Influential Women Announces New Podcast Episode with Magnolia Bakery’s Bobbie Lloyd
ST. PETERSBURG, FL, UNITED STATES, September 15, 2026 ANewswire – Magnolia Bakery Chief Brand Officer and Chief Baking Officer Bobbie Lloyd joins the Influential Women Podcast to discuss leadership, brand stewardship, company culture, hospitality, and growing without losing what matters most.
The Influential Women Podcast welcomes Bobbie Lloyd, Chief Brand Officer and Chief Baking Officer of Magnolia Bakery, for a conversation about what it takes to grow an iconic brand while protecting the qualities that made people fall in love with it.
In the episode, “Keep the Heart: How to Grow Without Losing What Makes You Special,” Lloyd joins host Jodie O’Brien to share lessons from more than two decades helping lead Magnolia Bakery through growth, innovation, and expansion.
Throughout her tenure, Lloyd has held multiple leadership roles, including COO, President, and CEO, before moving into her current role. Her experience has given her a unique perspective on how leadership must evolve as an organization changes.
One of the central themes of the conversation is the relationship between growth and identity. Lloyd explains that protecting a beloved brand doesn’t require preserving every process exactly as it has always been done. Instead, leaders must understand what customers truly value and make thoughtful decisions about what should remain and what can change.
That philosophy extends to company culture. Lloyd describes Magnolia Bakery’s emphasis on helping employees feel seen, heard, understood, and appreciated, while creating an environment in which every role is recognized as contributing to the company’s success.
The conversation also explores Lloyd’s own entrepreneurial journey. Before Magnolia Bakery, she experienced the closure of a restaurant that was critically acclaimed but financially unsuccessful.
“One of the biggest lessons was learning that a failure like that does not define you.”
That experience eventually helped lead Lloyd to New York City and the opportunities that followed.
Lloyd also discusses the importance of staying grounded in a company’s values as opportunities increase. When entrepreneurs understand their mission and identity, she explains, they are better equipped to recognize which opportunities support the business and which ones may dilute what they’ve built.
As Magnolia Bakery enters another stage of expansion, Lloyd is particularly enthusiastic about the careers and leadership opportunities that growth can create. She discusses the increasing presence of women throughout the hospitality industry and her desire to see greater female representation at the C-suite level.
That focus carries into Magnolia Bakery’s franchise growth. Lloyd describes the possibility that employees being trained by today’s franchisees could eventually become franchise owners themselves.
“Not only will you be able to grow, but you’re going to build someone so that she can grow.”
For Lloyd, that is one of the most meaningful possibilities created by expansion.
The episode also explores hospitality, mentorship, creativity, motherhood, community involvement, and the lessons Lloyd would pass on to the next generation of women leaders.
When asked what she would tell her younger self, Lloyd’s message is simple:
“Trust and believe in yourself.”
She reflects on choosing culinary school at a time when far fewer women were pursuing that path and learning not to allow other people’s doubts to become barriers to her ambitions.
Listeners can watch and listen to “Keep the Heart: How to Grow Without Losing What Makes You Special” and subscribe to the Influential Women Podcast on Spotify, where new conversations with women leaders, founders, entrepreneurs, executives, and industry experts are released regularly.
About the Influential Women Podcast
The Influential Women Podcast features honest, thoughtful conversations with women shaping their industries and building meaningful careers. Produced by Influential Women, a media platform with more than 92,000 followers on LinkedIn and the publisher of Influential Women Magazine, the podcast goes beyond titles to explore the real stories behind leadership and impact. Each episode highlights the lessons, challenges, and pivotal moments that have shaped these women’s journeys across business, leadership, entrepreneurship, sports, and creative industries.
