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

Alright, Olivia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I started making cookies as a freshman in high school as a campaign strategy to become Class President, a role I held for three years. I then continued the business to fund my track career because I felt it was my duty to come up with funds for the endeavors I wanted to pursue, as money was hard to come by. I used my earnings to buy a phone, then a car, then save. I took on multiple other jobs, working as a bookkeeper at the age of 15, getting a job at Panera, etc., all while going to school and running track.

Cookies were my rock through all of the trials I underwent in my high school years and served as an avenue for my creativity as well; I constantly experimented with flavor combinations and took the hardships of business and my life in stride. I ran track, because I believed it would be my ticket to college- the reality was that growing up in a low-income family meant no one could put me through university but myself, so I ran with the intention of earning a full ride. I worked my way up, and my senior year of Highschool I was the state champion in the 300 meter hurdles, Valedictorian, and recruited by many.

However, I ended up getting into Ithaca College as an MLK scholar, and funded most of my college experience that way, leaving the track behind as I stepped onto the university scene. I ended up working three jobs my freshman year, two jobs my sophomore year, and I worked all summer long at restaurants and as a bookkeeper for different companies. In my junior year, when Covid struck, I ended up starting my cookie business again. It was first just for fun- something I could use to earn a little cash on the side, then it became more as I was approached to enter a business competition. I was told to solve a problem with my business, and I took that in a direction away from what you typically might think- a gap in the market- I said, what problem in the system do I want to solve?

I wanted to help fund minority college students’ careers. I had realized through my struggle in university, that not everyone can work three jobs and still focus on their schooling- I was an outlier in that area. People shouldn’t have to do all of that. They should be able to focus on their studies, building connections, and building a better life. So, I made it my mission to give a percentage of my profits to struggling BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students.

I entered multiple business competitions and won- earning $7,000+ to get things running, and I’ve been unstoppable ever since.

Olivia, 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?

There are these embers, these embers burning within my soul that I’ve had ever since I could remember. This need, this constant nagging feeling, as though I have to save the world. I felt it at age five, and I feel it even stronger now, at 24. I have never been able to sit idly by and watch the world crumble, or people suffer, or life just ‘go on.’ I’ve always had to do something, to strive for something greater, to continue up that stairway. Even if someone were to cut off my legs, I can assure you, I would learn how to walk on my hands.

And that’s been my whole life. Whether it’s cookies, or something else, I will always be pouring myself into making the world a better place, listening to voices who haven’t been heard, and spreading love, because what else are we living for?

I made cookies because I liked them, and now they stand for something much stronger in my quest for good. They are a vessel with which I can uplift communities around me and have important conversations.

Someday, it could change from cookies, to something else, and that’s okay, because at the core of who I am, I just want to be good. I want us to be well. I want a life free from suffering- which I know isn’t something that may ever happen, but can I not dream? Can I not try? I will fight until the very end, to give all people a life worth living- even if right now, I’m chipping away at things one cookie at a time.

In terms of my offerings and services, I sell … you guessed it, cookies! I cater large events like weddings, academic gatherings, parties, etc., with individually packaged glutenous, gluten free and vegan cookies that all taste incredible. I also do client gift boxes, have a subscription box that comes with never seen before flavors, and sell in select retail locations. I am a public speaker and lead workshops on entrepreneurship, privilege and diversity, and professional goal setting, and have a speaking engagement that I do with Jeff Furman, the president of the Ben and Jerry’s Foundation, on whether a business can have heart. I am also a painter and muralist, guide meditations, and would love to get into voice acting!

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

I made a point of being everywhere- meaning I myself went to markets, introduced myself to other business owners, spoke on panels, said yes to all interviews, pulled up to parties, etc. I went EVERYWHERE. And when people see you, over and over, in all these different places, and you meet them with a smile, and with care, and give them something sweet to eat, they are sure to remember you. I’ve built a reputation for myself that way, and I am so happy to be constantly met with smiles, because at the core of what I do, I just try to be good.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Your people are the lifeforce of your business, so you absolutely must value them above profits. Make sure there is communication, care, and community built within your brand. First and foremost, I like my employees to regard me as a friend- I want them to be able to trust that I have their best interest in mind, and I then, can trust that they have mine in mind as well. Things have worked out well for me that way, because we all value each other, and in turn, the business does well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.viascookies.com
• Instagram: @viascookies
• Facebook: @viascookies
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-carpenter-305b42172
• Yelp: vias cookies
• Other: Photos:

  @maxwellharveysampson

  and

  ©Myaskovsky: Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau

Image Credits

©Myaskovsky: Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau

and

@maxwellharveysampson