John Kanell was a middle school math and science teacher before he turned his love of food into Preppy Kitchen, one of the most popular baking channels online. He's now a two-time New York Times bestselling author, and his third cookbook, Preppy Kitchen Everyday Baking: Because It's Always Time for Dessert, is out October 13, 2026. In this episode, John talks about leaving the classroom to build a food business from home, why he turned down his first book deal, and how he learned to let go of doing everything himself so he could still have a life outside his work.

In this episode we cover:

• How John's husband encouraged him to combine his two passions, food and teaching, and why starting on Instagram with video first gave him an early edge
• Why "nobody can taste your food online" changed how he styles and photographs his bakes, and how his fine arts background helped
• Why you should start before things are perfect, and how failing teaches you the fastest
• Avoiding burnout by focusing on "the things only you can do" and getting help with the rest, plus how hard it is for artists and bakers to let go of control
• Why he turned down an early cookbook deal, and how moving from L.A. to a Connecticut farm inspired his first book
• Favorite recipes from the new book, including a Meyer lemon biscuit roll and ultra-buttery brioche conchas
• Bringing kids into the kitchen and why hands-on baking is such a powerful way to learn (fractions, anyone?)
• His closing advice: baking doesn't have to be a business to be a priority in your life

To learn more about John, visit preppykitchen.com, follow him on Instagram at @preppykitchen, and subscribe on YouTube. Order Preppy Kitchen Everyday Baking at Simon & Schuster, Bookshop.org, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your favorite bookstore.