TheCareerCreator.com interviews Colleen Thompson of Colleen’s Cookies
May 15, 2009 by careercreator
Colleen's Cookies
For Colleen Thompson, baking was a hobby…until word of mouth spread about her shortbread cookies. Now she runs Colleen’s Cookies, a specialty cookie boutique that can create fresh, custom cookie art based on the client’s needs and the company’s motto: “It’s all about the taste.”
Colleen’s Cookies is a great example of how being passionate about things you make can turn into a new job, and in this interview she shares some tips about her unintentional path to becoming an entrepreneur.
TheCareerCreator.com: What is your “job”? Please tell us a bit about your company and what you sell or what service you provide?
Colleen Thompson: Colleen’s Cookies is a special order cookie company. Our house specialty is creating decorated shortbread cookies that match any occasion.
For instance, a friend had a moped accident and we created (once we knew she was not seriously injured) a crystal ball stating “we see you feeling better very soon”, some fun sayings like the old Batman “wham”, “pow”, “bam”, a moped cookie that we broke in half, her favorite beer – Stella Arteois, etc….we’ll you get it. Fun…but very personal – that’s it in a nutshell. It’s so enjoyable.
Colleen's Cookies
TheCareerCreator.com: How long have you been in business? Can you tell us a little about how you got started? What was your “Once upon a time…?”
Colleen Thompson: I started baking cookies in 2000 when a friend asked me to create 250 cookies for an event. The guests enjoyed them, started calling, and that’s how it started.
In the beginning it was just a hobby – a few orders here, a few orders there and it all started word of mouth. The hobby turned into a business a few years ago due to the growth in our client base.
TheCareerCreator.com: You had a natural interest in ??? that is now the basis of your job?
Colleen Thompson: I have always been a “foodie”. I grew up in Colorado and food was what happened in our house. From my mother to both of my Grandmother’s – we all loved being in the kitchen. My family also has a restaurant that is celebrating 51 years in business – very successful for such a difficult occupation.
My first solo baking was at 10 years old – a scratch strawberry cake with strawberry icing – the icing had chunks of cake in it, lopsided, and I was sooooooooo proud!!! I was hooked.
Colleen's Cookies
TheCareerCreator.com: What were some of the materials or technology you needed to get started on a very basic level?
Colleen Thompson: When I began it was in my kitchen. All I needed was a mixer, flour and sugar, some creativity and an oven. It is more complicated now that we have a production kitchen.
TheCareerCreator.com: The best part about creating your own job?
Colleen Thompson: The best part about my job is having the ability to create. That’s fun. We’ve sent out some amazing cookies. Last summer we were selected as a winner for the A List – Best Gift Cookie in STL. One of the comments in the write up was “if Amos is famous, someone should call Oprah”…Forever imbedded in my mind.
We also were selected to create cookies for a cartoon that launched last fall, Turbo Dogs. The production company contacted us to bid on the project and create a cookie for the New York promotion and the LA promotion and we won. These were works of art. So very proud of them.
TheCareerCreator.com: What’s the toughest hurdle you’ve encountered in creating your own job…and how you overcame it?
Colleen Thompson: The toughest hurdle…hmmm. Had I chosen to start a business, It would have started out differently. What was just a fun hobby became a business.
Colleen's Cookies
TheCareerCreator.com: Any words of wisdom or encouragement to anyone wanting to create their own job?
Colleen Thompson: Be passionate. It is an old adage but if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life….it’s all fun!
More About This Company:
Founder: Colleen Thompson
Company Name: Colleen’s Cookies
Website: www.ColleensCookies.com
Thanks, Colleen, for taking the time to encourage our readers with sound advice for starting a business from a hobby! Hopefully, Oprah will come calling soon!
~TheCareerCreator.com
