Cookie Mo

My father once taught me that to accomplish something, I needed to be perseverant and exceed expectations; easy to enounce yet so hard to pursue. I understood this when I opened my own bakery, CookieMO. I consider this my biggest accomplishment, personally and professionally. I have always sought to learn more, either through experience or through lessons my father taught me. The one that stuck to me most was when he told me that to have an effective business, there had to be a positive impact towards myself and others. I needed to find a deeper purpose beyond profits by applying the simple economic principle of conscious capitalism. I have always looked up to him as an inspiring mentor and have said that someday I would own a company and be as hardworking as he is. Out of purpose and creativity, this ambition began in 2020 when I took the path of entrepreneurship. 

 At the onset of quarantine, I came up with the idea of selling cookies. I made a plan of action by researching different recipes that would be easy to bake yet still delicious. After many trials, I came up with three cookie flavours: Oreo cheesecake, chocolate chip, and red velvet. I began letting those around me know I would be selling them, and I personally delivered some samples to my close friends. Before exposing the brand to the public, I looked into trends in other bakery businesses, such as sustainability, resilient operations, and authenticity.  Once I had this business model fine-tuned and the necessary raw materials in place, I promoted the brand on Instagram. I then started baking, packing, and delivering personalised orders. As ironic as it may seem, COVID and e-learning made it possible for me to create my own business. 

  “You need to know how to talk to people,” my father told me. As the business grew, I had to learn how to deal with different clients and understand their needs. I soon acquired the skills needed to meet clients' expectations, including patience, eloquence, and confidence. By starting CookieMo, I learned the delicate balance between practical and aesthetic, presentation and taste, and cost and quality. These contrasting priorities are dynamic, and learning when and how to manage them has been crucial to keeping my business afloat. During the actual baking, I reached a point where I had to delegate my labour to someone else because my abilities only went so far. My dad told me that it was imperative to entrust my recipes to an employee. Every recipe existed only in my head, and passing on this knowledge to someone else meant the business was progressing rapidly. Honestly, this growth scared me, and it thrilled me as well. 

During this process, I had to develop various marketing strategies. At first, I made a logo and took my own pictures, but I soon recognised that my account didn't look very professional, so I hired a photographer. I then worked with a marketing firm and engaged their services for a rebranding project, including a logo redesign, Instagram feed display, and direct consulting on emerging marketing trends such as Instagram Reels. Obtaining favourable results after hiring professional help served as a reminder that I can't manage to do everything by myself. 

CookieMo has transformed into something I consider an honourable part of myself. In this project, I developed a skill set that includes communication, expressiveness, and innovation. I had always dreamed of having a stable business; seeing it happen at an early age is truly joyful. More inclined toward philanthropy, the concept of giving back is of great importance in my family. “You get what you give ”, my father lectured me. I now reckon that it's better to give than receive, and I look forward to further applying this principle through cookieMO.