We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elise Thomas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elise below.
Hi Elise , thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
For most people, the pandemic brought about radical shifts both personally and professionally. For my husband and me, 2020 – 2021 was a period of time that was riddled with setbacks that challenged our grit and perseverance. Looking for a way to make ends meet during one of the most distressing times in our nation’s history, I decided to do something that would fuel my soul. In the stressful and reflective early days of the national stay-at-home orders, I often thought about the simple things that I loved growing up – like freshly baked cookies. I remembered times when a neighbor would be having a rough day and my mom would bake them some fresh baked cookies to help spread a little cheer; and times when a tragic loss would occur and while my mom was powerless to change the tragedy, she could bake cookies as an offering of comfort to those in need. I was a mother of three at the time, and I recognized that this tradition of yesteryears often goes by the wayside as most women work these days, with baking last on the to-do list.
Beginning as a simple way to comfort locals, pass the time, and bring in a little income, I started baking cookies at home with what I now call “a Barbie-size mixer” for purchase via Instagram (where I was able to amass a following of over 33K followers). Cookies were for sale from “the cookie lady” (which I quickly became known as) via social media with a curbside pick-up in my driveway. Sales quickly skyrocketed and I found myself working around the clock to make hundreds of cookies a day. Out of space and managing increasing demand, my husband and I did the unthinkable – we opened our flagship location in Redlands in August 2020. Despite mandates, a house fire, and a fourth child on the way, we were able to make Cookie Co. soar. I channeled my perseverance from my Boston marathon training to ride the waves of chaos and establish a new standard in the cookie industry.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Cookie Co. will soon be at the heart of every great town in America. As a company, we hold quality and core values close to heart. As a wife, mom, and woman under 40 with four children, including our surprise fourth child Parker who was born during the pandemic, I am passionate about creating opportunities for others at all ages and stages of life. I am excited to see Cookie Co. bring our “Gourmet Cookies, Made Locally” to a neighborhood near you, as we expand nationally with franchises and new corporately owned stores. I am also training hard for the 2023 Boston Marathon which I am so thrilled that I qualified for! After all, I will run for Cookie Co. cookies…and my Instagram doesn’t lie – Diet Coke is my love language.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
A four-letter word sums this up – REAL. We only use REAL eggs, REAL butter, and REAL sugar in our cookie recipes. While scaling Cookie Co. is important so that we can bring our cookies to more raving fans, I refuse to sacrifice the integrity of our cookies. More times than not, you see brands start to expand, and shortly after their quality takes a plunge. This is almost always due to brands trying to cut costs by using cheaper ingredients. I simply refuse to cut corners on our ingredients. I want every person who enjoys a Cookie Co. cookie to have the same taste experience they would have if I made it personally. I have even gone as far as working with a special company that mixes our dry ingredients exactly to my recipe specifications and delivers them right to each location. Each recipe is made with freshly cracked eggs – no exceptions.
I also think nurturing our community ties has made a huge difference. Community is everything, and I believe in reinvesting in the city you choose to live, work and play in. Our flagship location has supported a variety of local organizations in and around Redlands including RHS High School Fundraisers, REV High School Special Olympics Fundraiser, Olive Crest Strong Families, Safe Kids, Elizabeth Smart Foundation, Youth Hope Foundation, Malouf Foundation, Redlands Fire Department, Redlands Fire Station, Citrus Valley Teacher Foundation, Redlands School District, and Crafton Elementary.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I decided to open up Cookie Co., I had no idea what was in store for us. After my husband and I signed our lease and started the process, we were overwhelmed because we had no idea what we were doing. When the pandemic hit, we were scared like most of the world not knowing what was going to happen. My children were sent home from school and little did I know they would be homeschooled for over a year. Despite it all, we continued to move forward. Then, my husband lost his job, and at that point, I started to feel the weight of the world. What started as an idea to be my side hustle was soon going to be our only source of income. I decided to work out of my home to make a little money before we opened since our savings were draining quickly. Every morning I would teach my kids and then bake in the evening to fulfill orders. Slowly the word got out thanks to social media. I went from receiving a few orders a week to selling 250 boxes of 4 cookies each a week…that’s over 1,000 cookies! I would stay up until 4 or 5 am sometimes baking cookies and then wake up after only an hour or two of sleep to help my young children with their schoolwork. At one point our water heater, air conditioning, oven, and microwave all went out in one week. Not to mention I found out I was pregnant with my surprise fourth child, who is now lovingly referred to as the cookie baby! I felt like I was drowning and I hadn’t even opened our storefront yet. Finally, as we got close to the opening day we had no money left. We put everything we needed on credit cards for supplies for the first few days. I was terrified that this would not work out and that I would bankrupt my family. When I arrived at the shop our first morning I’ll never forget the line I saw forming. I was shocked. I went in with my recipes on a small piece of paper and started making the cookies. Up to that point I had done everything by memory. On the first day, we had a three-hour wait for cookies almost all day. We had a line every day for the first few weeks in fact and then we finally got our systems in place and became much more efficient. Thankfully our patrons were patient with us!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cookieco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisethecookielady/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cookie-co/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyaISxcc1MwJfSVZlvIoYUw