1 00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: Conversations on life, style, beauty, and relationships. It's The Velvet's 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,640 Speaker 1: Edge podcast with Kelly Henderson. Okay, so I love talking 3 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: to small business owners and specifically young women entrepreneurs, which 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: we were just talking about. Um, I'm here with Megan 5 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: Feman from No Baked Cookie Dough and your twenty seven 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: years old. Wow, so you've really got this figured out early. 7 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: I'm kind of jealous. Yeah. I don't know if I 8 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: haven't figured out, but I can at least pretend I do. Yeah. 9 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: I think we're all doing that every day. Um, well, 10 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: before we get into No Baked and everything that you 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: guys are doing, and um, how that's going. Why don't 12 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: you take the listeners back because I read a lot 13 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: about just your journey and you did not start in 14 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: this world of business, entrepreneurship, any of that stuff at all. 15 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: So tell the people where you got your start. Yeah. 16 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: So I'm used to Nashville to go to Belmont University 17 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: actually for music business. So I thought that I wanted 18 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: to work in the country music industry, which doesn't seem 19 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 1: surprising when I say it out last fun. Um, So 20 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 1: I moved to Nashville specifically for that. I went to 21 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: school for that, and then I graduated with a degree 22 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: in music business, and I was one of the lucky 23 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: ones out of that program that got a job right 24 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: out of school working in the music industry. So, um, 25 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: you know, I was super pumped, super excited, like ready 26 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: to go fully into the music industry. And I was 27 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 1: about a year and a half into working, you know, 28 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: that full time nine to five job in music publishing, 29 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: and I just couldn't do it. I was literally going 30 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: in every day, sitting in a computer, working on spreadsheets, 31 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: doing a job that I could really do in any industry, 32 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: nothing related to the music, nothing like what I anticipated 33 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: it being like and what I really think I was 34 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: passionate about. But I realized that it wasn't necessarily industry specific. 35 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:14,959 Speaker 1: I just could not bring myself to want to sit 36 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: at a computer from nine to five all day. And 37 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 1: I know there's tons of people who like doing that 38 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: and who are good at doing that, but I was 39 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: just not one of them. And I quickly learned like, 40 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:28,799 Speaker 1: I have got to get out of this. I've got 41 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: to find some way to build my own path, like 42 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: my own schedule, my own lifestyle. And I grew up 43 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: with parents who are entrepreneurs. So I saw them build 44 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: a business from basically nothing when I was a little 45 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: kid into something super successful. And they lived this crazy 46 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: lifestyle where they basically got to work when they wanted to, 47 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: They got to go on vacations, we traveled the time. 48 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: And I think because I grew up seeing that, I 49 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: was kind of like, how do I get that for myself? 50 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: You know, how do I build myself that kind of 51 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: lifestyle because that's what I want to And I also 52 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: felt like, you know, no matter how much effort I 53 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 1: put in, I wasn't necessarily getting more bad when I 54 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: was working for someone else. And so I I was 55 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: really like in this rut where I hated my job 56 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:27,959 Speaker 1: and I was just depressed with what I was doing. 57 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: And I had one thing that I felt like I 58 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: was really good at making and then I felt like 59 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: other people might like and it was my edible cookie 60 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: dough recipes. So I had this chocolate chip cookie dough 61 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: recipe that I learned how to make, and I figured 62 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: out how to make it safe to eat, so I 63 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: would literally sit around and just eat it, and I 64 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: would take it to friends houses and share it with people. 65 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: But I never actually tried selling it too people, because 66 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: I just like, I didn't think it was a possibility. 67 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: You know, you don't really think like this thing that 68 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: you do for yourself or on the side could ever 69 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: turn into something. But when I got to that point 70 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: in my full time job where I was like I 71 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: really need to get out of here, I literally was like, 72 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: why not, Like, let's just give it a try. Let 73 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: me just try selling this and see if people like it. 74 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,480 Speaker 1: So I spent high lunch breaks at my job building 75 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: a website on square Space, and then I created an 76 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: Instagram page and just started messaging influencers in Nashville and 77 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 1: I basically said, you know, I'll give you this cookie 78 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: dough for free if you will post about it on 79 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: the day that we launch. So I actually launched it 80 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: as just a website where you could order online and 81 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: um I would either deliver it to you if you 82 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: were in Nashville or ship it if you were outside 83 00:04:54,440 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: of Nashville. So that happened in March of UM So 84 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: that was the very beginning of No Baked and it 85 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: kind of grew from there and to pop up shops 86 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 1: and then shops and now more e commerce focused. Wow, Okay, 87 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 1: so I want to talk more about no baked and 88 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: a little bit and just kind of the details of 89 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 1: running your own business and all of that stuff. But 90 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: you mentioned the why not peace? You know, they're like, yeah, 91 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 1: why not? Like I'm just gonna do this. I can't 92 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: imagine that it was that simple, though, And I actually 93 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:34,039 Speaker 1: I watched your your ted X talk, your text you talk, 94 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:36,919 Speaker 1: and it was all about fear. And that's something I 95 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: think every person can relate to, right no matter how 96 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: old you are in your life or what stage you 97 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: are in your life, and the fear that can go 98 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: into making a big life change or making these big shifts, 99 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: letting go of things. I know I deal with that 100 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: a lot. But you mentioned being terrified of making the 101 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,600 Speaker 1: wrong decision in your life. So can you talk through 102 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: a little bit of that and how you act really 103 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: overcame that to make the lead to start a company. Yeah. So, I, 104 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:10,599 Speaker 1: like I said, had just gone to school, not not 105 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,600 Speaker 1: a cheap, inexpensive school, one that I got student loans 106 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: for um to get a degree in music business, which 107 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 1: is a very specific degree, you know, not very broad. 108 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: Like I was very set on working in the music 109 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 1: industry in Nashville, and so once I graduated and got 110 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:35,599 Speaker 1: the job in the music industry. I I had learned, 111 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: like through interning I interned every single single year of 112 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: college and in the music industry as well. And I 113 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 1: had learned through interning and through having those jobs that 114 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: once you leave the music industry, you're not really coming back. 115 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,239 Speaker 1: You know, You're not just going to get some random 116 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: job in the music industry because you have this experience 117 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: at a company or in another industry. So when it 118 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: came to that point where I was sitting at my 119 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: desk job actually considering leaving to start no bait, I 120 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: kept fighting with myself internally because I was like, I 121 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: just spend all of this time focusing on the music 122 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: industry specifically, and if I leave this job to do 123 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: something in the food industry, of all places, I'm never 124 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,559 Speaker 1: going to make it back in the music industry. And 125 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: it was like not only me fighting with myself, but 126 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: also that that sad thing that I think happens to everyone, 127 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: where you're like, what will other people think about me? 128 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 1: You know, Like I had gotten a job like the 129 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: biggest music publishing company, and I felt cool for having 130 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 1: that job, you know what I mean, It's likely, yeah, 131 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: I felt like I had done something that was like 132 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: notable in some kind of way because I was working 133 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 1: somewhere well known, and so I wasn't only fighting like internally, 134 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 1: like oh my gosh, I spent all this time. I 135 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 1: devoted so much of my time to getting the experience 136 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: just to get this job, you know, unpaid interning experience, 137 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 1: and I am now having to decide if I'm gonna 138 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: like throw it away. That's kind of what it felt like. 139 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:34,679 Speaker 1: And then also fighting with like what will these people 140 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:39,200 Speaker 1: think if I step away from this, you know, and 141 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: if I announced that I'm starting something of my own 142 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: it's not well known, not notable, like what will the 143 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 1: response be? And so I've I fought with that I 144 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 1: will not lie to you. And it was terrifying. Um, 145 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: and I was just so scared that I would make 146 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 1: a huge mistake, you know, I would send away from 147 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: the music industry start Novaked, it would fail, which could 148 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 1: have easily happened, and then I would be stuck, you know, 149 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 1: not having a job and not knowing what to do. 150 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 1: So it was terrifying. But um, the way I got 151 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,719 Speaker 1: through that is really just thinking to myself, is this 152 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 1: the life that I want to build? Like, Yeah, I've 153 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: spent years of my life at that point working towards 154 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: where I am right now, But is this what I 155 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,559 Speaker 1: want to spend more of my time and more of 156 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 1: my life working towards like can I see myself being 157 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:43,079 Speaker 1: happy in these positions that I could get to? And 158 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 1: every time I would ask myself questions like that, the 159 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 1: answer was just to know, Um, I I could not 160 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 1: see a future where I was that would actually give 161 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 1: me what I wanted and give me the things that 162 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 1: I felt like I was saying, which was really just freedom, 163 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:05,559 Speaker 1: you know, freedom of my time. Freedom with how much 164 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 1: money I made, you know, I wanted my efforts to 165 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: also pay off financially, and I didn't feel like that 166 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: was happening, So it was It was hard, but I 167 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: knew that my happiness kind of dependent on me getting 168 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 1: through that. And I think one of the things that 169 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:24,959 Speaker 1: people are most scared of is you know that they 170 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 1: will fall flat on their face and they don't have 171 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:30,680 Speaker 1: a safety net to kind of pick them up. And 172 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 1: at the time, I was dating who is now my husband, 173 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: and he actually had a job in finance and he 174 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 1: kind of encouraged me, like, hey, like take the leap 175 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,679 Speaker 1: you know, like, we can afford to live as we 176 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: are until you can get this up and running. So 177 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: if that's what's going to make you happy, like do 178 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: it and I'll help you along the way. And so 179 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 1: I did also have that support, which was kind of 180 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 1: like my my little temporary safety net, which I think 181 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: helped me feel better. Um, but yeah, it was. It 182 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: was terrifying. I'm not an easy decision to make at all. No, 183 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: I love in that so much. I heard um the 184 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 1: piece about you felt cool because you had your job, 185 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: you know. I think, like, I don't know if that's 186 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: music industry specific, but I had I have had that 187 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 1: same thing, and a lot of that got lost for 188 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: me with COVID. I didn't realize how much of my 189 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: identity was actually tied to who I worked for what 190 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: I do, you know, And until it's gone, you kind 191 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 1: of can't see that. So the fear of leaving it 192 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 1: it's huge, you know, because you're like, I'm gonna lose 193 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: this like cool part of myself or something. Yeah, And 194 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,080 Speaker 1: I don't know if it's specific to the music industry 195 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:47,560 Speaker 1: or not, but I noticed that so much about Nashville 196 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:51,480 Speaker 1: or anywhere that my friends live and I think that 197 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: has a lot to do with it, but I don't know. Well, 198 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 1: I still think, though you really that was really good 199 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: what you did about asking yourself those questions, you know, like, 200 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:04,560 Speaker 1: if my life either stays exactly how it is right 201 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:07,679 Speaker 1: now or even where I could see myself building too 202 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: within this industry, is that a life I want to create? 203 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: And if the answers no, I mean that's that is 204 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: like rigorous honesty with yourself sometimes be the most difficult though, right, Like, yeah, 205 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: I have a hard time because especially if it's something 206 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 1: that feels like I should be happy for this, or 207 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: just like you said, I got the job easy. I 208 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:33,960 Speaker 1: was young, it was a cool job. People around me 209 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 1: weren't getting these gigs. Like you feel like an idiot 210 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 1: for walking away. You feel like you should be ecstatic 211 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 1: that you have the job in the first place. And 212 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:50,079 Speaker 1: I like, I got myself through hating that job because honestly, 213 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 1: I felt lucky. I was like, whoa, Like I'm one 214 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 1: of the graduates to get a job like that, so lucky, 215 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 1: Like I can't possibly walk away from it. But I 216 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: think you have to be like a little selfish and 217 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: just think about like how how this is actually affecting 218 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: the rest of your life, you know, not just day 219 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,199 Speaker 1: to day. Can I get through this? Like if you're 220 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: asking yourself every day, can I get through this? No 221 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 1: matter what it is in your life? And there's probably 222 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 1: some kind of issue like you might need to change 223 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 1: or just a misalignment even you know, like because that 224 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 1: job would be a great job for a ton of people, 225 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 1: but for you people, I think enjoy it and thrive 226 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: in it, and or I just wasn't. I was, I 227 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 1: wasn't good at it even so it wasn't even great 228 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 1: for the company that I was sitting in that position, 229 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 1: you know, right right. Well, you also talk about in 230 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: your ted X talk um the pros and cons list, right, 231 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:53,719 Speaker 1: which we've all heard a million times. It's like, yes, okay, dad, dad, Dad, 232 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 1: do a pros and cons list. But for some reason 233 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:59,559 Speaker 1: when I was watching it, I um heard you kind 234 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 1: of list the things out, and I think it's a 235 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:04,839 Speaker 1: step we can skip often, So talk through what that 236 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:09,199 Speaker 1: looks like for you. Yeah, and my now husband is 237 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 1: actually the one who like told me to do that. 238 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: He was just like basically, for any situation in life, 239 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 1: you can kind of create a list, you know, if 240 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 1: you're trying to make a decision, and you just can't 241 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: make a decision. List out the pros and the cons 242 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: of the decision that you're making, and I think, um, 243 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: a lot of people just kind of like get wrapped 244 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 1: up in thinking about the consequences, but they don't necessarily 245 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: like way the way they should. You know, if there 246 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: are more cons than pros, then you probably wouldn't make 247 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: that decision. But a lot of people can just get 248 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 1: stuck on like one factor of a decision, and so 249 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: it clouds your judgment. And so when I was really 250 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 1: even now, when I try to make decisions with no 251 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 1: big I try I to like put all of my 252 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:07,320 Speaker 1: emotions and my preconceived notions about things aside and just 253 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: simply list the pros and cons and then I go 254 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: with whatever has more. And it sounds so simple and 255 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 1: so silly, But if you like get into the habit 256 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 1: of actually practicing it when you're making decisions, I think 257 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 1: it's super helpful. So yeah, I use that in the 258 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: very beginning, but like I still use it now when 259 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: I'm making decisions. What do you mean when you say, um, 260 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: we only think about the consequences, um the negative? Really 261 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: um at least me, Like I have a habit of 262 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: thinking through a situation but only dwelling on the negative 263 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 1: impact on it. A lot of times I'll just ignore 264 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 1: what the pros of the decision will be because I'm 265 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:57,280 Speaker 1: just stuck thinking on the negative. And honestly, I'm I'm 266 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 1: like the person who always finds like the problems with things, 267 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 1: So me personally just automatically doing that. Um, but if 268 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: I do that, then I ignore all of the pros, 269 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 1: and a lot of times the pros do outweigh the cons. 270 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: It's just that I'm stuck thinking on the negative side. UM. 271 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: And I don't think I'm the only one that does that. 272 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people just without even realizing 273 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: they're doing it, do that. You just described me, So 274 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: you're definitely I think it's it's a it's based on 275 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 1: fear as well, like we were just kind of discussing, 276 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: and it's also just that anxious place that we can 277 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: live in where you're like, I don't want to make 278 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: the wrong decision. I don't want to look back and 279 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: regret this. I don't want to go through the pain 280 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: of change or regret or any of those emotions that 281 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: can come up with these big decisions. Yeah, and you 282 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: don't even think about the reward that could come right, Happiness, 283 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 1: the success, the joy, Like you don't think about that 284 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 1: because you're too afraid of the bad. Yeah. I loved 285 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 1: that because I get really lost there with not even 286 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 1: realizing it. Like you're saying, so, it's a really good 287 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: note to to make. Um. I loved that you said, 288 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: whatever you do, don't be afraid to change your path. 289 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 1: And then you mentioned that f Scott Fitzgerald quote, which 290 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 1: I love to We're just gonna read it for you, 291 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:16,880 Speaker 1: guys really fast. For what it's worth. It's never too 292 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,440 Speaker 1: late or in my case, too early, to be whoever 293 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: you want to be. There's no time limits, start whenever 294 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 1: you want. You can change or you can stay the same. 295 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 1: There are no rules to this thing. We can make 296 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: the best or the worst of it. I hope you 297 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:30,680 Speaker 1: make the best of it. I hope you see things 298 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: that startle you. I hope you feel things that you've 299 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 1: never felt before. I hope you meet people who have 300 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 1: a different point of view. I hope you live a 301 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: life you're proud of, and if you're not, I hope 302 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:44,679 Speaker 1: that you have the courage to start over. Is that 303 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 1: something you still kind of base your decisions on yep 304 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 1: um all the time. Obviously it applies a lot, you know, 305 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 1: when I was trying to make the decision to start 306 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 1: no vag but even now I find myself like, especially 307 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:09,359 Speaker 1: during COVID, I should say, because during COVID, UM no 308 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: Waked really changed like a lot of its paths, and 309 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:17,119 Speaker 1: I always found myself hesitating, being like, you know, is 310 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: this is this the right decision? Is this something that 311 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: will like look bad even though I knew it was 312 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:28,040 Speaker 1: the right decision to make and that it was a 313 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:30,639 Speaker 1: new path that no Vaked needed to be on and 314 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: that we needed to be on. Um. So professionally, I 315 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:38,360 Speaker 1: for sure use it all the time just to realign 316 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,159 Speaker 1: no Vaked on the mission that it should be on. 317 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:48,119 Speaker 1: But I think personally it's super applicable for anyone. You know. 318 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: I I based my life around what I want to 319 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: do and what I like to do, and a lot 320 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: of times I see people that just don't do that. Um. 321 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: You know, I have friends who, similar to me, have 322 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:07,640 Speaker 1: put a lot of effort and a lot of time 323 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: into something very specific, but it's it's obvious that they 324 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 1: are not getting what they want. Out of it. And 325 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 1: I think if more people realized it's okay to change 326 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:23,200 Speaker 1: your mind, it's okay to make a drastic life change, 327 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 1: to put you on the path to happiness or the 328 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: path to where you think you should be. And I 329 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:32,639 Speaker 1: just I think a lot of people are so afraid 330 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 1: to do that, or they they're just so comfortable, you know, 331 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:43,160 Speaker 1: where they are, even if that comfort is not necessarily happiness. 332 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,640 Speaker 1: And that's how I apply more to relationships when I'm 333 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:50,680 Speaker 1: thinking about the situations that I'm imagining. But a lot 334 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,119 Speaker 1: of people just get so comfortable sitting in a certain 335 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: place that they're afraid to make a change. They're afraid 336 00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 1: to to build a new path for themselves, right. And 337 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:05,919 Speaker 1: I I repeat that to myself so much and have 338 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: since the start of Novate that I think there have 339 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: been few times where I kind of catch myself like 340 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: not making those changes and not trying to make myself, 341 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 1: you know, the priority in my path a path of happiness. 342 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:25,679 Speaker 1: But um, it takes practice, you know, it took a 343 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,959 Speaker 1: lot of like building it into a habit, kind of 344 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 1: like the pros and cons list, Like you really have 345 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 1: to make a habit of these things, and then your 346 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 1: natural mindset will just be like, oh, this is normal, 347 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:41,959 Speaker 1: Like this is something that happens in life changing paths 348 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:45,919 Speaker 1: is completely normal. Like I can adjust to this. But 349 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,200 Speaker 1: I don't think it's easy to do for the first time. 350 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,240 Speaker 1: And I don't think it's easy to do with huge 351 00:20:50,400 --> 00:21:00,359 Speaker 1: life decisions either. Actually don't think it's easy to do 352 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: as you get older too. I was just thinking of 353 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 1: I think I was more courageous maybe when I was 354 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 1: younger in some ways because and I think you said 355 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: this again and your ted X talk too, But it's 356 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: sort of like what do I have to lose, you know, 357 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 1: like if I'm gonna do what I want to do 358 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: it now, and then the older you get, the steaks 359 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:19,359 Speaker 1: seem like they get a little bit higher and higher. 360 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 1: Maybe you have more responsibility, maybe you've been in that 361 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:26,160 Speaker 1: relationship a little bit longer. Maybe you know it's that job, 362 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:30,239 Speaker 1: whatever it is. Um So I think, yeah, when I 363 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 1: was listening to even reading that quote today, I was like, 364 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:35,439 Speaker 1: I really need to get back in touch to me 365 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 1: what what it is is, getting back in touch with 366 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: your authentic truth of what makes you happy, what fills 367 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 1: your soul, what fills your mind. You know, all of 368 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 1: these things, and how do you get your life to 369 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:50,200 Speaker 1: a place where you're living that way every day? Yeah, 370 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:53,719 Speaker 1: and it's it's hard if you've kind of been on 371 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: a path of like falling into something that's not necessarily 372 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: what you want, it's kind of hard to dig yourself 373 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 1: out of it. You know, you feel like you're in 374 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 1: so deep that you kind of have to struggle to 375 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: get out of it and onto a new path. So 376 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: I agree with you, even as nobody like nobody's only 377 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: four years old, but even as we've gone along, I've 378 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:22,919 Speaker 1: hesitated so much more about making changes or like doing 379 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:27,119 Speaker 1: anything new at all with the company. And in the 380 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 1: very beginning I was all about it, like changes all 381 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:34,359 Speaker 1: over the place, new things all the time. But yeah, 382 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 1: you're right, Like it feels like the states are higher 383 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 1: as you get and deeper into something for sure. Yeah, 384 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: Like I I think it was so easy for me 385 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:48,040 Speaker 1: back then because I I literally was a year and 386 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:51,439 Speaker 1: a half out of college, like didn't have things to 387 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:55,320 Speaker 1: lose its, you know, that career that I had not 388 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 1: put a lot of time into anyway, So for sure, 389 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 1: easier act them, no doubt. I mean not that it 390 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:04,400 Speaker 1: was easy. I wasn't trying to doubt play at all 391 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: what you did. But I do. I've found that about 392 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 1: myself that I overthink things a little more now, or 393 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:14,359 Speaker 1: maybe I stay a little longer and something because I'm like, wait, 394 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:17,040 Speaker 1: the steaks just feel so high, or you know you're 395 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:20,200 Speaker 1: going starting over feels a lot harder. I think as 396 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,800 Speaker 1: you get older. But I think as it is true 397 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 1: for all humans. If we're not evolving, we're dying, you know. 398 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:29,439 Speaker 1: And if you look at taking it back to the 399 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 1: music industry, if you look at any of the long 400 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:35,399 Speaker 1: term great artists, Madonna, you know, anybody that has like 401 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 1: had a longer they have constantly changed and evolved and 402 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:43,680 Speaker 1: grown constantly. So yeah, I think that's a really good 403 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:46,120 Speaker 1: modo to live by as well. Okay, let's talk about 404 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:49,640 Speaker 1: no baked So why cookie do? You said you used 405 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 1: to make this for yourself and your friends. How did 406 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:56,200 Speaker 1: you get into that? Yeah? I love cookie dough. I'm 407 00:23:56,240 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: not lying about this either. I have always loved cookie dough, 408 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 1: like just raw, you know, just out of the packaging 409 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 1: or out of the tub. I always would choose that 410 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: to eat as dessert over anything else. And obviously, like, 411 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:18,120 Speaker 1: you're not supposed to do that because regular cookie dough 412 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 1: is not safe to eat raw, right, But I would 413 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:25,200 Speaker 1: just do it anyway and and just kind of accept 414 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 1: it because I loved it that much. So that's kind 415 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 1: of what led me into creating the chocolate chip recipe. 416 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 1: I actually made it for the first time when I 417 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: was living in a dorm because I like knew I 418 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 1: couldn't make cookies, you know, like our fridge was tiny, 419 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:45,959 Speaker 1: and so I could bring like the ingredients that you 420 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,119 Speaker 1: put in cookie dough that weren't you know, eggs and 421 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:52,920 Speaker 1: the things we refrigerated. So I literally would just start 422 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,920 Speaker 1: mixing dough and eat it while I was watching The 423 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 1: Bachelor or something nights, you know, like it was the 424 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: thing to do for me, and it just kind of 425 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:09,280 Speaker 1: became normal. And then when I was thinking about starting 426 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:12,919 Speaker 1: No Big, because there just weren't any other companies in 427 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 1: like our general region at all that we're doing it, 428 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:21,359 Speaker 1: so um, it just felt natural and like it was 429 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 1: the right place for me to go. And like I said, 430 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 1: it was the only thing that I had created that 431 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:29,840 Speaker 1: I felt like other people might like, you know, like 432 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: it was it was my one original creation, and so 433 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:36,880 Speaker 1: it just kind of felt like it was the right 434 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 1: thing to do. Um, and so how many flavors do 435 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:42,760 Speaker 1: you guys have now, I'm just curious about this for 436 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: my personal Yeah, we we have eight flavors on our list. Okay, okay, Well, 437 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 1: so you mentioned that you had pop ups, you did 438 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:56,920 Speaker 1: you guys do you'll still have a brick and mortar Yeah, 439 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 1: so we still have five stores. Okay. At the beginning 440 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:04,679 Speaker 1: of COVID, we had eight storefronts, and so three of 441 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:08,760 Speaker 1: them have closed down. Um. But in the very beginning 442 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:11,479 Speaker 1: of No Bad we put a ton of emphasis on 443 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:16,639 Speaker 1: storefronts and actually franchising because it was just such a 444 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:21,159 Speaker 1: simple operation that we were like other people could for 445 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: sure do this in their own cities. So we franchised 446 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: the scoop shop model. Um, we got three franchise is 447 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 1: pretty quickly, and then we opened five corporate store fronts 448 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:34,920 Speaker 1: and so that's how we got to eight right before COVID. 449 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 1: So was that devastating to you having to close the three? Um? 450 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 1: It was bitter sweet. So I'll kind of like walk 451 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 1: you through what happened during really the past year for us. 452 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 1: So at last winter, um, like winter of going into 453 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 1: we and my husband and I run No Bag together. 454 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 1: So when I say we it's usually me and him. 455 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:07,880 Speaker 1: But we had kind of realized that like the what 456 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:12,240 Speaker 1: we thought No Baked as a product was for customers 457 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 1: was not really what it was. So we thought that 458 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:19,200 Speaker 1: it would be super similar to like an ice cream shop, 459 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 1: where groups of people come into the shops, they you know, 460 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: get a scoop of cookie dough, they sit down in 461 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,400 Speaker 1: the store and they eat it, and that's just how 462 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,840 Speaker 1: it would be. So scoop shops would be you know, 463 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:36,120 Speaker 1: the natural choice and when in our business. But we 464 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 1: noticed pretty quickly that people would come in and they 465 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:42,560 Speaker 1: would actually get jars of cookie dough that we had 466 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,239 Speaker 1: and like our to go refrigerator, and they would just 467 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:48,600 Speaker 1: take it with them. So we had like tons of 468 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 1: customers coming in taking cookie dough to go, and then 469 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:56,480 Speaker 1: just empty storefronts. You know, we were paying leases at 470 00:27:56,600 --> 00:28:01,160 Speaker 1: retail costs because we thought we needed places for people 471 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: to sit and we needed foot traffic and all of 472 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:08,600 Speaker 1: the days and so after our last story front opened 473 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:11,679 Speaker 1: at the end of ten, we were kind of like, well, 474 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:16,000 Speaker 1: this is not this isn't really what we anticipated, Like 475 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:19,360 Speaker 1: we should probably figure out how to ramp up our revenue, 476 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: how to ramp up revenue for our franchisees and kind 477 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 1: of like change our model a little. So in the 478 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:30,159 Speaker 1: beginning of the marketing plan that I had created for 479 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:36,159 Speaker 1: Springtime was completely around events and catering. So we have 480 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:39,760 Speaker 1: developed a marketing plan that put an emphasis on people 481 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 1: getting our cookie dough and having it at their weddings, 482 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:47,239 Speaker 1: at corporate events, in their office, at birthday parties, for 483 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: corporate gifting, like just every catering thing you can possibly imagine, 484 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 1: kind of like um, like nothing bunt cakes, you know how, 485 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: little gifts and just a ton of catering business more 486 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 1: so than people coming in and eating their buncakes. So 487 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 1: that was like what we were going to launch in 488 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 1: the spring of Like we were fully ready to do that. 489 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:16,080 Speaker 1: Our franchisees were prepared, like we had custom boxes on order. 490 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 1: And then March of came and that's when you know, 491 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: COVID and Nashville really shut restaurants down completely. And at 492 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:33,320 Speaker 1: that point, my husband and I just looked at each 493 00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:37,560 Speaker 1: other and we're like, well, like events are canceled, our 494 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 1: store frints are completely closed. What are we gonna do? 495 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:46,440 Speaker 1: And also at this point, I was nine months pregnant. Yeah, 496 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 1: and my husband and I both do no baked full time. 497 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 1: That's a okay, Like what's gonna happen here? How long 498 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: is this gonna last? I have to have a baby 499 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 1: this month, Like what are we gonna do? And this 500 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 1: was also after the tornado in Nashville closed one of 501 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 1: our stores already because we had a store in Germantown 502 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:14,640 Speaker 1: and so our power there was out up until COVID 503 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 1: and we were like, oh my gosh, like what is 504 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:21,880 Speaker 1: up with this year? And so it was one of 505 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:26,120 Speaker 1: those moments where kind of like that quote, like we 506 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:29,560 Speaker 1: really had to change our path or just create a 507 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: path that didn't exist at that way. And we had 508 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 1: been doing online orders and shipping prior to that, but 509 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:43,200 Speaker 1: we were doing like such a tiny amount um like 510 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:46,960 Speaker 1: a couple of orders a week at most, and we 511 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:50,480 Speaker 1: were not putting any marketing money into it, like there 512 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:53,360 Speaker 1: was no emphasis on it at all. So it just 513 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:55,600 Speaker 1: wasn't a big part of our business at that point, 514 00:30:56,080 --> 00:31:01,239 Speaker 1: and the storefronts really worse. So we we were just 515 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 1: like sitting there like unsure of what to do, trying 516 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: to reassure our franchisees who had to shut their stores down, 517 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 1: and we were just kind of like, well, we could 518 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 1: just put all of our remaining money for marketing into 519 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: eCOM and see if people will order online now that 520 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 1: people are stuck at home. And I kind of was like, 521 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:30,480 Speaker 1: we should just be super honest with our customers because 522 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 1: at the time, we were trying to keep three people 523 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:37,719 Speaker 1: employed full time as well, because they were like our 524 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:41,840 Speaker 1: other full time team members and they relied on no 525 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:44,760 Speaker 1: big for a paycheck. So we were like, before we 526 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 1: lay people off, let's just like tell the customers what's 527 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:53,600 Speaker 1: happening right now. So we changed our marketing basically to 528 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:57,600 Speaker 1: where I just I posted photos of our staff members 529 00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: and I told customers, like, we are trying to keep 530 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:05,520 Speaker 1: everybody employed and make it through this as a company. 531 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:07,520 Speaker 1: You know, we don't know how long this is gonna last, 532 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:11,000 Speaker 1: but our stores are shut down, so these staff members 533 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 1: don't have a job right now. If you order online 534 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:18,120 Speaker 1: like that will enable us to continue to going to 535 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:22,000 Speaker 1: Go until our store friends can open back up. And 536 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 1: we like immediately saw like a huge bump in an 537 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 1: order volume, Like prior to go COVID, we were doing 538 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:38,040 Speaker 1: like ten grand a month in online orders, so not 539 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:42,600 Speaker 1: a ton, And then that like first bump we put 540 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:46,280 Speaker 1: into digital marketing and like just telling our customers what 541 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 1: was going on. We did like eighty grand in a week. Jesus, 542 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 1: what a jump. Yeah, what a jomp, just from people 543 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:59,959 Speaker 1: trying to like support us and keep us and probably 544 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:03,520 Speaker 1: rely mostly people who had already tried the product and 545 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 1: we're just loyal and and it was it was just 546 00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:10,920 Speaker 1: like nothing we had ever seen before. So that was 547 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:15,600 Speaker 1: like amazing, and we kind of like as we went 548 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 1: through the next couple of months, like focusing on eCOM, 549 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:22,240 Speaker 1: we kind of realized, like, this makes a lot of sense, 550 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 1: Like customers are getting jars of cookie dough delivered to 551 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:29,120 Speaker 1: their house, so it's like those people who were coming 552 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:31,640 Speaker 1: in just to grab a jar and leave, like this 553 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:35,000 Speaker 1: is probably what they would have been doing previously, and 554 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 1: it's probably what we need to focus on going forward. 555 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:42,200 Speaker 1: That was like how we decided to make the pivot 556 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:46,560 Speaker 1: um and after that it was just like how do 557 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:50,120 Speaker 1: we fulfill like so many orders? How do we even 558 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 1: fill that many jars of cookie dough and ship them out? 559 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:56,440 Speaker 1: Like we had no idea what we were doing at all. 560 00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 1: It was like the very beginning of No Big doll 561 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 1: Over again. So like a whole new set of challenges, right, Yeah, 562 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 1: but we were lucky at the same time because a 563 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:10,480 Speaker 1: lot of restaurants, you know, our full service restaurants with 564 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:13,160 Speaker 1: food that they have to cook in person, and they 565 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 1: couldn't make the pivot that we could make. So we 566 00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 1: were just like, Wow, we're we're lucky to even be 567 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:22,000 Speaker 1: able to do this right now. Yeah. I love that 568 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 1: you guys can even look at that though and say like, 569 00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:26,440 Speaker 1: we needed to just make the pivot and now it's 570 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:31,279 Speaker 1: a completely different and maybe better, bigger business and that's 571 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:35,880 Speaker 1: the whole point of evolving and growing, which is amazing. Um. 572 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,239 Speaker 1: I have on my outline to ask you what's the 573 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:41,799 Speaker 1: hardest thing that you face since deciding to start your 574 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:45,560 Speaker 1: own business? But do you think that that is possibly 575 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:48,920 Speaker 1: was one of the hardest times that you would probably 576 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 1: ever face as a small business owner. Yeah, I think 577 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:56,319 Speaker 1: and I'll speak for myself here, but probably speaking for 578 00:34:56,360 --> 00:34:58,920 Speaker 1: a lot of business owners, even you know, ones that 579 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 1: have been doing it first so many years, which I haven't, 580 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:06,360 Speaker 1: I think it was just impossible to prepare it for 581 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:09,680 Speaker 1: you know, like nobody is coming, and that that goes 582 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:13,239 Speaker 1: for all sorts of people, not just business owners, but 583 00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:17,200 Speaker 1: as a business owner, you always want to at least 584 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:21,440 Speaker 1: feel like you're prepared, like you have a plan going forward, 585 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:24,840 Speaker 1: Like you know where money is going to be coming from, 586 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:28,200 Speaker 1: you know what you're gonna focus on. And when something 587 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:31,640 Speaker 1: like COVID is thrown at you and things have to 588 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 1: shut down, there's just like it's it's like a moment 589 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 1: where you throw away your plans, you know, and so 590 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:42,440 Speaker 1: then you're sitting there and you kind of go back 591 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:44,480 Speaker 1: to when you were in a job and you feel 592 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:47,799 Speaker 1: like your success is now determined by someone else, you know. 593 00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 1: That's kind of how it felt like. I was like, well, like, well, 594 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:55,759 Speaker 1: we will open our stores back up when we're allowed to, 595 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:58,480 Speaker 1: but like we have no control over it, Like what 596 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 1: are we supposed to do? So I think that was 597 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:06,560 Speaker 1: for sure the hardest time that we've had so far. 598 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:11,560 Speaker 1: Um as a business owner. I think like almost every 599 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:16,839 Speaker 1: day throw something party making, just making decisions for me 600 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 1: and kind of like carving this path for a company. 601 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:26,480 Speaker 1: And in the beginning it was way easier because it 602 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:30,200 Speaker 1: was just like my my livelihood on the line, you know, 603 00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:34,520 Speaker 1: like I was the only one money from Novaked, But 604 00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:39,640 Speaker 1: then it was like all these other people who liked 605 00:36:39,719 --> 00:36:42,120 Speaker 1: Novaked and wanted to work for no Waked and now 606 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:44,560 Speaker 1: it's like the people that work for Novaked or some 607 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:47,279 Speaker 1: of my closest friends, and so I have to make 608 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:51,239 Speaker 1: the company successful, right, they will be unemployed. So it's 609 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:57,400 Speaker 1: like every day is hard. But um, COVID was definitely 610 00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:02,080 Speaker 1: like an exceptionally difficult mountain to climb. Yeah, what would 611 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:04,160 Speaker 1: you say? Because I agree with that When you own 612 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:06,360 Speaker 1: your own business, it's like you want to grow and 613 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:08,560 Speaker 1: the more you grow, it's more exciting. But then with 614 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:10,879 Speaker 1: that comes more responsibility sort of like we were saying 615 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:13,280 Speaker 1: with everything else, and so when you have other people 616 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:15,520 Speaker 1: under you or I mean I had to let people 617 00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:18,000 Speaker 1: go during COVID and it was awful because I'm like, 618 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:20,560 Speaker 1: but I don't know how I'm gonna pay my bills 619 00:37:20,560 --> 00:37:22,680 Speaker 1: if I keep you guys on. So you know, like 620 00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:25,960 Speaker 1: you have to take care of yourself first. But that's terrible. 621 00:37:26,239 --> 00:37:29,680 Speaker 1: It's a terrible feeling and I don't recommend it to anybody. 622 00:37:29,719 --> 00:37:34,360 Speaker 1: But um, what would you say? The positive parts or 623 00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:37,399 Speaker 1: maybe some of your favorite things about owning your own 624 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:41,640 Speaker 1: business are Um. For me, it's definitely the freedom. So 625 00:37:42,440 --> 00:37:44,680 Speaker 1: and I know I feel like a huge gym business 626 00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:48,520 Speaker 1: on this, but it truly is why I even wanted 627 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:51,319 Speaker 1: to have my own business. You know, I wanted to 628 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:54,520 Speaker 1: be able to build a life, you know that that 629 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:57,319 Speaker 1: I wanted to wake up and actually live every day. 630 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:01,360 Speaker 1: And when you start your own business, you can shape 631 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:05,040 Speaker 1: it into what you wanted to be. And even prior 632 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:09,480 Speaker 1: to COVID, because I was already pregnant, I was shaping 633 00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:12,960 Speaker 1: my job into one that I could work from home 634 00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:16,920 Speaker 1: with because I didn't want to, you know, have to 635 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:19,560 Speaker 1: make the choice between being a mom and being the 636 00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:21,480 Speaker 1: CEO of No Bates. I wanted to be able to 637 00:38:21,480 --> 00:38:26,240 Speaker 1: do both, and so having my own business it's literally 638 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:28,520 Speaker 1: the only way that I could ever do that, you know, 639 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:33,000 Speaker 1: Like that's that's a remarkable amount of freedom that I 640 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:37,520 Speaker 1: think you can't get a lot of other places. Um 641 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:41,920 Speaker 1: And then, like speaking from the freedom, like my husband 642 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:45,040 Speaker 1: and I always wanted to do like the van life thing, 643 00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:47,600 Speaker 1: you know, where you live in a van and you 644 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:51,520 Speaker 1: travel around the country. And so during COVID, while we 645 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 1: were both working from home, like just us and our baby, 646 00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:58,000 Speaker 1: we were like we should do that, Like we should 647 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:01,480 Speaker 1: do that now we don't in a house, Like let's 648 00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:05,040 Speaker 1: do it, Like let's sell our cars, and let's convert 649 00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:09,680 Speaker 1: a vehicle into a tiny home. So we bought a 650 00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:15,399 Speaker 1: short bus last year and we converted it into a 651 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:20,520 Speaker 1: tiny home for traveling. And we just started our journey 652 00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:24,760 Speaker 1: literally three weeks ago, and so we're about to travel 653 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:28,520 Speaker 1: across the country and like stay in different cities for 654 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:33,080 Speaker 1: periods of time. And it's like, there's there's no way 655 00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:36,360 Speaker 1: we could do they we weren't self employee if we 656 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:40,200 Speaker 1: right to kind of like shape our jobs around it. 657 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:43,200 Speaker 1: So the freedom that you get from it is just 658 00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:46,440 Speaker 1: like irreplaceable, and like all of the hard times make 659 00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:49,960 Speaker 1: it completely worth it. Yeah, I agree with the freedom 660 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:53,279 Speaker 1: and the flexibility. Yeah, even though the fears can be 661 00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:56,000 Speaker 1: there too. For me, it's worth it to be able 662 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:58,960 Speaker 1: to kind of make my own schedule and and do 663 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:02,560 Speaker 1: things like buy a US and around town. That's amazing. 664 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:04,000 Speaker 1: I haven't thought of that one yet, but I'll have 665 00:40:04,040 --> 00:40:10,359 Speaker 1: to think about it. Yeah, you might like it, but 666 00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:15,600 Speaker 1: we were just this is a lifelong dream totally, we 667 00:40:15,719 --> 00:40:17,400 Speaker 1: might as well do it. Like, we have a baby, 668 00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:19,080 Speaker 1: she's going to have to go to school in a 669 00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:23,200 Speaker 1: couple of years. Before that happened, so why you're not 670 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:27,400 Speaker 1: locked down? Yeah, I love it. Well. I really appreciate 671 00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:30,799 Speaker 1: you sharing your story. It is so inspiring and exciting 672 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:33,120 Speaker 1: to me to see a twenty seven year old woman 673 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:38,160 Speaker 1: just like running ship. That's all. Thank you so much. 674 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:41,120 Speaker 1: Of course, of course, tell people first of all where 675 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:44,840 Speaker 1: they can find No Baked Yeah. So, if you're in Nashville, 676 00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:49,200 Speaker 1: we have two storefronts open. One isn't a Chill Village 677 00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:53,000 Speaker 1: so right between Barcelona and Taco mona seat, and the 678 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:55,239 Speaker 1: other one is in fifth and Broad, which is the 679 00:40:55,239 --> 00:40:59,280 Speaker 1: new development. Um so you can get it there in person. 680 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:01,719 Speaker 1: If you're able to know in person, you can get 681 00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:04,040 Speaker 1: it on our website which is just no Big Cookie 682 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:07,440 Speaker 1: do dot com okay and where we used to No 683 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:09,359 Speaker 1: Big Cookie dot com. Where can we keep up with 684 00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:13,279 Speaker 1: you guys on social media Instagram at no Big And 685 00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:17,239 Speaker 1: if you want to follow um my traveling journey. Yes, 686 00:41:18,239 --> 00:41:22,200 Speaker 1: it's just Megan so Feman is f E M A 687 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:25,920 Speaker 1: N correct? Yeah that's correct. Awesome. Well, Megan, thank you 688 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:27,840 Speaker 1: so much for being here and for sharing your story 689 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:30,399 Speaker 1: with us. I know everyone appreciates it, and I hope 690 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:34,000 Speaker 1: you guys enjoyed hearing that. Thank you again, Yes, thank 691 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:38,080 Speaker 1: you so much. Bye. Thanks for listening to the Velvet's 692 00:41:38,160 --> 00:41:41,399 Speaker 1: Edge podcast with Kelly Henderson, where we believe everyone has 693 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:44,080 Speaker 1: a little velvet and a little edge. Subscribe for more 694 00:41:44,120 --> 00:41:48,879 Speaker 1: conversations on life, style, beauty and relationships. Search Velvet's Edge 695 00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:50,319 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts.