We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Megan D’Ambrosio a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Megan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
I’d made cookies a few times, just for fun, but did not actually get started until I made the move back to my hometown in 2020. I had no plans at the time to turn my creative hobby of cookie decorating into a business, but friends/family started reaching out saying “do you sell your cookies?” or “can you bring cookies to the party?” A few fulfilled orders for friends and word of mouth led to a whole lot of cookies and the start of my business. The first step was looking into regulations for running a home bakery in my state. I then had to think about how to market, price, package, and more.
It took me a few months, with a lot of time in the kitchen, to then make decisions about what resources I needed to invest in to scale. A new large mixer was one of the first purchases!
The biggest constraint starting out (and something I am still working on) is timing and process. People often ask me how long it takes to make a set of cookies and it’s still hard for me to answer that. I know how long it takes me to make dough, bake, etc, but the actual decorating part is dependent on each set.
Megan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a self taught baker and sugar cookie decorator who first made cookies for fun in 2017, decorated only five other sets in the next three years, and then…2020.
I’m most proud of how far I’ve come the past few years from idea to execution. I started a new little story series on my instagram page “Inspiration” which shows the invite or ideas a client sends over for their cookies and then the final set I create. I used to want to know exactly what a client wanted, but I now love taking a few simple ideas and getting to design them and turn them into a comprehensive set. I also love looking back at photos of my older cookie sets and seeing the progress in my design skills. Now that I’m in year three of my business, I’ve had many repeat customers order cookies for their kid’s birthday three years in a row. I love knowing that I’m now a special part of people’s traditions!
I want my clients/followers to know just how much time and love goes into each cookie set I create. To give people a little idea of the process, it involves communications for booking/design ideas, designing the set and pulling/buying cookie cutters, shopping for ingredients, making dough, chilling dough, punching out shapes, baking, cooling, making icing in multiple consistencies, coloring icing, decorating cookies in layers (some have to dry overnight), adding details, photographing, packaging, and handing off the final product. It’s a long process, but I love it! I love nothing more than when a new order comes in. I immediately begin sketching out my ideas!
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
My clients are mostly from word of mouth, and I would not want to have it any other way! I love when someone has already been to a party with my cookies on the dessert table, attended an event and received one as a favor, etc. This means they have already enjoyed the product themselves before ordering. I think people actually trying my cookies first have helped me build a strong reputation locally!
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
About a year ago I made the decision to to make my business my “full time” job. I say “full time” like that because in my current state of life that means solely when my toddlers nap! However, just ten months ago I was working in consulting full time and making cookies on the side while still trying to be present with my family. I have loved having more time to focus on my business and love getting to use the creativity and skills from my corporate job to help JoDough Co grow! I knew my side-hustle was turning into something more when I was getting order inquiries multiple times a week, large corporate orders, full wedding orders, etc. Last year I was having to say “no” to many orders that seemed like great opportunities, simply due to time. I now have orders come in months in advance and am able forecast and plan accordingly.
Some key milestones have been getting orders from some established local companies and being featured in few local publications!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jodoughco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodoughco