Tom O’Toole is the founder of The Beechworth Bakery and this is his story. It’s part autobiographical and part inspirational…about three quarters of each and I loved it.

Tom was born and grew up in Tocumwal, undisciplined, in a financially poor but loving family with an attitude problem, he was very angry. He started working at a very young age and by the age of 11 had bought himself and his brother a bunk bed so they could stop sharing a bed, at 19 he bought his first business and at 32 he started rebuilding himself emotionally after his first wife walked out on him leaving the children with him. He’s an amazing man and is the first to admit he failed kindergarten, doesn’t know his alphabet nor has he used a calculator.

I don’t normally review business or inspirational books on this blog but I’m making an exception for O’Toole as he’s just so out there and I feel everyone needs to read it. It’s not just for businesses but also for everyday life. He’s got a zest for life that is very infectious and this book shows that in great depth.

This book also gives us some details of the bread industry in Victoria and how some of the big companies tried to take over the small companies or put them out of business, it also gives brief details of the 30km zone so I began to understand why we can get one brand of bread in one place but 50km away it’s another brand. The government put legislation in place to stop the big companies taking over all the small companies.

O’Toole talks about esteem and how he didn’t have any, he had to build it up step by step starting with a chance comment from a friend when he helped him out with a baking problem and was told “Geez Tom, you’re a bloody good baker.” Basically, take a compliment and hold onto it build yourself up from there.

If one of his staff did something outrageous he put them out on the front line. The first time they did pyjama day one guy was standing in the kitchen in an apron with a bare backside, when Tom realised it was made of rubber he put him out cleaning tables. People loved it and came in their droves.  He listens to his staff and his customers. If his staff tell him they’re better off with him outside the building then he listens and finds something to do to promote the business as a whole.

He was shellshocked one day when The Beechworth Bakery won a prestigious tourism award. It was something he hadn’t been expecting and he got up on stage to take the award and rather than give a good speech he just invited everyone to Beechworth. I think that’s his secret, he doesn’t just think of himself and his business but he thinks of the whole area.

We’re spending a weekend in Beechworth in a few weeks. We’ve been trying to get away since January but it’s been a mad year and when my OH suggested Beechworth I said ‘why not’ and we booked. We’ll definitely be dropping into The Beechworth Bakery and I hope I’ll be able to meet Tom O’Toole to tell him how I loved his book and how much he’s changed me just by reading it. I did send him a card just in case I don’t see him.