Rawnata/ The Bread Lady

The Business

Rawnata is a business that uses organic seeds high in Omega 3’s such as flax, hemp, and chia.

Natalie Dueck started her first business, The Bread Lady, in 2003. Experiencing personal health issues led Natalie to re-evaluate the food she was eating and to begin making her own flour. She never intended to start a business; however, her enthusiasm and desire to share her knowledge with others led to the creation of The Bread Lady. At The Bread Lady, Natalie bakes and sells breads that are made with fresh milled flour from primarily local organic grains and sells them at local markets. Natalie continued to research healthy foods and she soon saw a need for gluten-free products. In 2009, she started experimenting with raw foods and ‘Rawnata’ was born. Rawnata is a business that uses organic seeds high in Omega 3’s such as flax, hemp, and chia. Rawnata’s Chocolate Hemp Snacker won The Great Manitoba Food Fight in 2011 and it has been recognized by the Foodie Pages as one of their Top 20 products in 2015.

The Motive and Skills

“As a small business owner you need to draw on many different skills and develop as you go along”

Natalie is currently motivated by her desire to expand her business. “In order to expand you have to spend money and may have to take on debt, so that is a large motivator” said Natalie. Now that the brand name is established, Natalie is working on developing pre-printed bags for her products, which are sold in retail stores in Manitoba and online.

Natalie does not consider herself as having any specific innovator or entrepreneurial skills. She believes her interests in health, sales, markets, accounting and lifelong learning has enabled her to succeed. “As a small business owner you need to draw on many different skills and develop as you go along,” she says.

Challenges and Support

“The world has changed so much since 2003 and it’s a challenge trying to keep up with that.”

Rawnata and The Bread Lady are located in rural Manitoba because it is where the Duecks live. Natalie says one of her biggest challenges has been computer issues. “The world has changed so much since 2003 and it’s a challenge trying to keep up with that.” However, Natalie has been able to overcome this challenge by networking with other small businesses, sharing information and taking courses. Natalie’s MAFRD advisor has also been a huge help connecting her with people, resources, funding and contests. The Manitoba Food Processors Association and Women’s Enterprise Centre were also important in aiding Natalie in her success.

A Piece of Advice from Natalie

“You have to really love what you’re doing, really have to believe in it, and have to be sold on your product and concept. If you don’t, what’s the point? It has to be your passion.” Natalie adds, “… to do something new you need to be willing to take risks, it’s never as they tell you, be prepared to adapt to succeed.”