We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erin Avery a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Erin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
I have always loved to bake. I baked a loy as a kid with my mom. I remember having slumber parties and my mom would set up cookie dough stations with fillings and sprinkles etc so that we could create our own cookies.
As I got older. I stopped baking. It wasn’t until December of 2022 when my father passed away that I started baking again. It was a form of therapy. I lost myself in the dough. I pictured my father eating my cookies telling me that they were good and if I could bake him more. Baking brought me life during that hard time.
It wasn’t until February 2023 that the idea was started. I baked about three dozen cookies for my daughters birthday and as I was packing up cookies my guests asked if they could take them home. They even said they would pay me for them. I laughed but later that night, I had a conversation with my father. I asked him, “Do you think I could actually create a business selling cookies?” I heard his voice. I felt this light come over me and hi.telling me “Do it baby girl!” So I did. I started perfecting recipes and created an LLC. Ruby Street Cookie Co was born.
Erin, 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?
Im Erin Avery. Im 45 years old. I was a licensed behavioral health therapist, turned fitness/health coach. I have always loved helping and serving people. My niche was emotional overeating eating because I had fought that battle myself for over 15 years and overcame it. I literally taught people how to eat cookies without guilt and sahme all while enjoying just one or two and not feeling like that they had derailed their weightloss journey, throwing in the towel and eating ALL the cookies and starying over on Monday.
Though I loved what I did, it wasn’t quite in alignment with me. So I quit but still practiced what I preached and ate a cookie or brownie daily. I would play around and make single serve cookies mixing in chocolate chip, nuts, oreos and it would be my own stuffed cookie. I like to say I am the original stuffed cookie queen.
Those one off cookie creations stayed with me and when I became serious about baking cookies those became my originals. I only use high quality ingredients and everything is hand made in my kitchen.
I offer classic cookies with a twist. I even cater to gluten-free customers. I have a sensitivities to gluten so some of the flavors I create, I can make gluten-free.
I take a lot of pride in my work. We all have an inner cookie monster I think and if you’re going to eat a cookie. It should be a cookie that taste not just good but great.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
I started soing Farmer’s markets May 14, 2023. It was here that I cultivated a following of customers. I saw the same faves and new ones every other week. I made sure I got them on my email list and kept them up to date on when I would be at the market, what cookies I would have. They came, they brought friends and family. I truly feel like the markets helped put Ruby Street on the map.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
The customer base I have. Honestly, without the people that continue to support, share and buy from me, Ruby Street wouldn’t be here. Outside of that, making cookies that my customer loves. When they come up and buy a cookie. I listened to them when they said “You should make a raspberry cookie or one that has macadamia nuts.” I would go home and create a recipe and have it for the next narket.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.rubystreetcookieco.com
- Instagram: @rubystreetcookco
- Facebook: Ruby Street Cookie Co