We recently connected with Molly Blakeley and have shared our conversation below.

Molly, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?

I made a bad business move and ended up being fraud by a slick couple. After being in business for 25 years I found my self with nothing. I was a single mom and $150 in my pocket. I was devastated, with no time to sit and be broke! So I started making gourmet cookies. It started slow, about 20 boxes a week, then exploded into 45 boxes a day after just 3 months! I had been shouted out on Buzzfeed as one of the best things to buy for Christmas 2018. Next I was invited to the start up hub in Detroit by Forbes, when I was titled one of the top 150 start ups of 2019. Things have went in turbo drive since then. I launched nationally November 9th 2021 and its been like a whirlwind! My cookies company Molly Bz cookies has now been on QVC, Mancrates, Zulily, Great Wolf Lodge resorts, Oscar gifting suites, International Emmy Gift bags, Wheel Of Fortune, Target and more! Its been a complete dream!

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

I have lived in Alaska almost all my life. I love it here! Yes its cold in the winter, but I just don’t play outside and the summers here are amazing! I’m a mother of three, super creative, hard working and have 35 years in the food and beverage industry. Molly Bz Gourmet cookies are the newest and first gourmet single pack cookies to hit big box store shelves in America. I love coming up with fun flavors and making them into a wild cookie concoction, The Hot Mess just came out, it has sundried mangos, white chocolate and hot Cheeto dust on top! Sounds weird but tastes AWESOME! Molly Bz cookies a very large compared to the other single pack options at 3.5 oz (competitors are around 1,25oz). All our flavors have fun names and yummy ingredients and are endorsed by the one and only Ghirardelli! Therefore all our cookies have 20% chocolate in them.
What a wild ride its been in just a year from launching nationally! There have been so many moments that have blown my mind! Like how is my logo on the actual wheel on the Wheel Of Fortune?! HA! The Oscars, Emmys, an Grammy Gifting suites, how is this my life? Did I mention target!? Its all blowing my mind. Every single day I can’t believe that just 4 years ago I couldn’t pay my light bill and yet here I am.
the cookies are known for not only wild fun flavors, but also the presentation! When you get Molly bz cookies they come in a box that looks like a stove and when you open it you are faced with a retro pink oven door, in order to get your cookies, you have to open the oven. When I was on QVC she said It was one of the cutest packaging she had even seen on QVC. I design all my packaging. I love to be creative!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I decided I had nothing to lose so I applied for everything there was. I reached out to anyone I thought would be a great fit for my brand. and I promised myself to never put a limit on what I could do. When I wanted a deal with Ghirardelli, I simply googled their headquarters, and contact info, picked up my phone and cold called them. I wanted the best chocolate only for my cookies, they are the best. So I went for it! Surprisingly they were open to the idea and did the due diligence on me, my brand and I sent samples of course and in just a few weeks I had their blessing ad endorsement. I do that all the time, I mean why not me? Who else can I think of? What’s my dream collaboration? When I think of it, I just google them and find the CEO on Linkedin or I email or call them. Its been wild how many have said yes! So think up your biggest dream endorsement, and reach out to them. Like RIGHT NOW! Go do it!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn people pleasing. Not everyone will like what you are doing. But it turns out there are way more who do! Find your people and don’t worry about the others. Stay in your lane. You don’t have to make everyone happy! And you couldn’t even if you tried!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mollybz.com
• Instagram: @mollybzcookies
• Facebook: @mollybz
• Linkedin: @mollyblakeley
• Youtube: @mollyblakeley

Image Credits
Molly Pictures: Artistic Puppy
Creative Cookie pictures: Jodi Friedman photography