Meet Kelly Castro

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

Kelly , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I found my purpose the moment I realized that all of the work my young son, who is on the autism spectrum, was doing would be unraveled once he turned 21. People who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, or as we like to say, are differently-abled, work incredibly hard to achieve what so many (including myself) take for granted. Our son Carson has had an IEP since he was three years old, and goes to school 11 months a year, where he receives a variety of needed therapies. He will have this support until he turns 21. Parents of differently-abled adults have all described what happens next the same exact way: they fall off a cliff. There is a significant drop off of support, socialization opportunities, engagement and progress. As a result, these adults often experience regression. This is due, in part, to the fact that over 80% of adults with autism are unemployed. Those who are employed are often under-employed: picture an adult sweeping the floor of a store for their entire five hour work week. It devastated me to know that all of my son’s hard work would be for nothing. So, my husband and I decided to do something to help change that startling statistic and we started Carson’s Cookie Dough. The mission of our company is to support differently-abled adults while providing a quality, convenient, and delicious product. 18 months after starting Carson’s Cookie Dough, we opened our store front, called Just a Taste of New Jersey, which has the same mission. Our store sells Carson’s Cookie Dough along with products from other organizations with similar missions: Ethan and the Bean, Beloved Bath, Pony Power, Popcorn for the People, and John’s Crazy Socks. We also sell prints made by a local, differently-abled artist. These organizations and the artist all inspired us as we started our companies and we hope seeing them all together, in one storefront, will inspire others and showcase ‘just a taste’ of what differently-abled employees are capable of. They are an untapped resource in the economy.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I own and operate two businesses: Carson’s Cookie Dough and Just a Taste of NJ. They both have the same mission: to support differently-abled adults while providing a quality product; and they differ in their operations.

Carson’s Cookie Dough makes cookie dough kits which sell in store and through fundraisers. These kits include cookie dough that is fully prepped and ready to go into the oven, straight from the freezer. We also prepare baked cookies which sell both in store and online, since they can be shipped nationwide. While we make these products in our inspected commercial kitchen, they are made from scratch, from ingredients you would find in a typical kitchen, so they have a homemade cookie taste.

Just a Taste of NJ is a storefront which sells Carson’s Cookie Dough products and merchandise, along with products from other brands with similar missions. We carry products from Popcorn for the People, Beloved Bath, Ethan and the Bean, Pony Power and John’s Crazy Socks. We also offer coffee, tea, and other beverages. It gives our customers the opportunity to support several of these businesses in a convenient way.

Both Carson’s Cookie Dough and Just a Taste of NJ are set up with accommodations to allow those working in our shop or kitchen to thrive. This may include printed instructions for how to complete a task, a picture diagram reminding workers of the dress code required by the health department, instructions on how to properly wash hands, different seating options, and a wide variety of broken down tasks, ensuring there is an opportunity for everyone – regardless of their ability – to succeed. This is the aspect that I am most passionate about. It is extremely rewarding to watch the adults who come into our kitchen week over week. I love to see their confidence grow as they master the different tasks. They may start with something simple, like labeling packaging, and then we move them up to weighing ingredients, then to working the mixer, and so on. There is nothing like seeing how proud they are of themselves – and they should be proud, they work extremely hard.

We are excited for this weekend, since the town of Fair Lawn is hosting a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for us. It will be held on March 15 at noon. We can’t wait! After that, we will be open five days a week, and are excited to show off ‘just a taste’ of what differently-abled adults can do in the working world.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I think the areas that were most impactful to enable me to start these companies are resilience, determination, and patience.

Resilience because there have been many failures getting to this point – and I know there will be more as we continue to grow. I don’t think there is a single founder who has made the exact correct decision every single time one comes their way. There are literally thousands of decisions that need to be made over the course of getting an organization off the ground. I think learning to use my many wrong decisions as lessons, and build off of them has been a strong driver of our growth.

Determination is necessary because it is a marathon, not a sprint. I have been thinking of few things but these businesses for the past three years, and I know that is going to be the case for many years to come. The work is constant, and it isn’t going to let up anytime soon. My determination to grow these businesses is what keeps me going, and it is rooted in my passion to support differently-abled adults, along with the future for differently-abled children.

I have had to be patient because I have so many ideas, plans, and goals for these businesses. I am constantly reminding myself that I need to take it one step at a time. Rome was not built in a day. And the one step I am taking must be patiently attended to, to ensure it is done correctly. It is exciting to see these businesses grow, and it is tempting to get caught up in trying to make everything happen at once, but that is simply not effective.

I have been extremely lucky to have a strong and knowledgeable support system. My background is in corporate finance, and although being a mom of two sons on the autism spectrum gives me a front row seat to see some of the challenges they need to overcome, that by no means makes me an expert. As they say, if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism. I am beyond grateful for the many special education teachers, therapists, behaviorists, job coaches, etc that have helped me set up our kitchen and our shop to ensure every single person who comes through our doors is set up to succeed. I am in awe of their passion and enthusiasm. Some are retired, and others have been practicing for decades, ALL of their faces light up when working with those with differing abilities. It clearly never gets old for them. My advice would be to surround yourself with people who are knowledgeable in areas that you are not. From experts in special education, to successful entrepreneurs, electricians, plumbers and construction and maintenance workers, the list goes on, I have the pleasure of working with countless professionals who know much more than I do. They all generously volunteer their time, and this whole endeavor would not exist without them.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

My husband has been the most impactful in helping me overcome challenges, supporting me as I build and develop essential skills, and is always there to talk through a decision. His is my biggest supporter, and has taken on many of the household chores and childcare to enable me to work, often 7 days a week. We are very much in what we call the ‘sweat equity’ part of building a business, and our whole family has made adjustments to support my dream to build these businesses. I am so grateful for their support. I know it is not easy. Thankfully their passion equals mine, and they are equally eager to put a dent in the unemployment rate for differently-abled adults.

A very close second is retired special education teacher, Jane Heede. She taught all three of my sons and taught me as much, if not more than she taught them. She is beyond generous with her time and shares her wealth of knowledge with me. Her face lights up around the adult students, and I love when I see her wheels turning, because I know she is about to share a great idea with me. Because of her, I am confident that our kitchen and shop are businesses where differently abled adults can come to gain experience and confidence, because they are set up to thrive.

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