We were lucky to catch up with Mary-Jean McMillan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mary-Jean, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

My story is a little different in that I did not set out to start a business. Although, I always wanted to find a way to work from home, this business came about very organically. I have always loved to bake (I love desserts and nothing beats homemade). When I was about 12 years old a family friend saw something in me and offered to take me to cake decorating classes. This was in the late 1970’s before fondant was a thing. So I learned all about piping with buttercream in piping bags we folded out of parchment paper. Cookie decorating is very different than cake decorating, but the piping skills I learned in the cake classes were foundational and transferable to cookies. And I think it gave me the inspiration to decorate cookies. (It was surprising that I remembered how to fold parchment paper into a piping bag 30 years later!)

So the way my business got started was by happenstance really. We were having a Winter Wonderland themed party for my niece’s birthday and I decided to make snowflake shaped & decorated cookies. (My sugar cookies were always a hit at the holidays so I had started making them for other family events, as well. Nothing fancy- just simple shapes iced in different colors and maybe some polka dots or outlines to dress them up a bit.) At this particular party, a guest that I didn’t know, approached me and ask me what I charged. I was quite taken aback! I was thinking to myself, “What do you mean, what do I charge? Who pays someone else to make cookies for them? Why wouldn’t you make them yourself?”. I just had no idea that custom decorated cookies was a thing and that people would pay alot of money for cookies! So I talked to my nieces and came up with a price and the lady agreed. I made the cookies and was proud of how they came out – although when I look back on them, they were not good! But, in preparation for that order, I did some research online and started seeing all these super creative and adorable cookies in every theme one could think of. Then my nieces and nephew started asking me to create specific designs for them. I would look at the pictures and say, “Oh, I don’t think I can do that.” Their reply would be, “Sure you can, you’ll figure it out.” So, I had to figure it out- I couldn’t disappoint them! I would study the pictures and try to determine how they created it. So, I’m primarily self taught, but I did find some online videos that helped me learn to master Royal Icing. But, I also realized that this was a very time consuming process and something that takes an extraordinary amount of patience and not everyone has that. And those people are willing to pay good money for that service. Well, I must have posted a picture of those first cookies on social media because several months later a lady, whom I really didn’t know but was Facebook friends with, messaged me and asked if I would make cookies for a Hawaiian themed party. That was my second paid job. Then I made some for a family baby shower and my neighbor saw them and started asking me to make cookies for all sorts or things. She was really just looking for excuses to order them because she and her family kind of went crazy over them. Her husband called me his “Cookie Dealer”. That’s probably when I realized I just might have something here. She gave me total creative freedom and this gave me the chance to keep practicing and improving. Through word of mouth, friends of friends started ordering and that was when I realized I needed to make it a legal business as I was now baking, out of my home, for people I really didn’t know. I didn’t tell my husband beforehand, but I came up with a business name and looked into the cottage food laws and obtained the necessary licenses in my city and county.

Most of my business was through word of mouth, but I was getting busier and busier and I had a decent amount of repeat customers. And then we decided to move out of state. I had to start all over again without knowing anyone in my new state. (We followed our best friends who were the only two people we knew.) Once we were settled, I made some cookies to donate to a neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. That was how I introduced myself and my business to my new community and I soon became busier than I was in my home state! I really didn’t do a lot to advertise besides using specific hashtags when posting to social media. I did have a lot of word of mouth from the neighbors in the beginning, as well. People will seek out and pay for a quality product. For me, the movie saying, “If you build it, they will come.” was true!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am 57 and started my business at the age of 48, but didn’t really get going until about the age of 50. I’m proof that it’s never too late to start something or to find your niche. I come from a big, Italian family and have always loved to bake, but never really thought about doing it as a business. Sharing food is just something Italians do because we love to eat and it’s how we show our love to others. It was only after a stranger asked me what I charged that I realized I may actually have a service others would be interested in. I came from a family that did things for ourselves – we didn’t pay others to make repairs or build things. My dad and brothers did that. And my mom (and I) always cooked all the food for all the parties we hosted. I viewed baking as something people did for themselves and only ever thought of ordering a cake for a wedding. So when I happened upon custom decorated cookies, I discovered that I had a skill others were willing to pay good money for. My customers trust me to create something special to help celebrate their life events. And it feels so good to be able to contribute something so personal and custom for these events. I spend a lot of time researching a theme and coming up with my design ideas. I then draw them out and send to the customer to make sure I’ve captured their vision. They are paying good money for cookies and I want them to be thrilled with the end product. I usually create about 6 designs per average order of 2-3 doz cookies. (I also do larger corporate orders that may only have 1 for 2 designs.) Each cookie is hand decorated using Royal Icing. I often use an airbrush and stencils that I create with my Cricut cutting machine. And I’ll use an overhead projector to copy exact designs such as a business logo. I also design and 3D print my own cookie cutters so there’s no limit to what I can create! I do a lot of baby showers, birthdays and graduations, but I also do all sorts of events such as funerals and even vasectomies! A neighbor hired me to make cookies to gift to her neurologist who cured her debilitating headaches. That doctor has since became a regular customer!

There are a lot of cookiers (yes, that’s what we call ourselves) out there, but many of them are still honing their skills (which is why they may charge less). We all start somewhere, but I am an experienced decorator who really puts my all into every order. Each order is custom. I spend hours researching and designing a set and usually about 12 hours decorating an average order of 2 dozen cookies. So, my heart and soul goes into each order. I’m not cheap, but I don’t charge by how many colors I use and whether or not I used my projector or airbrush like many do. I don’t want to be limited in my creativity by the price. So, I offer a fair price and then get to creating. Every event is special and I do my best to make my customers feel they are getting their money’s worth.

Over the years, I have been able to create for a few celebrities which was fun. My nephew, who pushed me to try things I didn’t think I could do, is a talent manager. He recently had me create a small order for a movie being filmed nearby and I got to present the cookies to the actress, on set, and also meet the director. I also was hired, by a local venue, to make some cookies for the band The Eagles. I have another regular customer who sends her parents to pick up her orders. They are a city councilor and a state congressman. I never imagined meeting some of the people I have because of cookies! The service I provide is not life changing, but it brings joy to many people’s lives. It’s so nice when a customer tells me their cookies were the hit of the party. It makes all the time and effort worth it to me.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Decorating cookies is extremely time consuming. Each little part of the design takes time and may have to dry before the next step. It’s also something that can’t be rushed or it will look like a 2nd grader did it. This makes it hard to determine how long any particular design will take. There was a time when I threw out my back from working too many long hours. But, I had a deadline and had to figure out a way to keep working through the pain and finish the job. Another time, an order was particularly detailed and difficult and was just taking a long time to create each cookie. I worked all through the night and never went to bed. I just had to do what it took to complete the order. These aren’t life shattering incidents, but I know I have the physical resilience to keep going no matter what it takes. If I make a commitment, I’ll do everything in my power to deliver.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

There are many Facebook groups for various fields that can be very helpful- especially to someone just starting their business. For cookie decorators, for example, there are groups where one can ask all sorts of questions regarding how to achieve a specific design or where to purchase a particular cookie cutter. Some groups focus on the marketing of a bakery business and others on things like how to make a stencil using a cutting machine. All these groups are free and have people that are happy to share their experience and help others learn a new skill. I’m glad I eventually stumbled upon them, but I could have used some of the knowledge earlier in my journey. There are also many different cookiers that offer paid online classes that focus on particular skills. Because custom cookies are so time consuming, many cookiers will suffer burn out. Alot of them have transitioned their businesses from taking custom orders to teaching others.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.soextrasweets.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soextrasweets
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soextrasweets