Bread is the first business I have started. But long before the paperwork, there was a belief—a deep-rooted feeling that I was meant to build something bigger than myself. That belief carried me through years of change. No matter what shifted around me, that inner conviction stayed.
Like many others, I hit a low point during the pandemic. In April 2022, I quit my security job without a clear plan—only a blurry vision and a gut feeling. I couldn’t explain it, but I felt something calling me forward. I stepped into the unknown.
What people don’t talk about enough is what happens after college—when you're no longer on the rails of the school system. I call it “free-range mode.” It’s disorienting. As the youngest in my family, I was used to being told what to do. Suddenly, that structure was gone, and I was left with a blank canvas and too many brushes. It felt like depersonalization, like watching yourself from the outside with no script. I had to become someone new.
To survive, I threw myself into a strict routine. Alone in my college apartment, I structured every hour of my day. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was creating space for creativity. And soon, it hit me.
On May 4th, 2022, I had what I call the “Bread Epiphany.” I was lacing up my Nike Blazers and realized how frustrating they were to get on. That moment sparked something. I dropped the schedule, leaned into the idea, and started building.
At first, I told no one. Early-stage ideas are fragile—easily broken by outside opinions or stolen before they can bloom. I worked around the clock, living off caffeine and curiosity. Bread wasn’t just a business; it became my mirror. As I built Bread, it rebuilt me.
I gave myself a goal: launch by the first day of the new school year. I had no idea how much work that would take. Dozens of product samples, over 75 pages of documentation, late nights, eye strain, and a leap of faith later, Bread launched on September 22, 2022—the first day of autumn.
Now, as we approach Bread’s three-year anniversary, I look back in disbelief. Who knew an elastic shoelace could change my life—and maybe one day, change the world.
— Nicholas Prentiss
Founder of Bread
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