We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Laura Friedman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Laura, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
“Resilient” is the perfect word to describe my mother. I didn’t know I also possessed this quality until I went through a divorce 4 years ago after a 25 year marriage. My mother, who passed 11 years ago unexpectedly, was a risk taker in her professional career as a builder/real estate broker. She went through several financial set backs over her 71 years of life, and somehow managed to weather the storm. She never gave up when things got tough, maybe because she had 3 daughters to raise, or she was driven by ambition. Needless to say, we observed her strength, determination and resourcefulness growing up, and I guess it rubbed off on me.
I always loved to bake for family, friends, school events and bake sales. One summer we went to Europe, and I wad fascinated with all the beautiful chocolate shops. I always wanted to start a food business, and l0ved working with chocolate, and stared to experiment making artisan chocolates from home. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the support at home to start my own business.
After I separated from my husband in 2019, covid in 2020, and my 3 teenage children growing up, I needed a source of income and sense of purpose. However, I lacked the confidence and business say to do this. Not to mention, I was in the midst of a difficult divorce.
I met and later became engaged to the love of my life, who fully supported my idea to start a custom cookie business. He gave me the push I needed. Because he was an essential worker during the pandemic, he would show his co-workers photos of my cookies. They started to order cookies, and he would deliver them at work. Their feedback was what I needed to take this to the next level.
Lulu’s Cookie Bar has given me so much more than the ability to earn an income. I now have the confidence and determination to look past any set-backs and continue to create the most delicious gourmet scratch made cookies. After all, who doesn’t love a delicious cookie?
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Lulu’s Cookie Bar is a web based business whereby the customer chooses a cookie dough base and their preferred mix-ins. We also offer gluten free, vegan, sugar free, and Keto options. We have been selling our fustomer favorites at fairs and festivals in SD County since 2021, and recently our cookies are sold at Archers Arrow Coffee and Vigilante Coffee. I have a semi-permanent pop-up at Vista’s Moonlight Amphitheater every Thursday and Saturday nights during their summer series, and continue to get custom orders thru our website luluscookiebar.com. We now have a following in North County, and routinely receive positive feedback from our customers. Customers routinely ask if I have a physical location. At this time, I do not have any plans for that kind of undertaking, but things don’t always go according to our plans. I used to say that I’d never get divorced, and never be one of those bakers trying to sell their products at farmers markets. Now I say “never say never”!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think resilience, which we covered earlier, is a quality needed to begin a new venture. Not every one is going to l0ve what you do, but continuing to persevere and improve your product is key. In my business, consistency is also important. Each batch must meet the same quality and consistency standards that our customers have come to expect.
Lastly, be passionate about your venture. I’ve always loved baking, and now I have a way to share my love of baking with the public. My cookies are definitely made with love, and I think that comes through when you taste our cookies.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My new life partner has been instrumental in helping me overcome my fears and doubts. We were driving up to Idyllwild, one of our favorite destinations , and I mentioned my cookie business idea. He was so enthusiastic about my idea, that he started getting orders from co-workers. Now he comes with me to my events, and continues to get order at work. I couldn’t do this without his support.
Contact Info:
- Website: Luluscookiebar.com
- Instagram: Lulu’s Cookie Bar
- Facebook: Lulu’s Cookie Bar
Image Credits
Laura Friedman
