We recently connected with Shannon Godek and have shared our conversation below.

Shannon, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

It all started when I developed an obsession for creating the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I spent so much time on sugar and butter. How can it be this hard I thought… what am I missing….It’s just a chocolate chip cookie, right? WRONG.

I trialed dozens and dozens of recipes. I swapped out ingredients for different brands and tweaked some recipes. I tried different methods of creaming. I even went down the road of salted and unsalted butter… don’t even get me started on that. I eventually went out on a whim after feeling defeated. I made all my tweaks and I had finally created the PERFECT chocolate chip cookie.

Once I had my chocolate chip cookie recipe I knew I needed to keep working on other recipes. I had an idea to bring back all of the good old fashion simple cookies and cupcakes we all love. I wanted to stay away from the current trend of everything being stuffed, filled, and over the top. With that idea BASIC DOUGH was born.

It took time to brand. I had worked with a few graphic designers and the image I had in my mind was not being brought to life. It wasn’t until I found an amazing graphic designer based in Utah that all of my dreams came true. My vision was coming to life!

Now that I had my brand, my logo, and my product I started to put myself out there. It was slow moving but I refused to give up and I kept posting on all of our community Facebook pages. I showed my product and I slowly started to get some customers. I posted frequently offering free samples for feedback. Slowly I was starting to build a following and I even had people starting to recommend me.

Basic Dough is still in the beginning of something great. Summer 2025 will be 1 year of Basic Dough!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a baker who specializes in cookies, cupcakes and cinnamon rolls.
I have spent over a decade in the food and beverage industry until becoming a mother. In 2021 my family and I relocated to Florida from Pennsylvania. I was so sad to leave my favorite bakery back home but I was on a mission to find the next best one. I tried many places but I was still left missing what I was looking for.
I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands and teach myself. I worked tirelessly. Some days I really thought there was no way I’d be able to make a perfect buttercream. I refused to give up and continued to educate myself on different methods and styles of buttercream.
The day I finally created my vanilla buttercream was one I’ll never forget and thank god because I don’t think my husband could handle taste testing another recipe!

I think what sets me apart is my desire for the highest quality desserts. They are simple but beautiful and customized for each and every customer. My packaging is truly designed to be a gift for each person.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of what I do is seeing each persons reaction to what I create. I love the “awe” moment. Putting a smile on someones face and turning their dessert dreams into something real is my absolute favorite.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

Once a month I donate to an event. This could be a nonprofit, a doctor/hospital, nursing home, etc.

I find it important to tithe and tithing of talent is so rewarding to me. It’s important to give back, I wouldn’t be where I am today without my customers. I like to show how much I appreciate each and every person. This month in honor of my birthday I decided to donate two custom birthday cakes to two children. When I announced the winners on my social media pages they were overjoyed! It makes me so happy that I can bring that excitement and joy to someone. I am so excited to surprise two children with a birthday cake this month.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Basicdough.com
• Instagram: @basicdough.basicallybetter
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15iJBCWQYD/?mibextid=wwXIfr