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

Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

In the fall of 2020 I was watching a news magazine on television that was featuring a sugar cookie decorator. I starting following her on social media and was a bit fascinated by the process. That follow led to me following many other decorators and thinking to myself, that with my cake decorating background, this could be something that I would enjoy doing. As I said, I was a former cake decorator, but only really did it for family and friends as a hobby because when I moved to Washington from Ohio, the state of Washington did not have a cottage baking law and cottage baking for profit was illegal. I started doing some research on the laws in the state to find that Washington had finally passed a cottage baking law in 2012! That being said, it’s not an easy road, we have one of the most difficult and expensive application processes in the US. The following 2 months were spend perfecting recipes, deciding on a name and applying for my business license.

I was lucky that it really didn’t take me long to develop the perfect sugar cookie and royal icing recipe. I pride myself on the flavor and freshness of my cookies and the “soft bite” of my royal icing.

After I had my business license and food handlers card in hand, it was time to apply for my cottage baking license. It involved making a physical label for each of my products that listed each and every ingredient and allergen, writing out the preparation and packaging process of each item, writing out a plan for any pets or children in the home, designating dedicated storage spaces for all of my dry, refrigerated and frozen ingredients, drawing out a floor plan of my kitchen, bathroom and storage spaces, making a list of all of the tools that I use during my processes and submitting it all to the Dept. of Agriculture. That process took well over six weeks and then another 3 months until my phone interview (covid) and actually getting licensed.

I was also lucky that I had many family and friends that were willing to order from me right away and my business is still mostly spread by word of mouth. I have the most amazing customer base! They support my business time and time again, whether it’s a custom birthday order, a market or one of my holiday presales. I love creating cookies for them.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Lisa and I’m a transplant to Olympia, Washington. I was born and raised in the great state of Ohio. If someone yells O-H, you better believe I’ll respond with I-O! Ohio will always be home to me and I cherish the memories made there, but I’m happy to be raising my family in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

I started my sugar cookie journey in October of 2020 after seeing a decorating kit at the local grocery store and giving it a try. A mere 3 months later I applied for my business license and cottage baking permit and started creating. I’m overwhelmed by how quickly my business has taken off, and I’m so thankful that my clients trust me enough to make edible art for their special occasions.

Before cookies, I did cakes for family and friends for about 15 years. My first big cake was my own wedding cake. I also have a MSED and taught K-1-2 for 10 years before meeting my husband, getting married and moving to the PNW.

Speaking of my husband….his name is Blake and I absolutely adore him. THE LOVE OF MY LIFE! His sense of humor is only matched by my own and he makes me laugh every single day. We met on the internet 23 years ago, back before you actually wanted to admit that you met on the net. We have 2 fantastic kiddos, Garrett and Olivia. They are my world. My business name is based on their first initials G & O.

To know me is to know that I’m an introvert, which makes it difficult for me to show my face on social media. I love listening to true crime podcasts while I decorate and true crime is usually on the television as background noise while I do anything else.

If I’m not decorating cookies, you’ll find me doing some DIY project, reading for the neighborhood book club or camping in the beautiful PNW forests.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Without a doubt it has been word of mouth from my amazing customers to their friends and family. A close second would be those that have been to an event where my cookies were being served. They tried them and were hooked.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I honestly still struggle with this. The algorithms will drive you crazy if you think too much about them. Just try your best! Show your face and let your audience get to know you, even if you’re an introvert (a lesson I’m still trying to learn) BE YOURSELF! Having a giveaway always helps boost followers for a few weeks too.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gogocookieco.com
• Instagram: gogocookieco
• Facebook: Go Go Cookie Co.

Image Credits
Kayleigh Stefanko Photography