How an Amish Grandma Built a Pretzel Empire | The Sage Steele Show EP 121

Sep 2, 2026

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Sage Steele sits down with Anne Beiler, the founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels, for the remarkable story behind one of the most beloved brands in America. Raised Amish with an eighth-grade education and married at 19, Anne never dreamed of building a business, yet what began as a single farmers-market stand in Pennsylvania, started with $6,000 from her father, grew into roughly 2,100 stores across 28 countries. Anne tells Sage how she priced her very first franchise on nothing but common sense, why she almost took the now-famous pretzel off the menu, and the one-in-a-million kitchen accident that gave Auntie Anne's its unmistakable smell. Along the way she shares the faith that carried her through profound personal hardship and the belief she lives by today, that life is hard and God is good. A moving conversation about resilience, redemption, family, and the American dream on The Sage Steele Show. New episodes every week. This episode includes discussion of trauma and abuse; support resources are linked below.

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The Sage Steele Show is a weekly podcast hosted by former ESPN anchor Sage Steele. Each week, Sage sits down with entertainers, athletes, business people, and politicians to have deep dive personal one on one discussions that enlighten, entertain, and engage. There's a whole big world out there that's not just sports, and Sage wants to talk about all of it.

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