Building boundaries, confidence, & success
Episode 007:
Brooke Kelbaugh
Owner/Cookie Decorator extraordinaire
Brookie’s Cookies [Baltimore, MD]
Dive into the world of entrepreneurship with Chef Brooke as she shares how her business has evolved over the years; revealing the many steps she has taken to make her business a success. She emphasizes the importance of setting expectations early with clients, how boundaries do not limit one's business potential, and stresses the significance of trusting one’s instincts; knowing nothing is permanent in the entrepreneurial journey. We hope you are left inspired and motivated to pursue your own dreams in a way to really works for you.
EPISODE OUTLINE
[00:00:00] Intro
[00:01:39] Chef Brooke’s background
[00:03:00] What it’s like to own a Royal Icing Cookie company
[00:10:05] Setting expectations with clients
[00:18:15] Building Confidence in yourself and your business
[00:39:04] Outro
[00:40:04] Rapid fire questions
RESOURCES
Brookie’s Cookies on Instagram
Gundalow Gourmet & Designs on Instagram
Support the show and the ASPCA* by purchasing this episodes special edition t-shirt and tote!
*A portion of all proceeds from these items will be donated
TRANSCRIPT
Music fades in…
[00:00:00] Aubrey: Welcome to another episode of the Golden Approach Podcast, a show where service professionals can come together to discuss hospitality beyond old habits. And I'm so grateful you're here. Today's guest to this day is one of the best hires I have ever made in my career. I had a cook one time taking a sabbatical, so I was looking for someone temporary. And once I had her on my team, I just, I never wanted to let her go. So I want to introduce you to Brooke, the owner of Brookie's Cookies, which is a custom order royal icing cookie company here in the Baltimore area. She's also just like such a lovely human that you can't help, but feel comfortable around her. I couldn't believe how much Brooke shared about her experience as a business owner and the exact ways she's been successful. This is actually one of our shorter episodes, but it's jam-packed with ideas that you could put into practice tomorrow. Despite the fact she used to work for me, the tables have turned, and I learned so much from her this episode,
[00:01:00] Aubrey: and honestly I have no doubt you will too. And don't forget to stay till the end of the episode so you can hear Chef Brooke's rapid fire segment and head over to our website, goldenapproachpodcast.com so you can check out her custom episode merch. So let's get into the episode and get to know Brooke of Brookie's Cookies.
Music fades out…
[00:01:26] Aubrey:Brooke, I cannot tell you how excited I am to have you here and to help other people get to know you. So we're going to start right at the beginning and have you introduce yourself to everyone. Let us know, like, how did you get here? How'd you start a royal icing company? What's the story?
[00:01:39] Brooke: Okay. So I never expected to start a business, but after working in the food and beverage industry for quite some time, and even dabbling in the corporate world for a couple of years, I knew that I always wanted to work for myself. So that I think
[00:02:00] Brooke: was the little breadcrumbs that added up. Me figuring out I want to work for myself. I don't know in what capacity that looks like. But I know I want to be my own boss. I want to work flexible hours. I want to be responsible for my success and not have to depend on anyone else for it, or not just be a number in terms of an employee and be valued. And so once I made that decision, the breadcrumbs started to accumulate. So for the first, I would want to say six to eight months, I was strictly doing chocolate chip cookies, my signature cookies. Cupcakes, I dabbled in a little bit, cakes as well, like smaller cakes, and then seasonal desserts whether it be like pies for Thanksgiving or cookie tins or cheesecakes for Christmas. That's where I started. And then in May of 2021, I say, is
[00:03:00] Brooke: when I got the first royal icing cookie order. And that was terrifying, to be honest. It was really scary because I have had no training with royal icing cookies and they are a beast. They are very technical, they are very time consuming, and they're very detail oriented.
[00:03:24] Aubrey: You know, I'm so glad that you brought this up because I feel like even in our industry, and you and I've talked about this, people don't realize how complex and what a long process these cookies can be. But with the time lapse and consolidation, editing, all that stuff, like I, again, I don't think people who have experience quite grasp the full perspective. I mean, I teach classes now and I can pretty much guarantee this from firsthand experience. For those listening who aren't pastry people and especially who've never done these kind of royal icing cookies, will you just take a second and walk us through the steps on how you get from the very beginning to the very end? Cause I think it's really important to put this out there for people.
[00:04:09] Brooke: So, royal icing cookies are very time consuming. You have to make the dough, chill the dough, roll the dough, then you cut the dough with mostly custom made cookie cutters, then you have to chill the dough again, then you bake, and once it bakes, you have to let it cool. That's just the cookie. We haven't even got to the decorating or the royal icing or anything like that. So once it's cooled, you have to make the royal icing and there's many different consistencies that you have to use. There's your outline, which is basically you're outlining the cookie. There's your flooding consistency, which means you're filling in the cookie and then what colors you want to use. You have to design based on what your customers have sent you.
[00:05:00] Aubrey: And it's not just like one design, right? I mean, when you're making these, you're doing a set. So you have multiple designs and colors and all that stuff to get through, right?
[00:05:12] Brooke: It's a set. Yeah. Typically they could be anywhere from like three to six designs based on how much the customer is willing to pay. So I don't think people realize that decorating royal icing cookies is like 2%. of the actual process. That's the fun part. But getting to the design part is a lot, a lot of work.
[00:05:37] Aubrey: Wow. Yeah. See, and this is why I wanted to talk about this. We just need to take a minute to acknowledge and appreciate the time that goes into literally one cookie.
[00:05:46] Brooke: And it's just me. It's just me. I'm the decorator, the baker, the social media person, the marketing manager. I hand package every single cookie. I stamp every single cookie.
[00:06:00] Brooke: I deliver all of my cookies. It's just me. So I haven't had too many people do this, but when people do kind of clap back at why I charge what I do, I don't think they realize, like you said on Instagram, you see a 30 second video, but that video is actually five minutes long in real time. So speaking the lingo, sometimes it's daunting to people, but I feel like it's important for them to understand really what goes into it so that they can understand where their money is going to. I know some cookiers that are charging 75 to 100 a dozen. So I think it's important for people to really understand not only where their money is going, but the work behind the scenes that they don't see on the Instagram reel or the photo or the 30 second video. And it's very daunting. I was scared out of my mind to do the first order.
[00:07:00] Brooke: And one of the biggest things that I've learned or to put out to my customers from the beginning is managing expectations, realistic ones. So when that first order came in, I was like, I'm more than happy to do this. I'm going to do my best to do this, but I just want to let you know, this is my first order. And this is what I can do for you because everyone sees all those Instagram photos and they'll send it to you. And I'm like, Okay, this is way out of my design or artistic capability, but here's what I can give you instead.
[00:07:33] Aubrey: Yeah. Okay. So we're going to get more into that for sure. Don't you worry, because I really think that's also just as important, but just to finish up our previous thought, because my fault, but we kind of got a little off track there. I thought it's really important to break this down for everyone's, how do you, if any, do you help yourself to be. Better prepared for like when new opportunities present themselves, do you feel, I don't know, like you take classes
[00:08:00] Aubrey: or it's just even watching other cookiers on Instagram, how do you feel like you set yourself up so that way when opportunities like the Royal Icing Cookies presented themselves, that you're able to take them on and make sure that you've built your confidence. You're building your expertise. You can move forward in that direction with your business.
[00:08:22] Brooke: Sure. It's a lot of behind the scenes. I've taken multiple classes from other cookiers who offer them online. Also, I use the best products. I use gel coloring and airbrush coloring that other cookiers use and can swear by. I think that makes a huge, huge difference in the quality of your cookies. And then a lot of the tools. Tools are so, so big. I have a projector now. So basically, I can hook it up to my phone and it'll project an image onto the cookie. That was the game changer in setting myself up for success to take
[00:09:00] Brooke: on more complex and more difficult designs, because if you don't have a projector, you're basically doing everything free hand. So I bit the bullet and I got the projector, but it's literally. I use it on every single set in some capacity. Also an airbrush machine. That has been a game changer as well. Learning to add dimension and depth to a cookie and making it more realistic, I think, has been a really, really amazing tool. And with every single set, it's an opportunity for me to learn new techniques, designs, and get better. That first Royal icing cookie set that I took looking back on it now. I'm like, Oh my God, that was awful. But it kind of was like opening the floodgates that literally catapulted my business and pivoted from a cookie company into a Royal icing cookie company.
[00:10:05] Aubrey: And okay, so you did touch on this a little bit and I'm hoping we can go a little more in depth. How do you approach these conversations with your clients in regards to the pivoting? You mentioned briefly that you tried to help them understand from the beginning to gauge expectations, right? But I don't know if, what if there's a licensing issue or when you did switch to royal icing and you didn't offer the regular cookies anymore, maybe it's your prices or whatever. How are you having those conversations?
[00:10:35] Brooke: Sure. So the biggest thing with me, like I said earlier, was managing expectations and being upfront and honest with my customers, because I feel like that builds that instant trust with them. People only order, or you only go back to someone who you trust. And so I think managing realistic expectations gives that sense
[00:11:00] Brooke: of trust. I'm not going to screw them over and say, I can do this and then give them something that looks nothing like it. I am upfront about it. If someone sends me a picture and I know it's out of my design skills at that time, especially in the beginning, I'll be like, okay, I can do something similar to this with these colors. This is what I'm thinking. And we have more of a discovery, like an open ended conversation. about what they're looking for, what I can offer them, and if they don't agree with what I can offer or don't like it, then that's fine. They can go somewhere else to someone who's more experienced or who can give them exactly what they're looking for. But being honest with my customers has been the greatest strength I bring to the table because they are talking to a real person and I think they're more
[00:12:00] Brooke: appreciative of me being upfront and honest with them about what I can offer. Then, like I said, kind of getting the order just to get the order to get the money. That was a big lesson to learn. And I mean, I was terrified when I raised my prices. I was absolutely terrified that I was going to lose all of my customer base. But the more that I did these orders and the more that I explained to my customers, whether it was being on social media or just talking to them over the phone about it, they were more accepting of me raising my prices because the more orders that I took, the better that I got and I was booking months in advance. So the demand is higher so I can raise my prices in order to be more selective about what orders I do take.
[00:12:48] Aubrey: I mean, honesty is always key, right? Like it's so important because I think people are always thinking the opposite is going to happen. If I admit, I can't do something, or I say I need to change something that
[00:13:00] Aubrey: that client is going to instantly be like, okay, I'm out. You don't get my money. And I think people are really scared at the thought of that. So I think it's good for people to hear that you're having basically, the complete opposite happened, right? Maybe there's a couple of people, they'll say, absolutely, I want this thing. I'm going to go somewhere else and try and find it, but it sounds like you're finding that most times people are even more eager to work with you because you're being honest and upfront.
[00:13:30] Brooke: I commiserate and I understand what the people who are terrified to turn down an order, say no to someone or raise their prices or completely pivot because I've been there. But you have to trust your gut and you know what's right for you and you know what's right for your business. You are running your business and no one else is. And I can speak to that because in the beginning I offered cupcakes and cakes because I wanted to be like a one stop shop for my customers, where if they were having a birthday party, they could get. Royal icing cookies,
[00:14:00] Brooke: a cake, and cupcakes, instead of going to seven different places to get all of these things. And I learned the hard way that that's not where my business is going, or should go. Because it was taking away time from the royal icing cookies that are so time consuming. And the quality of the cakes and the cupcakes were lacking. And... Obviously, if you're a one woman show or one man show, and it's your name on that business, you want to put your best foot forward. So I had to completely pivot. And say, I'm not doing cakes anymore. I'm not doing cupcakes anymore. I'm strictly doing royal icing cookies. And that was terrifying because I knew I was going to lose a lot of business in those areas. But I was going to be able
[00:15:00] Brooke: to give my customers the absolute best quality of royal icing cookies. Like I was going to put all of my time and energy into something that really made me happy and really has defined my business.
[00:15:16] Aubrey: Okay, I feel like I actually also can speak to this because I did try to do my own thing a couple of years ago and try to emulate a lot of the things that I did at work because that's what everyone was like. Oh, I love that entremet cake you did. I love this. Whatever. Right. And. Do I have the same kitchen at home? Absolutely not. Do I have the same tools at home that I have in a professional kitchen? Again, no. So I think I was insane to think that I could replicate these things that I was doing at work in my house and still be successful. But that's what people saw. And I just tried to meet the demand where it was, rather than focusing on what I could really deliver of quality.
[00:16:00] Aubrey: And it obviously backfired. It did not go well and never took off as a result. And it just honestly, in the end, people were just disappointed. They saw the things I did at work and the photos and it just didn't match. And so I do agree. I think you have to go with quality and honesty first and never at the sake of just trying to make money.
[00:16:19] Brooke: Right. And a coworker of mine said, if you offer it, customers will buy it. So if you only give them two options, you're not stretching yourself so thin. And you can literally focus on the two things or the one thing that you're really good at. And it really struck me so hard. I was like, Oh my God, that makes so much sense. And it took me a really long time to realize that. If you're really good at one thing, stick to that one thing.
[00:16:49] Aubrey: I mean, and also to your point, people do all the things in hopes of making money, right? I mean, I get it, we all have to pay our bills, but you end up spending so much more money and time on trying to do 7,000 things,
[00:17:07] Aubrey: and sometimes you actually make more money just doing less. You're streamlining your processes, you're ordering more consistently the same ingredients, etc. So, do you feel like that's true from your experience?
[00:17:15] Brooke: Oh my gosh, a hundred percent. I was breaking my back physically, emotionally, and mentally when I had so many different options on my menu just to make that extra hundred, $200. But at the end of the day. I was like, this is not worth it because I was not a hundred percent happy with the quality that I was giving my customers. And I've realized now that to me is way more important than that extra $200 or that one more order or everything. I was spending so much money, so much more time. And for what? I wasn't
[00:18:00] Brooke: really passionate about cakes or cupcakes. I'm not the greatest cake decorator. Cookies are my thing, but I had to go through a lot of 12 hour days working Saturdays and Sundays to figure out, okay, this is not healthy in any sense of the word and it's not worth it.
[00:18:15] Aubrey: Yeah, I mean, I think it's so great to hear people talking about setting boundaries and showing that they're still successful. I think in our industry, we forget. It's very okay to have boundaries, and I do not have to be fully available to all the people, all the time.
[00:18:30] Brooke: And I still struggle with that to this day. Like I said, I was not only petrified to turn down my first order. But it killed me inside. I was scared that this customer was gonna be like, screw you, I can't believe you're doing this, all this stuff and just kind of waltz away and my life was gonna be over because I turned down an order. It's completely the opposite of what happened. Yes, I was terrified. No, they
[00:19:00] Brooke: didn't never come back to my business. They were very understanding. And I think it's that pressure that we put on ourselves. You spoke to a minute ago that we always have to be available. There's no one else to fall back on. We have to order all the inventory, answer all the emails, do social media and marketing or whatever. But you have to set those boundaries and be okay with saying no in order to be able to run your business in the long term, because if you don't, you're going to burn yourself out. And I've been there, I've been there more times than not. And I had to learn the hard way that burning yourself out is not worth any amount of money.
[00:19:43] Aubrey: I couldn't agree more. I have also done burnout a few times. One thing that you told me that I thought was absolutely brilliant and I want to bring back up now so other people can hear it is you and I had talked about what about the person who says I'm at the beginning and I can't afford money wise to turn away a new client or I have this repeat client who's been so dedicated to my business, but I'm booked up and they're calling me last minute. But I really want to keep up that good reputation with them so they don't go elsewhere. We'd all like to think that saying no one time isn't enough
[00:20:00] Aubrey: to chase someone away, but it does happen. And honestly, the fear alone is enough. So how do you handle that in your business? So you're still honoring the boundaries that you've set, and you can honor the quality that you want to put out, but also be fair to the people that may have already booked with you or that, again, you're trying to set the tone from the beginning with?
[00:20:44] Brooke: I feel like I'm a broken record, but I've actually been in this situation more times than not, especially as the demand gets higher, we're coming into holiday season, but going back to what we talked about earlier, it's about being honest and managing realistic explications with your customers. And I think
[00:21:00] Brooke: your customers will appreciate you being honest with them and upfront rather than saying you could squeeze them in and give them a half assed job and quality, that's not up to your standards. Because they're going to be more upset at the quality that you gave them rather than being honest and saying, hey, this is what I can do. So to answer your question, if I'm like booked up for a weekend and a repeat customer comes to me and said, ‘Hey, it's my son's second birthday and we're having a party and I need 4 dozen cookies. What can you do?’ I handle it in a very realistic way. I said, ‘Hey, I so appreciate you reaching out. Thank you so much. I am booked up this weekend, but I can squeeze you in. I have availability for three dozen or two dozen cookies instead of four. Does that work for you?’ And more times
[00:22:00] Brooke: than not. They'll say yes, just because it all comes back to honesty and building that relationship with your customers, building real genuine relationships with your customers.
[00:22:11] Aubrey: Yeah, I mean, it really is so difficult to speak to a human when any of us need anything, right? Like we're all angry about the same frustrating things. So I'm sure it can go really far offering that real human experience and a real relationship with someone. And that compromise and that honesty does not surprise me that it would pay off.
[00:22:33] Brooke: That's why they're gonna come back, not a hundred percent of the quality but it's all about that interaction and how you handle those situations or those confrontations. So I say to that person that said hey, I can't afford to turn them down. I would just say okay I have time to squeeze you and I have two dozen or would you be able to pick up two days early? So it gives
[00:23:00] Brooke: you more time to work on that order and then you can kind of push off the orders for that weekend. Like I said, managing expectations and being transparent with them because if you do it the first time, they're more than likely to come back the second time because of how you handle it and be like, Okay, well, if you do two dozen this time, I can give you six extra next time or something of that nature. But like I said, I've had my fair share of that. And sometimes they do walk away, but most of the times they do take that option. It goes farther than you think, especially in business. There are so many large corporations out there where you're talking to a robot or whatever. So I think having that human interaction and human connection puts them at ease in a sense.
[00:23:47] Aubrey: Yeah, I completely agree. And honestly, you carried me into my next question perfectly. So thank you. You're so good at engaging with clients and building loyalty in person and online. So are there any other tips, examples, advice that you are willing to share with others in regards to those kinds of things and how they can maybe be inspired to do it for themselves?
[00:24:11] Brooke: Sure. So one of the biggest things that I think sets my business apart from whether it be other bakeries or other cookiers in the area is that I physically deliver all of my cookies to my customers. So I'm driving the orders to my customer's house, or whether it be like a venue or anything, and they get to see the face behind the cookie. And I think that is huge for them. Seeing who's making your cookies, getting to have that three to five minute conversation when they see the cookies and I think that really is a big, I don't
[00:25:00] Brooke: want to call it a tip or a trick, I just think that's a, that's a non negotiable in like a small business. Maybe you have three employees, or maybe it's just you. But I think having that human interaction and them getting to see who is making your cookies makes their day. And I'm being so happy and being like, Oh my gosh, how did you do that? You're so talented. That really makes my day. So that's a huge point in authenticity that can help with your brand, with your repeat customers and with your loyalty. Also I think that another tip or trick to loyalty. And I still struggle with this too, but it's showing your face more on social media because the people who haven't ordered from you before or don't know you, they want to learn more about you. So I think it's really important, especially being a small business to introduce yourself or
[00:26:00] Brooke: do like an about me post so that they can make more of a connection. You are the face of your business. You are the face of your brand. So you're going to have to get out there sooner or later. And the more people that see you, see your cookies, see them on social media from their friend that builds your brand, your loyalty, and your repeat customers, double, triple, quadruple.
[00:26:28] Aubrey: I think you're spot on people. They don't have to be exactly like you, right? But they do want to feel like they've gotten to know you. It's again, not to call out big corporations as I've done a little bit in this episode, but it really goes back to the same thing. A lot of times you're loyal to them because. There's more obligation of convenience, I think, rather than loving a product, a small business is the exact opposite. We tend to repeat with them because we love the owners or they make us feel like we're at home or connect to something nostalgic. So I would
[00:27:00] Aubrey: think that It is completely spot on to need that connection in some way.
[00:27:06] Brooke: Right. And another little like tip or trick kind of on that point is in the beginning, I would write handwritten thank you notes.
[00:27:15] Aubrey: I love that.
[00:27:16] Brooke: Like, thank you so much for your order supporting my small business. It means so much to me that I get to share my passion of. baking with you. And then I would always have a little line or a blurb in there that would connect with the event. Like, Oh my gosh, your daughter is so cute. I hope you and her love them as much as I did. Or like this theme was close to my heart because I have cats at home too. Something to make them feel special and go just a little bit above and beyond. is literally astronomical and now I always include a thank you cookie in with the set. It's like an extra cookie and it just
[00:28:00] Brooke: says thank you on it and it'll be like in the colors of their set or something similar to their set just to say Thank you so much. And I think that definitely will get you loyalty. It sets you apart from your competition, whatever industry you're in, whatever business you're in, it sets you apart. And in the beginning, I was like, I don't really know. That's an extra 5 that I'm missing out. But I'm like, okay, it's 5 compared to. Another repeat customer, which could be anywhere from a hundred to $200 order. And for me, I've learned that it's not about the money anymore. Yes, I am still a small business owner and I have bills to pay and I got to survive, but I kind of shifted my mindset to, like I said, setting those boundaries and literally making every single set a hundred percent quality up to my standards.
[00:28:53] Aubrey: See, you're proving the point that the less you focus on the money, the more the money actually finds you. It's like the more you invest in people, the more you invest in the quality and the presentation, the experience, and it just all comes back together and brings you more money. I feel like people kind of see this as a new concept, but I don't know, it just, to me, I feel like it speaks to the foundations of humans.
[00:29:17] Brooke: Yeah, it does. It does. It's taken me a while to realize that it's less about the money now. Because in the beginning, starting a business is not cheap. And in the beginning, you're basically chasing orders. You're like, I need to get as many orders as I can. You're trying to get your name out there. You're trying to build your social media presence and everything like that. So in the beginning, it is really all about the money. I'm going to be frank. I'm going to be blunt.
[00:29:46] Aubrey: I mean, please, always.
[00:29:48] Brooke: It's about the money in the beginning. And sometimes I feel like it still is about the money because there are bills to pay. Obviously, inflation has hit, so we all have to kind of survive. But there comes
[00:30:00] Brooke: a point where you kind of feel more comfort and kind of settle into your business. And I feel like I hit that probably a year and a half in where I was like, Okay, I know who I am. I know what I'm offering. I have a pretty solid customer base to where I don't necessarily have to chase orders. I don't have to post as much and be like buy this. This is the sale I'm having, do this, where I can kind of sit back and I'm not just necessarily saying I don't have to work for the orders to come, but because the customer base has been so strong and I do have a lot of repeat customers come to me now to where I can kind of dictate where the money comes from, what orders I take, what orders I don't. It's so funny
[00:31:00] Brooke: because probably like 25 percent of my customers had my cookies at an event that weren't theirs. And I put my sticker, my logo, on every single cookie. That is super important. If they're not being individually wrapped, I put business cards in there. But I put my sticker on every single cookie that goes out of that kitchen. Because you never know who's going to see those cookies. I don't want to say free marketing, but that's marketing. That's very deep compared to hiring a marketing coordinator or paying for like business ads in a local magazine or anything like that. It's instant marketing on the back of that cookie. And then they follow you on social media and then they see all your pictures and there you go. Customer, they might not order for six months, two months, two weeks, but I've had this happen to me where a customer
[00:32:00] Brooke: was like, so I was at so and so's birthday party and I saw your cookies. I had one. They were delicious. I have an event, are you available? And there you go. You didn't have to necessarily chase them, but you did the marketing without even knowing how many customers you're going to get.
[00:32:20] Aubrey: You're just so good at being able to take those small steps and really letting them add up for you as you go. And I think it's because you're so genuine and want to do well, want to make people happy. And you've set yourself up to let your cookies speak for themselves. And so I think it just is obvious why it comes back tenfold.
[00:32:41] Brooke: Yeah. And I did not start out that way. I've learned every single day I'm learning something new, whether it be about the business, new decorating techniques, new recipes, anything like that. That is probably the biggest joy of running this business. I'm constantly
[00:33:00] Brooke: learning every single day. And I think starting a business in such an uncertain time was the most natural thing for me to do because it honestly has helped me find myself, who I am, like I'm so secure in my purpose in life. Who I am, what I stand for, things of that nature. So yes, it's great that I own a business because I get that freedom. I get to make what I want and be creative and everything like that and get to share my passion with the world. But honestly, the bigger takeaway is that I am so confident in who I am because this business has helped me find that. As cliché and unfathomable as it is, it has definitely given me confidence in ways that don't think I would be able to get just from being in the world or working somewhere else, you know?
[00:34:02] Aubrey: Yes, I do. And. I hope that the more people hear that, they take it to heart and use it to be confident in whatever journeys they decide to take in their lives.
[00:34:13] Brooke: You don't have to start a business to find your confidence, but I think it all kind of goes back to trusting your gut and your intuition, because that has been a big thing for me in starting this business. Yeah, I was scared out of my mind to do it. But I don't want to regret not trying and I failed in my business, but I'm still standing and the successes that I've had and not monetarily, but just getting to be a part of such special occasions in my customer's life is huge for me. But the successes of finding out who I am, finding my purpose in life is way greater than those failures. Like I'm not
[00:35:00] Brooke: doing cheesecakes anymore for Christmas. That was a huge decision for me to make. And I was so anxious about it. Because when I first started my business, the first holiday season that I offered cheesecakes and they went like wildfire. And this December was not like that at all. I felt like such a failure because it wasn't the same success, if you will, that I had the previous December. And that comparison game killed me, but I was like, but look how much I've grown in that time and I'm offering something completely different. And my success throughout the entire year has been so much more than just that December.
[00:35:47] Aubrey: I mean, that's what makes life such a hard game, because you just never know what the right choice is, like, it's all a gamble, can't predict the future, but I do agree that trusting your gut is the best thing we can do, so I couldn't agree with you more.
[00:36:03] Brooke: And you're going to make wrong decisions, but you learn from them. There is no right or wrong decision. The only right decision is the one that feels good to you and in your gut. You're a business owner. You do not have to answer to anyone else. And you can take your business in any direction that you want. And it's very hard for people. I think for people, especially in the food and beverage industry, it's very hard for people to kind of go outside the box or literally pivot in a completely different direction outside of like the food and beverage industry. I think that's very hard for people to accept. You can do whatever you want. There's no right or wrong way and I think that has a lot to do again, with building confidence in herself and just doing what you feel is right.
[00:36:56] Aubrey: You're still pretty new in comparison to some businesses.
[00:37:00] Aubrey: I do think people get scared, especially once they get past, I'd say the three to five year mark that they say, you know, I've built the clientele. I did the work. I have the repeats. I'm paying my bills and I know where my money is coming from, but. Maybe now I'm not as passionate about the thing or I have more skills and I could do something else, but they just, they don't, they stand in their own way because they're too scared of losing the customers starting from scratch. And again, we all have bills to pay. I totally get that. But I really love how you're just like, whatever's right for me is what's right. And if you're happy about it, you're passionate about it. You're going to set the right tone and maybe there'll be some bumps. Maybe there's a lag, but people will come.
[00:37:46] Brooke: Yeah. I mean, there's been lags. There's been months where I haven't had orders and I was like, Oh my God, how am I going to pay my bills? How am I going to pay my mortgage? All of this stuff. And that's scary. And I know. Those times aren't over. It's kind of like the ebbs and the flows of being
[00:38:00] Brooke: a business owner. I mean, everyone goes through it no matter what business you're in. There's always a busy season and a slow season. And if you've made it this far, you obviously have something good going for you. Like your business is, I don't want to use the word worthy, but it's right. If you have the clientele and you're paying your bills or whatever, you just have to take it one day at a time. I say that to myself every single day, like one day at a time, one order at a time, one cookie at a time.
[00:38:30] Aubrey: Yeah, I couldn't agree more. Okay, so this has been incredible. Truly, thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing this. I'm so grateful to you and I hope we'll have you again.
[00:38:42] Brooke: Oh my god, thank you so much. This has been so, so, so, so fun, and I'm so glad we got to reconnect, and I'm so honored that you asked me to be on this show. I cannot wait to hear all of the episodes, and I just can't thank you enough.
[00:38:58] Aubrey: Gosh, thank you so much.
[00:39:04] Aubrey: Thank you for listening to another episode of the Golden Approach Podcast. If you enjoyed listening, I would super appreciate it if you would share us with a friend or maybe give us a follow, that's cool too. And if you wanna hang out with us some more, follow on Instagram @goldenapproachpod, or check out our website, goldenapproachpodcast.com for more details such as transcripts and reference links from today's episode. Until next time though, remember, everything's going to be just fine. And if you enjoyed listening to Brooke tell her story and learning more about her company, head on over to her Instagram page to follow and get the most beautiful cookie inspiration ever @brookies_cookies.co. And if you live in the area and are interested in getting in contact with Brooke, head to her website, www.brookiescookiesmd.com.
[00:40:04] Aubrey: All right. So we have one last little surprise for you before we go. And I have my trusty deli cup here.
[00:40:12] Brooke: Okay. Oh my God.
[00:40:14] Aubrey: We have been doing rapid fires for everyone who comes on the show. We have 10 set questions, but we're only going to pull four. So there's always a different combo and I'm just gonna have you say whatever comes to mind. Super casual, no pressure, just fun. All right. So, first one, what's your superpower?
[00:40:34] Brooke: Flying.
[00:40:35] Aubrey: Oh, love that. I also wish I could fly. Okay, question two, how do you get re-inspired?
[00:40:42] Brooke: Ooh, that's a really good question. I feel like, since I'm in the kitchen every day, because I do have a full time job other than Brookie's Cookies, I'm a personal chef and baker for a gourmet shop and catering company. Shout out to Gundalow Gourmet. Love them!
[00:40:59] Aubrey: Yes, love Gundalow!
[00:41:00] Brooke: So I think being in the kitchen and baking and seeing different flavor combinations, or I'm really big on color palettes, whether it be like from furniture or a poster or seeing someone's outfit, that really re-inspires me, whether it be like use it in a cookie set or try a new design I see on a shirt that I like.
[00:41:24] Aubrey: Yeah. Yeah. I mean the constant exposure to things. I love that. Okay. Next. What did you want to be as a kid? Did you always want to bake?
[00:41:32] Brooke: Okay. So full disclosure, I wanted to be a dolphin trainer when I was little. I think every girl wanted to be a dolphin trainer.
[00:41:40] Aubrey: That's awesome. I mean, I agree. That definitely crossed my mind at one point. So I feel that.
[00:41:45] Brooke: Yeah. And I actually went to college going in with a marine science degree, obviously that did not pan out, and I graduated with a psychology degree, but a dolphin trainer.
[00:41:58] Aubrey: Okay, last one. What is something that other people usually don't know about you?
[00:42:03] Brooke: God, that's such a hard one. I would say that other people don't know that I'm very introverted.
[00:42:11] Aubrey: Okay. I also feel this.
[00:42:14] Brooke: As outgoing as I come off in social situations or like talking to my customers or at work, I am the biggest introvert ever. I love being alone. I love my space. I love just being in my home with my cats in the silence. It makes me so happy.
[00:42:37] Aubrey: So you were obviously just as happy in quarantine as I was.
[00:42:40] Brooke: Oh my God, I was like, yes, I don't have to go out. I don't have to talk to anyone. It was fabulous. Plus I got to bake!
[00:42:48] Aubrey: Oh my gosh. All right. Well, this has been perfect. Thank you so much, Brooke.
[00:42:53] Brooke: Thank you so much.
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