Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chloe Coman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Chloe thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the decision of whether to donate a percentage of sales to an organization or cause – we’d love to hear the backstory of how you thought through this.

Doing something for the greater good has always been something that I’m passionate about. The environment specifically has been a topic of discussion my entire life as a Zillennial and how we as a generation can work to make the Earth a more sustainable place.

Working in the catering industry, especially during COVID times, I saw an immense amount of single use plastic being used to individually wrap treats and there didn’t seem to be anyone concerned about it. When I decided to start my own cookie business in 2023, I knew it had to be done differently.

I partner with eco-friendly suppliers such as Noissue to ensure my shipping boxes, tape, and packing materials are recyclable. Most importantly, the individual bags I use for individually packaging favors are compostable. I have also recently set-up a partnership with The Park People as my check-out charity. This means there is an option to donate to their organization to help plant more trees in Colorado that my company will match 5% at the end of the year.

Keeping in that same theme, I ensure that I source my ingredients from reputable suppliers, small/local businesses where possible, and always make everything from scratch, with love.

Chloe, 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?

Although I thought I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up, my love for baking has always been evident. Making up cookie recipes in the kitchen as a little kid, baking on Thanksgiving being the highlight of my year, and jumping in the kitchen to cook meals as I got older was only the beginning of this great cookie adventure.

I went to the University of Michigan for my first year of college thinking I had my whole life planned out. I had some unexpected curve balls along the way including debilitating chronic back pain that led to my decision to leave traditional college and attend The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY for Baking and Pastry Arts. Ever since graduating top of my class in 2016, I have worked as a pastry chef, wedding cake decorator, baker, general manager, and catering manager for a few different companies. I worked for 3 small businesses before I switched to corporate, and both had their challenges. During that time, I also completed my Bachelors of Business from Penn State to further understand the business side of the industry.

Although I’ve never dreamed of owning my own business, I dreamed of having a work/life balance that allowed me to enjoy the life I have worked so hard for. In 2023, I quit my job as the General Manager for a corporate catering company due to immense sexism, harassment, and mistreatment. I became so disenchanted with the food industry after all the years I spent grinding those 16 hour days, running on 4 hours of sleep during wedding season and working every holiday to bake those treats that once made me so happy. I was taught that putting your head down and working hard would eventually pay off. Your boss or someone would recognize the loyalty, drive, passion, and commitment that you put into your work for THEIR business. But it never came. It turns out that line is given out by businesses to keep you overworked and underpaid. Working in the industry through COVID was also really tough, but I made it out the other side without feeling as defeated as I did after this corporate catering job.

So as I looked for another job in the food/event industry, I couldn’t help but feel like something was off. I should have been excited doing interviews and starting a new opportunity, but my gut was telling me otherwise. Deep down I knew I couldn’t commit myself to another 2-3 years working myself to the bone for someone else’s business that won’t appreciate me (or pay me appropriately) anyway.

So it’s not the most glamorous story, but that’s how Chloe’s Colorado Cookie Co. was born. If I was going to start over yet again, I knew it had to be for myself this time. I have had my business for about a year now, and I won’t lie, it’s been incredibly difficult at times. Navigating every aspect of a business alone can be a lot. Then throw in regular life challenges into the mix and it can get unmanageable really quickly. But it has also been a very rewarding year. I have learned a lot and I am grateful to every customer who has supported me thus far. There really is someone doing a little happy dance on the other side of that order form when you order from a local, small business that focuses on quality like mine.

Although my training and career has been in all kinds of pastry, I wanted to focus on cookies because they truly are my and my partner’s favorite dessert! I also fell in love with decorating sugar cookies early on in my career and have always found joy in icing them. I wanted delicious cookies to be easily accessible and not just for big occasions. I designed my business structure so someone can order as little as one cookie and have it gift packaged and delivered anywhere nationwide and STILL be fresh! That’s basically unheard of in the dessert world as most places have minimum orders in order to deliver or ship.

The packaging is eco-friendly and luxurious, and the cookies taste even better. I also focus on partnering with local small businesses as well as non-profit organizations because I think giving back should be a pillar of any business. Honestly every person I have worked for in this industry has had questionable ethics and bad business practices in regards to the customer. I firmly believe that honest, transparent pricing and just being a good person will go a long way with my customers because the alternative out there is frightening. All kinds of hidden charges, service fees, and shady ingredients I’ve seen working for others worries me, and I want to prove that good people can still succeed without cutting corners.

One highlight of my business is my edible image printer. It allows me to print any image with a food grade printer directly onto cookies. I use this mainly to print customer logos on sugar cookies with their matching sprinkles and they use them as gifts to their clients or for events. Any image can be printed, not just logos! I also offer loyalty gifting programs and recurring gift programs that automate your gifting needs so you can set it and forget it! This is perfect for Real Estate Agent client gifts or any corporate gift need. With all of my programs and pricing, the more you order, the more discount you receive.

Although I focus on gift packaging and cookies, I am a fully licensed business that can provide almost any dessert catering need! I find joy in baking for others and I look forward to baking for you soon!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Connecting with people on a real level. There is comfort in knowing you are communicating with a person and not a robot these days. One thing I noticed the most when I took my business full time was the out pouring of support from some of the clients I had already worked with when it was more of a side-hustle. I have built stronger relationships with the non-profit organizations and small businesses I have met and we support each other. Word of mouth has been the most productive in gaining new customers this past year. I did spend some money on social media and some other digital marketing efforts, but the results were nothing compared to just talking to people at events and markets.

Also practicing ethical and transparent business pricing and contracts. I don’t include hidden fees, services charges, or other random add-ons that many in the catering and event industry have done. I can answer any question about the sourcing of my ingredients, supplies, or the pricing of my products. I believe honesty will set me apart from the rest (if my quality ingredients and from scratch baking weren’t enough already!).

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’ve had to pivot many times in my life. The first major pivot was obviously deciding to leave traditional college and my track to become a doctor to attend the Culinary Institute of America. It wasn’t necessarily a hard choice because it’s what my passion truly was, but the circumstances around the choice were difficult.

I have had chronic back pain since the age of 17 and the injections, medications, and procedures that accompanied the diagnostic progress heavily impacted my decision to become a chef rather than a doctor. The pain was debilitating but so were the doctors themselves not investing enough interest into giving me an actual diagnosis. Very long story short, I finally received a diagnosis from my physical therapist in Denver at the age of 28. My chronic pain has been manageable for the last 2 years thanks to his diagnosis and advice.

This diagnosis of this connective tissue disorder has given me the strength and hope to run my own business. Every time I hit a road block in my business, it’s easier to pivot and find a new path based on the struggles I have faced in the past. My connective tissue disorder is for life, but I’m grateful that it is manageable with the proper training and steps.

Having my own business has allowed me to take breaks when I need and do things in a timeline that fits with my needs. I’ve learned that self-care is priority number one before you can start pouring your energy into other people or a business. I still look back at my choice to become a chef proudly, because it truly was a difficult time in my life. It has taught me so many lessons and has been such a whirlwind experience. I have the privilege of planning my day the way I want to while delivering quality products that make people smile, and that’ really what I think it’s all about for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chloescoloradocookieco.com
• Instagram: @chloescoloradocookieco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557350972991