We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Catherine Jackson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Catherine , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Home-Styled Cookies Anyone?

In January of 2019, Cat’s Cookies was created as a sales vehicle to generate additional income for college expenses. In a short amount of time, their business started to build a consistent customer base in Houston Texas and other surrounding cities. They would often receive order requests from social media followers, co-workers, and family members, which provided substantial growth. The feedback received when the company first started was simply encouraging to the owner. As their bakery started to expand, marketing opportunities surfaced with the privilege of providing samples of their products to local businesses, (Farmer Markets, Cynthia Woodlands Pavilion, Walmart and Sam’s Club Inc). As their customer base grew, Cat’s Cookies started to deliver locally in the state of Texas for three consecutive years. As the customer retention grew. and positive feedback from Google reviews increased, they continued to produce new products, highlighting the handcrafted, unique flavored, and not so overly sweet cookie product.

In 2022, Cat’s Cookies transitioned into their first manufacturing facility in Marietta Georgia and launched “Cat’s Cookies Subscriptions”. As a subscriber you will be able to pay a monthly fee, which allows each valued customer to receive their choice of any one of our reduced fat/sugar cookie type, such as, Vegan, KETO, or traditional/mini cookie options, local delivery included! All orders are handcrafted, and fresh to order, to ensure that a fresh product is provided to each customer. Cat, the owner and baker of Cat’s Cookies mission and commitment to baking a delicious cookie is quite personal.

Cat encountered challenges with managing juvenile diabetes in her early childhood, so ”sweets” are typically the enemy for her. With that being said, within Cat’s Cookies recipes, there are limited processed/granulated sugars or no sugars added. By using less sugar, each customer can taste the unique flavor of each handcrafted, soft baked cookie. As Cat’s Cookies expands their bakery, creating a satisfying reduced or no sugar product, will always be their mission for years to come!

Catherine , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The owner of Cat’s Cookies name is Catherine, but most of her family and friends call her Cat for short. After dedicating ten plus years of work experience in management and in the biomedical field, Cat decided to take a leap of faith by expanding to the company’s first manufacturing facility in Marietta Georgia. Cat is currently a senior business student attending Kennesaw State University, an employee at the Kennesaw State, and a business owner. When asked, what keeps you disciplined, Cat’s response was to stay consistent, and make every moment count. On Saturday mornings, Cat’s Cookies vends at The Marietta Square Farmers Market, from 9am-12pm..

Cat’s Interest in the baking industry was encouraged through her family at an early age. She would often help her mother, sisters, and aunts, as they would prepare holiday dinners, by gaining interest with making desserts and. following recipes precisely. With a fond interest for baking at an early age, Cat returned to her love of baking in her twenties, as she returned back to college. With much practice, was able to create the blueprint of the “Home-Styled, Soft-baked cookies her supporters have grown to love over the years.

Cat’s Cookies was created as a pathway for the owner to pay for her college education from Lonestar Community College, in Houston Texas. Over the duration of four years, this small business has grown, and has learned much valuable education along the way. Cat’s Cookies’ first customer was a fellow co-worker, and gradually increased to fellow students, and professors/staff at Cat’s former college. The operation hours of this business was centered around Cat’s work and school schedule, in order to meet the demands of their customer preferred delivery. As a way to give back to the community, Cat’s Cookies participated in school drives, and donated a percentage of earnings to The Beezy Foundation, in Missouri City, Texas.

Cat’s Cookies has had the privilege to partner with Sam;s Club Inc, and provide their products to their members, as a platform to provide donations to the Children’s Miracle Network, this prior year. Cat’s Cookies plans on partnering with a foundation this year in the greater metro Atlanta area, and participate in the same cause of providing resources for education. A donation link will become available for this cause on their website during the summer of 2023.

Contact Mrs. Cat if you are in need of a dessert cater! All events are encouraged and accepted Custom packaging, themes, and custom order amounts are accepted year round. Please visit their website for additional details or inquiries, www.catscookies.net or email [email protected]

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Cat’s Cookies funding was supported by the owner, customer orders, and investments from fellow board members, once Cat’s Cookies was incorporated in 2021. The transition from a former cottage business in Texas, to a retail/wholesale manufacture in Marietta Georgia has tallied a large investment for this small bakery. The company expanded during the mist of a tragic pandemic and high global inflation, however has maintained growing sales during the previous years.

Cat’s Cookies goal for this upcoming year, is to gain more exposure and awareness of their brand by establishing contracts with grocery retailers as a supplier. Once granted, this will provide more opportunities to hire employees, create more manufacturing facilities, bring aboard new investors, and store front opportunities in the near future. .

How’d you meet your business partner?

Cat’s Cookies was manned solemnly by Cat in 2019. However, when business started to pick up, and became a challenge to manage weekly markets and baking schedules for Cat as a full time student and employee, close family voiced their expertise and stepped in. With their help, this has kept the business at a productive stage. Catherine added two valuable individuals, whom have aided in the success of business operations for Cat’s Cookies, her sister and husband.

As Cat is obtaining her BBA in Entrepreneurship, both her husband and sister, who have obtained college degrees personally know how challenging this can be, in addition to being a business owner and employee, with time management. The day to day functions of maintaining orders, and customer inquiry emails, website functionality, for the past year have been maintained by Cat’s sister, who has obtained her MBA and MHA, post of serving our country in the US Army. Lakeshia, known as Key, serves as a board member for Cat’s Cookies, and has held an integral role to the company’s success. Providing her experience and expertise, not only to Cat’s Cookies, but also to her own business/ brand, Blemer VXW (https://blemerofficial.com/). , a Veteran owned online boutique store. Her strengths have showcased her dedication to the success of both business operations, which has been accelerated over this past year.

Due to the owners day job conflict of schedule, Cat has heavily relied on her husbands support to maintain their weekly market as a vendor at The Marietta Square Farmers Market on Saturdays, from 9am-12pm. The continued support of returning customers and new consumers of their brand has improved this small business productivity since launching Cat’s Cookies in Georgia in 2021. Cat considers herself privileged to have these two on her team with great praise.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.catscookies.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catscookiesinc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatscookiesInc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catscookies9/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGBsvCDDdGhjDK39xY8sadQ

Image Credits
@VXW (https://blemerofficial.com/) @SweetShotsByKayla (https://www.facebook.com/SweetShotsByKayla/)