Taking an Edible Cookie Dough Brand to a National Market in Less Than a Year

Our guest this week is Mary Senese with Dough Re Mi; an edible cookie dough company. Join us as Emily gets a behind the scenes look from Mary about how she started her business from the ground up. From initial concept and product testing, to official launch, to expanding the brand nationwide, and most recently acquiring a brick and mortar storefront - all in less than a year!

After graduating college, Mary returned to her hometown ready to start her career. What began as a way to make homemade Christmas gifts (and some extra dough), soon became a blossoming business. Mary quickly realized she had something extra special in the edible cookie dough recipe she had created and enjoyed herself during her time at school. Trusting her instincts and passion for entrepreneurship, Mary decided to go all in on starting her own edible cookie dough business. 

Having no financial backing or budget, Mary relied on Instagram and word of mouth to spread the word. She reached out to local influencers and business owners on the gram and actually *asked* for what she wanted; their support. She would send them samples of her edible cookie dough and in exchange all she asked was that if they enjoyed it they would share about it on their social platforms. It didn’t take long for the Dough Re Mi brand presence to spread and order demand to increase. 

Listen to this tasty chat as Emily and Mary discuss all the logistics of operating a food based business, tips for expanding a brand nationally, and most importantly - recognizing and addressing the highs and lows of business and the impact on our mental health.

 Tune in for topics like:

  • Expanding a local brand to a national market

  • Why it’s important to actually *ask* for what you want

  • How to use Instagram to grow your online presence

  • How easy it is to tie our personal value to our business value - and why we shouldn’t

Links from the episode: 

Show NotesEmily Steele