, Cordia attributed her motivation and work ethic to her unwavering love for her children and her desire to give them the best lives possible.

“When you've got other people depending upon you, you want to give them opportunities and education,” she said. “And isn't it more fun when we're trying to help others get ahead or reach their goals? So I just think it was a hard, but important, life lesson.”

Cordia maintains a heart for loving all people around her. She shared the gratitude she has for others who helped her, and her own desire to always give back.

“As an entrepreneur, I remember that feeling of awe, that twinkle in my eye, that awe at opportunities, and I am grateful,” Cordia expressed. “I can name every person along the way that gave me a chance, and owning these bakeries has given me the chance to do the same for others.”

“It's an absolute privilege to help,” she said of those who work with her now. “It inspires me to see that sparkle and their hard work and all they're trying to do. It’s the same thing I was trying to do-- give a better life for my kids.”

Work From The Heart

As evidenced by her incredible achievements, Cordia described the love she has for her work and emphasized the importance of finding joy-inspiring people to work alongside.

“I had a partner that was like-minded, faith-based, with the same vision, and he's going, ‘Don't worry, we'll get through this,’” Cordia recalled. “He gave me hope during those times when I had been alone.”

Along with her passion and joy for her work, Cordia highlighted how focusing on one’s goals, and the positive, creates consistent growth and helps people achieve their dreams.

“If I use my own life as an example, my goal was to be able to play a major role in raising my children,” she explained. “We all want to come right out of school and be president of a company, but just keep the big goal in mind while you're doing the mundane things to set you up to be successful when you get to the big goal.”