Money Matters
Money Matters
Cookies to Cash: From Pandemic Hobby to Business Success
In this engaging episode, we delve into the inspiring journey of Caroline Merryman, the creative force behind Caroline's Cookies. What began as a delightful pastime during the pandemic has flourished into a successful cookie business with multiple locations, capturing the hearts of cookie lovers everywhere. Caroline shares how she transformed her passion for baking into a bustling brand, navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship with innovation and creativity.
From her initial cookie deliveries to friends during lockdown to launching her storefront, Caroline's story is a testament to resilience and adaptability. Listeners will gain valuable insights into building a brand, managing growth, and maintaining a passion for one's craft. Additionally, Caroline discusses her evolving cookie flavors, each inspired by her culinary creativity and the support of her community.
Discover the joys and realities of entrepreneurship in the food industry as Caroline offers practical advice for aspiring bakers and business owners alike. If you’ve ever dreamed of turning a hobby into a thriving business, this episode is a must-listen! Join us, and don’t forget to check out Caroline’s Cookies for a taste of her delightful creations. Please share your thoughts with us and remember to subscribe for more inspiring stories!
Have an idea for a show or a question for Kim? Send us a text message
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want – brought to you by Neighbors Federal Credit Union.
The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want. Now here is your host, ms Kim Chapman.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to Money Matters. I'm Kim Chapman, your host, and we're just going to go ahead and jump into it because, guess what, Today we have a very special guest. Anybody like cookies out there? I know I do, whether it's for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And so today we have Carolyn Merriman with us. She is the owner of Caroline's Cookies. If you haven't heard about her, then sit back, because you're going to want to learn all about her cookies and how she's become an overnight sensation. A local entrepreneur Welcome, Caroline.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having me. I'm so excited.
Speaker 2:I'm excited. I mean cookies everybody's favorite Right and I mean it's after the holidays and I know that we've got king cake on our mind, but cookies are just a little bit better. I love a good cookie. So I read a little bit about your story and it told me that you got this idea back during COVID because you were sitting at the house with nothing to do. So tell us about your journey.
Speaker 3:So I had just graduated high school in 2020, which is an interesting year to graduate high school and I had a lot of free time on my hands during the pandemic, when we were shut down, and I had always enjoyed baking. It was my thing. I wasn't athletic or anything like that, so my hobby was baking and during that free time I started baking like crazy and I was delivering cookies specifically to my friends and putting it in their mailbox, because I knew I couldn't put, like, a cupcake or a cake in the mailbox, especially in Louisiana heat, and I loved how diverse the cookies were. You could do anything with cookies really Well. I ended up starting an Instagram for fun and that's where the creation of Caroline's Cookies was, and it was really just a hobby and a passion. I had no plans to make it into a business, especially not the business that it is today.
Speaker 2:That's really, really cool, and especially when you talk about during a pandemic, when people were bored they didn't have anything to do, and I did hear a lot of stories that people started businesses so many. So even before that did it start with an Easy-Bake oven? I mean, where did you even learn to bake?
Speaker 3:That's funny because nobody's ever asked me that and I did have an Easy-Bake oven. The stuff didn't taste good but it was fun and I had. Nobody in my family knows how to bake. They like to eat it, but they don't know how to do it, and everything that I learned was from YouTube. I was big into YouTube. I would sit and watch all of the people that I knew on YouTube bake cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and then I would actually pretend to film myself and make YouTube videos, but my mom didn't actually let me post them.
Speaker 3:So yeah everything I learned was from online.
Speaker 2:Wow, so OK, so you started just baking cookies, sticking them and delivering them to people. When did it really start to grow? When did you start to think that maybe I could actually turn this into a business?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so in middle school and high school it was kind of my thing. I remember sitting on the bus for 45 minutes with cupcake tray on my lap. But then, after high school and I was about to go into college, I started that Instagram and I didn't even have the idea to sell them because at the time I was just using my parents ingredients. So I didn't care about the money, I was just using my mom's money. And then when a person reached out to me they said Are you, would you be interested in selling the cookies to me? I was like, hmm, this could be a good way, you know, to make money and have fun. And that's when my mom was like well, now you got to start buying the ingredients.
Speaker 2:So what did you start with? Typical chocolate chip, because we'll get to the different flavors in a minute. But what did you even start with?
Speaker 3:So I started with. The four staple flavors. We have today are the four flavors I actually started with back then, so I've been making them for four years now. Every day is different, though, because baking can be tricky. But we have chocolate chip and cookies and cream. Those are our two chocolate flavors, and then circus and vanilla sprinkle, and those are my two, not chocolate flavors.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow, I mean that is really, really cool. So let's talk about when you, you know, started to expand. You were doing them for friends. Somebody asked. You said, hey, you know, I'll pay you for this.
Speaker 3:How did it expand? Tell us about that. So I well, first I had to start buying ingredients in bulk because it wasn't working what we were doing with my little bags of flour. So go to Costco, start getting ingredients. And I remember seeing the 25 pound bag of flour for the first time. Oh, my goodness, this is crazy. This is feeling real.
Speaker 3:And my mom's like, well, you got to start an LLC. I was like, oh what? So she introduced me to that and then I had to. I was paying taxes for the first time, but I'm jumping ahead. So I originally just started selling them from Instagram private messages and people would come and pick them up at my house. And then I had businesses around town start offering me to use their space for a pop-up, and that's when things kind of picked up. But I remember the first time that it was real was doing it at the farmer's market. That was a huge goal of mine. I'd always loved the farmer's market and I kind of thought to myself it would be a silly idea you know like be really cool to have a booth at the farmer's market. But it felt like just an idea that would never happen. And then, after a few months, we ended up. I ended up getting a booth at the farmer's market, and that's when it felt real.
Speaker 2:So tell us about the farmer's market. What was it like? I can imagine your first day. Were you nervous? What kind of cookies did?
Speaker 3:you bring with you. So I was extremely nervous. I had my brother and my mom there and I had to use like a POS for the first time to ring customers up and figure out how to charge taxes and things like that. I want to say, maybe I brought like 300 to 500 cookies and it was really surreal seeing like cookies and the brand on it for the first time and I was like this is so much fun. It was an experience that me and my brother got to have together because we're nine years apart, so we don't have a lot in common. He's nine years older than me and he enjoys photography and branding and he's he's done all that for me, so it was a great like family experience, I would say so tell me about.
Speaker 2:How did you even look? I mean, it's not rocket science, but Caroline's cookies. At what point did you realize that you even had to come up with a name?
Speaker 3:That was in the very beginning, before it was even a brand. So my brother was getting into photography and videography and branding and all that creative stuff and he was like I'll make you a logo for fun, because he wanted to start doing that. And while I'm like, well, it's Caroline's Cookies, I didn't think anything about it. The logo was originally blue and I was like I don't really like blue enough.
Speaker 3:So what about purple Did purple and that was it, no thought into it. And I always say, if I knew what was coming, I probably would have put way too much thought into it. I'm kind of glad that I didn't know what was coming my way, because I just did it and it was done. It was just for fun, so there wasn't any overthinking.
Speaker 2:So what type of challenges, obstacles did you face? Like you said that first time you had to pick up a 25 pound bag of flour, you know, did you ever think, oh, my goodness, this is too much? What type of help did you even have in those early days?
Speaker 3:Well, in the beginning I started doing like a hundred cookies the first day. But it was a challenge to figure out how to go from a hundred cookies to 900 cookies out of my parents kitchen. Where's the space for that? How are you going to do that in the amount of time? So it was really just me doing it.
Speaker 3:But I will say my mom helped me with the dishes because I don't like to do the dishes. So it was a challenge figuring out how to. How am I going to scale? Because I would do a pop up and then I would sell in 30 minutes and the customers were obviously pretty frustrated. They've been waiting in line, they didn't get cookies. So just figuring out how to manage my time, but I had it down to a T. I would make this batch of cookies and have these in the oven and then have these chilling and then I would wrap them. So I got it down to a science. But eventually my mom was like I would like my kitchen back and that's when I had to figure out if I was going to drop Caroline's cookies and stay in college or drop college and pursue Caroline's cookies, because my mom was ready to have her kitchen clean.
Speaker 2:Well, I know that you now have a store in Lafayette, yes, one in Perkins Road, and you just opened one in Boca.
Speaker 1:So it looks like you made the right decision.
Speaker 2:So talk about opening that first store. What was that like? How did you make that decision Honestly?
Speaker 3:it was kind of like a whirlwind and I feel like it happened so quickly, but I remember. So. My best friend's name is Faith and I've always been close to her since I was five years old. Her dad is a businessman, he's an entrepreneur, and I remember sitting down with him in their living room one night and I was like I really want to pursue this. And he was all for it. He was like college will always be there and you got to just pursue this thing. I want to drop out of college. Here's a budget. We think we can do it. That was the first step, and then next was looking for a space. But then, after we found the space, it was all like the legal stuff that I had no idea. And that's what. I'm really glad that I had a business partner, because you had to get a lawyer and then you no idea what was going on.
Speaker 2:But you know, I like, even at 19 and even though we're talking about cookies, that B word always seems to make it in every conversation that you need a budget. So thank you for making that point.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, we had a budget. Now Did we stay within the budget? Not as much as we would have liked, but that's where we started and I feel like that was the beginning stages of the storefront.
Speaker 2:So when was the first store open? And that was in Lafayette, correct?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we opened our first location in Lafayette, not far from my house. That was August 14th 2021. So that was about a year after I had started the Instagram, so it was a pretty quick process, I feel like.
Speaker 2:So I imagine you were on the storefront.
Speaker 1:Everything was you were probably the cook, the greeter, the janitor the bookkeeper.
Speaker 2:So what was it like in those early days and how has it changed from the first store to where you are now? I feel like I was kind of a train wreck.
Speaker 3:I remember being I was very shy at the time. Well, I was. I was an anxious person so I didn't like to be in the front of house and just everything to do with the customer aspect really made me nervous. But I didn't let anybody else bake cookies for at least a year, so if I was sick, Caroline's Cookies was closed.
Speaker 3:So I tried to have my hands on everything and that just wasn't logical, that wasn't realistic. So I've definitely learned how to delegate and rely on my team and trust in my team over the years.
Speaker 2:So let's talk about the fun stuff, the flavors.
Speaker 3:So you mentioned that you have four of your staple flavors, which are chocolate, chip cookies and so originally I had chocolate chip, because obviously you have to have OG, and then I like Oreos, so cookies and cream is a no brainer. Right. And then I want to say I saw someone do like a blondie brownie, a blondie bar. That was like the circus inspired. So I was like let me see how I can turn this into a cookie. And then the vanilla sprinkle is just a sugar cookie.
Speaker 2:So I kind of tried to hit all the staples, but then you've gone beyond that because you do so many different flavors. So let's talk about some of the different flavors and what is your inspiration to keep it. You know, keep a variety.
Speaker 3:So we have over 75 flavors and we've well, I've created those recipes over the years. I try to create about two recipes a month, and everybody always asks where I gain inspiration. My brain never stops Like I am bursting with creativity, but when I'm running out of ideas I look at any cookbook I can. So, whether that be a cookie, a cupcake, a brownie, you can turn anything to a cookie, in my opinion. And then sometimes I'm walking down the aisles of Walmart seeing what's new, looking at the little Debbie's. Can we turn any of that to a cookie? So Walmart has a lot of creativity and really just gaining inspiration from my customers too. People are commenting ideas all the time, and that's a great way to find ideas as well.
Speaker 2:I've got to ask. I've been to your storefront, the Perkins Row, and they were sold out. If I think about everything, what is that like to have a product and to know that you can start in the morning with tons of product and before maybe noon you're sold out? What is that like?
Speaker 3:Yeah, keeping up with demand and figuring out how many cookies to bake so that way you don't bake too many and you have waste or you don't bake enough and you have frustrated customers. That's probably been the hardest thing. So, for example, today's Friday Some Fridays will be crazy busy and you have no idea why. And then the next Friday is not as busy. So I will say that is very difficult too, because we can't just pop cookies in the oven when you walk in and we're sold out. It's a long process.
Speaker 3:We make all the cookie dough by hand, we weigh it all out by hand, we bake it fresh. So what we bake in the morning, we try to guess the number that works for that day, or we'll bake as much as we have in the fridge and that's what we have for the day. We bake once in the morning and then we're done. That's what I figured out has worked the best team. But, like I said, they're made by hand. So we do what we can with the staff we have in the space we have. But every day is so different and unpredictable. If it rains, you might be slow. If it's sunny, you might be busy.
Speaker 2:So there's some stiff competition, there's crumble, there's insomnia. Obviously you're doing very well. So what's the secret sauce?
Speaker 3:I feel like focusing on myself and staying true to who I am and my creativity, and remembering my why, like I always like to compare it to. Well, first of all, I think competition is a great thing. I think competition makes you want to be better, and I like to think too, if there was only Caroline's Cookies, we wouldn't be able to provide enough cookies for all Baton Rouge, so it's great that there's other options out there. But then also, like I'm craving different pizza every day, so sometimes you might be craving Insomnia Crumble Cook, insomnia crumble cookies or caroline's cookies. That's the way that I like to think of it. But, like I said, just my fact. My brand is my personality, so it's easy for me to just stick to who I am so what has been your favorite cookie, and do you eat your cookies still?
Speaker 3:I do eat my cookies more than I would like to, because I I probably shouldn't eat that much sugar. My favorite cookie changes by the day. Um, right now I probably like our oreo swirl, because it's a lot of cream cheese and a lot of Oreos and, like I said, I really like Oreos. But some days I'm craving something different, like right now it's Mardi Gras, so I can't resist a King K cookie. But we have something for everybody. I try to make our menu have a variety. That way, if you come in, you'll at least find one flavor you like. Right Right now we have our Valentine's menu going on and there's a lot of flavors that you're bound to find one.
Speaker 2:So good. So I know that there are some college students sitting around listening to this podcast that maybe they're baking cookies, maybe they're baking something else. What advice would you give them? What were some of your challenges, your struggles and, if there's, something that you could do over again.
Speaker 3:if you could ever do over, what might that be? So I would definitely say finding mentors and people that you can rely on for good advice, because you don't have to have it all together, you don't have to have all the answers. I didn't know everything at 19. I'm only 23. I still sure don't know everything. So finding mentors that you can rely on huge deal. And then also learning how to delegate and knowing you just, you probably won't be able to do it on your own.
Speaker 2:Gotta, let somebody else get those recipes.
Speaker 3:So knowing that a good team is what the people makes a place. So investing back into your team once you have a team and then something I would redo over again, I feel like is slowing down and enjoying it. I was so caught up in the hustle and bustle and letting one bad review get to me like finding a balance, like a humble confidence and just knowing that you're doing this for a reason and just remember to enjoy the process, even the days that are hard.
Speaker 2:So Bocas, tell us about Bocas, and even Perkins Road, just for anybody that may not be aware of your two locations here in the city.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so our Bocas location opened in November. It's open Tuesday through Saturday. This location is unique because it's our biggest storefront. It has plenty of indoor seating, it has merch and it has cookie cake slices, which our Perkins Row location doesn't have. And we're really excited. Soon we're going to start having you can rent out the space for parties and we're going to have events. Like you can come and decorate cookie cakes.
Speaker 2:Oh, now, that sounds fun.
Speaker 3:Really exciting, really nervous. And then our Perkins Row location is our OG Baton Rouge location. It's open Wednesday through Sunday. You can expect fresh thick and gooey cookies. There's a lot of foot traffic. Perkins Road is super busy so it's been a very big blessing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we'll definitely have to bring some cameras and come over and decorate some cookies. So that sounds really exciting. So what's next? And where do you see Caroline's Cookies in 10 years?
Speaker 3:What's next is? I'm really just trying to hone down on quality control and finding my place in the business. I just hired a manager for the first time for our Baton Rouge location, so I'm focusing on training her and, like I said, like kind of defining my role in the business, remembering what I'm best at and what I'm not so good at, finding somebody else to do those things. I'm just kind of enjoying where we're at. I think three locations is the sweet spot and just gonna keep working on those locations we have now.
Speaker 2:All right. So let's tell everybody again, let's give those addresses how they can find your cookies. You know what flavors they can look forward to.
Speaker 3:So our Perkins Row location is located at 110 Perkins Row. We're right behind that Barnes Noble, and then our Bocas location is 7575 Jefferson Highway, right across from Town Center. We have over 75 flavors. We have our whole King Cake lineup coming soon, and then we got St Patrick's Day and Easter, so expect a lot of good flavors on the horizon.
Speaker 2:Sounds so exciting. I can't wait to get over and check out some more of those cookies, thank you. Thank you so much for coming and sharing your inspiring story with us.
Speaker 3:I appreciate you having me.
Speaker 1:It's time for Blueprint Building Blocks Small changes that lead to big financial wins. Let's stack up for success.
Speaker 2:Start where you are. Big dreams often start small, Whether it's selling through social media or working at a booth at a local market. Take the first step and build from there. Connect with your community. The support of a local community can be a game changer. Build relationships, listen to feedback and give back to those who support you, and then focus on quality. Create a product or service that stands out and it's unique for its excellence. Customers will keep coming back if they know they're getting something special.
Speaker 1:That's a wrap on today's Blueprint Building Blocks. Stay on track with your financial journey. Subscribe to the Money Matters podcast and visit neighborsfcuorg slash financial wellness for more tools to help you build a strong financial future.
