A Side of Syrup Podcast - EP 012: Disrupting the Cookie Category with Kirstyn Shaw
Ever wonder what euphoria tastes like? It’s one of Kirstyn’s cookies.
Or bars. Or rice krispie treats. Or brownies. Seriously, anything she makes is better than the last. (And as a sweets connoisseur and someone who’s childhood dog was named Candy - I know a thing or two about great sweets)!
In all seriousness, Kirstyn’s been cooking and feeding those she loves since she was a kid. She knew her gift early and honed it. Bringing joy and love to others in the form of food. Little did she know it then, but she tapped into one of Syrup Coaching’s main tenets of wellness - community - building it as she went. And when she was ready [the pandemic sort of made us ready for anything, right?] she launched a business to bring her gift to the masses. Along the way she disrupted the cookie business with The Very Best Cookie in the Whole Wide World, making it fun, collaborating with likeminded people and causes that mattered. Plus, I swear she’s created a new market demand for cinnamon roll cookies.
Stay tuned for lots of big things from Kirstyn. Yes, I’m talking about her holiday menu. But I’m also talking about a retail location in LA in the very near future.
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About our guest:
Kirstyn Shaw has been baking for as long as she can remember, but she never thought she’d end up in the food business. When an unexpected turn of events in March 2020 prompted a pandemic pivot, cookies were the first place she turned. What started as ding dong ditching cookies to loved ones around the city, quickly turned into a micro bakery business selling the elevated classics. Now 2 years and tens of thousands of cookies in, cookies are here to stay. The Very Best Cookie In The Whole Wide World have been spotted on KTLA, What's Gaby Cooking, Food & Wine Magazine, Forbes, and The Hustle. She will be opening her first retail location early fall, and can’t wait to expand her offerings and better serve her customers in LA and across the country.
Resources:
Connect with Kirstyn and The Very Best Cookie in the Whole Wide World:
Website: The Very Best Cookie
Instagram: @theverybestcookie
Facebook: The Very Best Cookie FB
Connect with Shannon:
Website: thisissyrup.com
Instagram: @syrupcoaching
Facebook: www.facebook.com/syrupcoaching
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/syrupcoaching
Syrup free resources: thisissyrup.com/resource-library
Full episode transcript:
Hi! My name is Shannon Pfeffer. I'm obsessed with understanding the how and the why behind feeling good and translating that knowledge into strategies that help you live better.
Each week we'll dive into conversations about food, fitness, stress, career, and family. We'll learn from each other, feel more connected, and we'll explore ways to design a life you love.
So what are you waiting for? Keep listening for tips, tricks, and fun facts about feeling good, looking good, and living better. And don't forget to bring a snack. This is the A Side of Syrup Podcast.
00:00.00
syrupcoaching
1 of my most favorite companies in the entire world happened to be started by someone right here in Los Angeles a couple of years ago Kirsten Shaw is the owner founder and head Baker behind. Very best cookie in the whole wide world and friends. It truly is a especially around holiday season I can't even begin to describe what she makes around. Um the end of the year for all the holidays. It is like ah butanas that I still dream of it to this day. And I'm actually starting and countdown to when it's here in about two months anyway I'm thrilled for you to hear more about her story. All she has going on and her future plans to expand and grow this business and get these cookies out to you. They're also available for shipping online which I included how to buy where to buy how to follow on Instagram in the show notes for this episode but in the meantime, get your sweet too ready and here is my friend kirsten.
00:00.00
syrupcoaching
Hello Kirsten it's so awesome that you're here I am so excited to chat today.
00:05.49
Kirstyn Shaw
Thank you so much for having me. It's an honor.
00:09.90
syrupcoaching
Awesome! Awesome! Well if you guys do not know I mean you should by now because I've talked about it at length the very best cookie in the whole why world you are looking and listening right now to its creator and founder and. cookie baker extraordinaire I before this call we couldn't get into this later but I have ranked all of my favorite cookies of yours that I have tried over the years because you're all incredible. It was very hard. It took about.
00:40.27
Kirstyn Shaw
Are.
00:46.15
syrupcoaching
35 minutes because I was deciding and I was like wait. What about this one? But she has the the most talented and I'm I've got very high cookie standards and baking standards. The most talented.
00:48.64
Kirstyn Shaw
Are.
01:03.96
syrupcoaching
Baker extraordinaire that I have tasted in years and so I Kirsten I love for you to tell everybody. But about who you are, more about what you do and we can kind of get into how you got here.
01:18.25
Kirstyn Shaw
Thank you? So like many others I had a pandemic pivot I at the start of the pandemic was furloughed from my job I was working as a server at rose cafe in Venice and. Also trying to fundraise for a co-working space I don't know if you know this part actually I was trying to build a female focused co-working space that was going to have child care fitness studios ah beauty services and a cafe so I was trying to raise $10000000 for that project and working nights at the restaurant.
01:34.31
syrupcoaching
Now.
01:49.36
syrupcoaching
Yes.
01:51.42
Kirstyn Shaw
And of course everything completely fell apart once the pandemic hit and I just couldn't even like begin to focus on trying to raise money for a project when who knows that like if that was going to come to fruition and I.
02:01.93
syrupcoaching
Yeah.
02:07.66
Kirstyn Shaw
But once I was furloughed for my job I was like I don't care what happens I cannot go back to serving I had been there four and a half years and it is extremely for anybody. That's waited tables before worked in a restaurant you know how it is. It's I learned the most about myself I think working those 4 years up the restaurant for sure.
02:24.56
syrupcoaching
Okay.
02:26.55
Kirstyn Shaw
But it was very long nights and long hours and hard work and I just was over it. So, at started the pandemic to quell my anxiety I started baking chocolate chip cookies for all of my friends and family and ding dung ditching them and leaving them on their doorstep as just like something fun. And, delicious to do and after about a month of that people were like you really should just sell these cookies and I had built a website before for my previous company which was a clothing company.
02:54.78
syrupcoaching
Here.
03:02.12
Kirstyn Shaw
So I had a little bit of experience building websites so I was just like well I have nothing to lose I'm literally sitting around doing nothing if I'm not baking so might as well try it and see if it works and it just grew completely organically through word of mouth and that was almost two and a half years ago
03:08.60
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah.
03:21.50
syrupcoaching
It's crazy. Absolutely crazy. Did you have a baking or like cooking background before.
03:25.98
Kirstyn Shaw
No, not at all I just I just love feeding people I'm actually a better cook than I am a baker I Always joke that I don't even like baking I Just like eating sweets.
03:35.40
syrupcoaching
We We will admit it like I mean what you make is incredible like no formal training for this.
03:46.39
Kirstyn Shaw
No, ah just like tweaking recipes growing up my mom was a professional scrapbooker and would host these like scrapbooking retreats at our house with all of her you know customers and so I started baking for them at a very early age like by sixth Seventh grade I was like.
03:54.24
syrupcoaching
Yes.
04:03.50
Kirstyn Shaw
Making banana cream pies and brownies and Texas sheetca and chocolate chip cookies and all sorts of things for them and I just like always loved feeding people I actually thought I wanted to go into the culinary world and I graduated Uc and was going to go to culinary school.
04:09.27
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah.
04:19.76
Kirstyn Shaw
After I graduated you say like but then I was nanning for a family waiting for my program to start and I was doing all of their cooking and I was like oh no, this is not the life for me I do not like this I like entertaining and I like feeding people but like cooking professionally is not my cup of tea. So I I ended up. Yeah.
04:21.53
syrupcoaching
Here.
04:35.51
syrupcoaching
Know it's you switch? Yeah, it's still funny when you were talking like 2 shows came to mind one the bear which everybody.
04:38.60
Kirstyn Shaw
Yeah, yeah.
04:45.77
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, ah finish that? yep.
04:48.11
syrupcoaching
And then one I feel highly underrated, but the server perspective Sweet Bitter Oh my gosh. Oh the yes something party. No.
04:52.88
Kirstyn Shaw
Oh my gosh. Oh no I don't know that one. What's the one with the catering they were catering. It's kind of older with the guy from severance. Yeah I Honestly can't remember.
05:07.83
syrupcoaching
I know you know what I know what I I'm a visual person I can picture the logo or like but you know the that key. But yeah, no, it's It's so funny those those stick in your mind of like oh no, no I am not doing this.
05:10.69
Kirstyn Shaw
I'm terrible of this you.
05:25.45
syrupcoaching
I cannot do this for the long term. And I I also have friends who have been chefs in restaurants and then personal chefs and it's just like it's a whole different ballgame of like you know families really restricting Even what the chef.
05:36.51
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, yeah.
05:43.97
Kirstyn Shaw
A.
05:44.25
syrupcoaching
Wheres in their home or you know how they look at people or how they treat people and it's It's just a whole different thing. It's like you know you're doing the smart thing you're using your natural gift and then dropping it off. You don't have that interaction. Yeah.
05:56.46
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, yeah, thank you? Yeah exactly.
06:03.66
syrupcoaching
So I mean I guess another thing too. The the the website that you built the the branding that they're packaging. It's also beautiful like how how did you also did is this all you and your brain.
06:14.98
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, thank you I may hit my logo on my phone with an app called pickmonkey.
06:24.85
Kirstyn Shaw
Literally like when I decided that this was going to be a thing we were all sitting on the couch. It was my mom's birthday October earth April Tenth Twenty Twenty and we're all sitting around I'm like this really is the very best cookie in the whole wide world and my sister goes is that what you should call it and we I was like well the domain is obviously available because it's.
06:28.88
syrupcoaching
Yeah.
06:41.63
syrupcoaching
The yeah.
06:43.94
Kirstyn Shaw
Ah, million words long. I forget where I was going with that. Oh yeah, so I just like mocked up a logo on my phone and pickmonke and that stuck and luckily one of my good friends is a graphic designer so she's helped me do all the stickers and all that packaging design.
06:56.90
syrupcoaching
And we.
07:01.49
Kirstyn Shaw
But yeah, it's really just it's fun. It's so much easier to market a product like I don't consider myself like I don't consider that I do any marketing because I'm just sharing something that I love with people that I like you know.
07:09.73
syrupcoaching
And. Yeah, yeah.
07:16.40
Kirstyn Shaw
So it doesn't feel like I'm being salesy or marketing at all. It's all come quite naturally. But yeah, so it's all then organic I guess you could say.
07:26.41
syrupcoaching
Yeah, no, no, it's it's just it's amazing to see because I think I think I got your cookies in the very beginning like pretty early on because I'm a loyal fan but but it just like everything that comes out I'm like.
07:36.19
Kirstyn Shaw
Ah, her.
07:40.22
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, thank you.
07:44.80
syrupcoaching
You're like you're saying too like it does feel organic like boops you've partnered with charities that you've supported along the way. You know nothing feels like oh this is interesting like it just feels like oh yeah, this new flavor This makes sense and then you're going to support this and, it just it it.
07:44.82
Kirstyn Shaw
Are.
08:03.78
syrupcoaching
It makes you feel good in so many so many different ways to support your business. Yeah.
08:07.82
Kirstyn Shaw
Thank you, Thank you and I have pretty simple taste I mean I'm not reinventing the wheel here. It's a chocolate chip cookie. But I think the quality of the ingredients I use really good butter and really good chocolate and it just allows fewer Simpler ingredients.
08:12.54
syrupcoaching
Me.
08:23.00
Kirstyn Shaw
Just allows the quality of the ingredient to shave through.
08:23.60
syrupcoaching
Yeah, and I I get asked this a lot and people are like your health and wellness coach you eat a lot of sweets. You know my dog growing up her name was candy because yeah, we just. Um, as a family like you know you got a sweet tooth or as I like to say like you know like cows have 5 stomachs like humans also have a separate compartment like that's a separate side like for s sweets like it exists. Yeah and I don't need like handbags or shoes. I.
08:50.47
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, oh for sure. Absolutely yes, 100%
09:02.30
syrupcoaching
Ah, that money to go to my teeth so you know, but, but it's just like you have to enjoy life. You have to like you have to take that bye you got to eat the cookie like you.
09:07.60
Kirstyn Shaw
Um.
09:13.93
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, ah her.
09:19.61
syrupcoaching
Don't believe in like deprivation at all or like just cutting something cold turkey and never having it again. You know like that just doesn't work. That's not like living a happy and whole life. So to me, it's like of course I'm going to have the cookies and that cookies made with like the best ingredients.
09:23.19
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, of love.
09:39.36
syrupcoaching
Because that's worth it then you know if you're going to grab something off the grocery store shelf. That's been sitting there and like made to made to sit there for a long time like not exactly worth it but something like made with the love made with the care made with the right things like.
09:42.62
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, absolutely.
09:48.20
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, exactly no.
09:58.80
Kirstyn Shaw
And yeah.
09:58.46
syrupcoaching
Absolutely like I am not taking any of that out of my my day to day routine.
10:04.51
Kirstyn Shaw
Yeah, ah yeah, it's funny because people always ask if I would do like paleo or whatever health diet like fat is in the moment cookies or treats and I'm like no, that's not really what I'm about you know I have gluten free and I have vegan.
10:11.85
syrupcoaching
Right.
10:18.63
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah.
10:20.86
Kirstyn Shaw
And those are more about like dietary restrictions rather than fad diets. But um I just want to produce wholesome delicious treats and like if you're not eating sugar then you know find somewhere else.
10:33.33
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah, exactly I So but like also the gluten free ones don't taste gluten free and yeah and I don't yeah I don't know how what your secret sauce is there because I've tried to make my my husband goes on like weird kicks.
10:42.16
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, no, they're really good.
10:52.35
syrupcoaching
Ah, all the time and you say I have you? yeah and I or like the cup for cup and I'm like and I've really tried and and like the brownies turn as hard as a rock. The cookies are just barely edible like cake and I'm not I'm not about bad at baking.
10:54.30
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, Bob's redville
11:06.37
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, yeah.
11:12.43
syrupcoaching
But it's just not not so great. But you've managed to to make them taste just as good as the the o g yeah so you have now now you're here what we're almost twenty Twenty three so almost three years
11:21.24
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, thank you I Appreciate that.
11:30.91
syrupcoaching
Business Bananas A ah my B You know you know you are you're are are doing this and you you've got a team and you' got your family and and friends supporting but like.
11:31.69
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, ah yeah.
11:49.80
syrupcoaching
How do you even take time to do anything for yourself or like take care of yourself like is this even on the table right now.
11:57.89
Kirstyn Shaw
Oh my gosh. My first year I worked literally around the clock I was doing everything out of my parents house and I didn't have any employees at the time so I was getting up to like five o'clock in the morning to start making rice crispy treats for the day and so I could get all of my baking done early and let everything cool before I had to package and ship. Everything.
12:09.19
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah.
12:17.30
syrupcoaching
Aha yeah.
12:17.90
Kirstyn Shaw
And I work like almost every day of 20202020 was rough but I love what I was doing and I was feeding so many people and it was it was awesome but then in 2021 when I hired it was awesome to be able to outsource. And I have Adhd and I suffer from depression.
12:23.63
syrupcoaching
And.
12:36.76
Kirstyn Shaw
So I got I was getting.. It's really hard when the business goes through different cycles to not take things personally and I was just getting really depressed, especially like seeing other companies that had come up in the pandemic and like watching them soar and feeling stuck and like it's so hard not to compare yourself to other people. And other businesses and to realize like every like every journey is different and so but whatever that is separate. But I have.
12:57.99
syrupcoaching
Freeze.
00:00.69
syrupcoaching
Awesome! So how do you find that time for yourself.
00:06.81
Kirstyn Shaw
I Think you just have to make it happen like I was losing my mind working all the hours and all the days in 2020 and hiring somebody was the best thing I could have ever done. Um I Wish I would have hired somebody earlier. So but I. Had more time to focus on the business instead of trying to do the business and the social media and the marketing and the emails and you know everything and baking and shipping. Um, so hiring definitely allowed me to free up some time for myself. Um, and then I just I love to read.
00:34.96
syrupcoaching
Here.
00:40.28
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah.
00:42.35
Kirstyn Shaw
Reading ah getting lost in a good book. So I think that when I allow myself to read and just can get lost that that you know rejuvenates me tremendously right now I'm reading the it girl and another book.
00:50.23
syrupcoaching
Yeah, what's on your Nightstand now.
01:01.76
Kirstyn Shaw
Which I can't even remember the title of about Hemingway's ah first wife the french girl or something like that.
01:07.60
syrupcoaching
Oh I I think I have I have the one. Oh I have a good one. You're gonna like it. it's about it's similar to that but it's about Frank Lloyd Wright and his first wife and inside that yeah, it's a little juicy. Um, yeah, ah, do you read? cookbooks.
01:27.22
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, yeah, yeah.
01:31.65
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, oh my gosh I have so many cookbooks I had just stopped myself this year I was going wild. Yes I love cookbooks I love all the beautiful pictures and ah fun recipes with cooking I actually don't like. Following recipes per se I'll use it more as inspiration but unless it's a cuzy and I'm not familiar with um but yes I love cookbooks.
01:48.87
syrupcoaching
And yes.
01:56.48
syrupcoaching
Yeah, that's that that's the dangerous thing by but my bedside table and then I get excited. Yeah and cannot sleep because I'm like oh I'd like to make this or this or like how do I find this ingredient like there's um.
02:04.28
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, ah her ah her.
02:11.86
syrupcoaching
There's a recipe I keep reading or cookbook I keep reading and then they keep using a like date syrup in like pomegranate syrup and night and I don't know where to find bonrant syrup so I'm always on a mission I'm like I will make this recipe someday. Oh in Culver City right
02:19.30
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, ah.
02:22.52
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, you got to go to surface have you been a surface. Yeah, ah it's great. They'll have it for sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:30.78
syrupcoaching
Oh you? Okay, it's been ages ages. Okay, oh my gosh. That's gonna be dangerous to go there too too much good ze right? right? The cheese selection Everything perfect? um.
02:39.82
Kirstyn Shaw
They can just take all my money. Yep.
02:48.53
syrupcoaching
Well well, it's I know that being an entrepreneur is one of like the hardest jobs because when you take that break. It's probably a feeling of like I shouldn't be doing this or the guilty feeling about that too and especially because your job is so tied to.
02:59.54
Kirstyn Shaw
Are her of her. Are.
03:07.76
syrupcoaching
Other people and and feeding others and like the feeling that you get from that is like you're why and keeps you going like um, it's good that you have found some like outlets to to slow down but like I I can't imagine like in 20 There was no way to do that.
03:26.83
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, no.
03:27.30
syrupcoaching
But the the past two years have you found more time like have you not into days off and like actually shut down.
03:33.40
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, ah yeah, it's funny. Well, it's hard to totally shut down because my brain is just always going. Um I went my boyfriend.
03:41.54
syrupcoaching
Yeah.
03:46.88
Kirstyn Shaw
Parents have a house in Montana and we went in January and I was supposed to not work at all and of course I was like oh I'm going to try all this recipe dev and like just got sucked into everything and I worked literally the entire time. But then we went back again the summer and I actually like shut the business down for a week.
03:57.67
syrupcoaching
Knows.
04:01.92
syrupcoaching
Yes.
04:03.95
Kirstyn Shaw
So then I was able to just like disconnect and it was wonderful I I read 4 books in ten days and went on hikes and cooked all the food and it was great. So that was my first like real vacation since this started.
04:08.72
syrupcoaching
So like.
04:16.14
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah, and you met your boyfriend through cookies right.
04:22.54
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, yes, he was a customer first. He ordered July of 2020 and back then I only had ah the og chocolate chip and then I added pecods to that and I made. The peacock chocolate chip and he ordered that and the cookie dough so literally everything on my website he ordered and in the comments he wrote I love you and I was like oh are you talking to me like are you talking to cookie who who's this foreign back then I was seeing every single order that came through and then he tagged me on Instagram when he baked his cookie dough and we just.
04:47.38
syrupcoaching
Yeah, you a ask.
04:58.67
syrupcoaching
Me It's awesome I Love that Love Story Love over. And yeah, right, It's also jealous because he gets to taste what doesn't make it.
04:58.87
Kirstyn Shaw
Became buddies on Instagram and then the rest is history. It's pretty sweet. We're ready to call it to hallmark.
05:17.41
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, oh yeah, oh yeah, absolutely he's a great taste tester.
05:18.50
syrupcoaching
To the the like the cutting room floor or what falls on like a war. Oh my gosh. That's awesome. That's awesome. Um I mean so now now that like you you have. Now Everything is sort of moved into a new space and you're baking smaller batches like what is your day-to-day life or like I guess week to week life look like because um I can imagine. You're not running into shipping stuff every day all the time maybe have more like process or streamline like.
05:53.67
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, yeah, ah so Mondays but since we well we we ship Monday through Wednesday we ship everything Tuesday so we can't ship on Thursdays because it wouldn't arrive before the weekend.
05:54.72
syrupcoaching
What it what does it look like for you.
06:07.18
syrupcoaching
Well yeah.
06:09.51
Kirstyn Shaw
So Mondays we do a lot of prep work and then we bake and ship everything Monday through Wednesday Thursday we do local deliveries and then Fridays um doing recipe dev and some back office admin kind of stuff.
06:24.21
syrupcoaching
Ah I deal with him.
06:25.20
Kirstyn Shaw
Yeah I've had to get much more structured because we used to like ship and deliver all over the place and all the time and it was too much and I think people having less choices like they're not bothered by having less choices. It's just like you take what you can get. Okay.
06:37.63
syrupcoaching
Um, totally, but um, but I would like to make a request that the the bars you had for the holiday season bring those back sometime because those.
06:45.70
Kirstyn Shaw
That's yes. Oh yes.
06:54.30
syrupcoaching
I Still dream about them I I ordered one I.
06:56.50
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, which ones did you love I had the cookies and cream brookie thing and I had the peanut butter fluff one for Halloween and I had a brown butter toffy. Yes.
07:04.19
syrupcoaching
And oh ah, brown butter toffy. Okay.
07:13.16
Kirstyn Shaw
And working on a new version of that. Actually today is.
07:17.13
syrupcoaching
Yes, um, and I'm pretty sure We also got the cinnamon. We got the thickment and the the cookies in um and I ate them all. Oh I kept it in my freezer and I waited till I had a good work moment.
07:21.52
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, oh yeah, like Manda is coming back like people will request that all year long.
07:35.44
syrupcoaching
To like finish the last 3 cookies myself. Yeah oh my gosh I'm total meant is our person. So I love that um love um, okay since we're talking about flavors I just have to tell it you also that.
07:36.90
Kirstyn Shaw
Amazing. Yeah, we're gonna do a mint brownie too that I'm excited about yeah me too I Love me. Yes.
07:54.78
syrupcoaching
My rankings here. Yeah so okay I'm going to admit this and it's okay to shame me I don't love chocolate chip Cookies I Love your I know know just I'm either like an all chocolate like a brownie.
08:04.86
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, oh my gosh. No way.
08:14.60
syrupcoaching
Or a no chocolate know I I just will say that but your chocolate chip cookies are amazing and everybody else is like so jazz. But I if I had to pick a chocolate. It would be the the fuggest brownie.
08:17.43
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, ah ah.
08:28.81
Kirstyn Shaw
Yes, those are so good that was actually the first recipe I ever developed when I was living with my aunt and uncle the summer in between my junior and for earn senior year in college I was experimenting with those brownies and I was like.
08:32.91
syrupcoaching
Really.
08:39.44
syrupcoaching
Yes.
08:46.88
Kirstyn Shaw
Started from some recipe off I be curious I can't even remember what the recipe was and just like modifying it and playing with it. Um changing the proportions. Yeah, so back when I was twenty years old little little sprite.
08:47.16
syrupcoaching
Light.
08:53.57
syrupcoaching
Um, so yeah, ah, um, it is so good with coffee I like I like preserve it and slice it up. It's so.
09:06.00
Kirstyn Shaw
Oh yeah, okay I.
09:12.12
syrupcoaching
So delicious I actually haven't shared it with any of my kids because grade belly too much and I don't want them to steal it? Um, but also the Sinnis world and ah, ah out of this world.
09:17.41
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, yeah, oh my God I have some of those right now in the freezer I did a special batch for somebody last week that best.
09:32.12
syrupcoaching
Out of this world. Yeah, and for any really that be delicious for anyone who hasn't tried it. Um or you hasn't had your Cinny buns which are cinnamon rolls. Um.
09:33.37
Kirstyn Shaw
1 of my favorites too I'm playing with that as a bar. Also.
09:49.22
syrupcoaching
My neighbor comes and steals some and his wife doesn't really let him eat a lot of sweets. So when add them. He's been like yeah just gonna give grab a cup of coffee over there. Um, ah, but that there's something like really magical about this denness world. It's like.
09:52.99
Kirstyn Shaw
Are.
10:05.92
syrupcoaching
I Don't want to say doughy because that's the wrong word, but it's like that inside part of ah of a cinnamon roll transform into a cookie. Um, and so you're getting the best parts and the best bites like it's something.
10:10.50
Kirstyn Shaw
Of her.
10:22.79
syrupcoaching
Something out of this world and special.
10:24.32
Kirstyn Shaw
Ah, they're so good I love them. That's really one of my favorites and that happened totally on accident I was making cinnamon rolls um and had extra filling left over and I was like I wonder if I just like put this inside of a cookie and tried to like roll it up if that would work.
10:27.59
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah.
10:38.29
Kirstyn Shaw
And I tried it and I was like oh my. That's the only cookie I've ever made by the way that was like perfect. The first time everything else is like 10 times I'm trying to make things to get it right? yeah.
10:48.42
syrupcoaching
That's what I was going to ask too of like you know I think that a lot of us think like oh you know they've got a recipe they work from recipe and this is you know, put out into the world like so many things it's like everyone's like. Oh that this person has popped but they've really worked for 10 years to to pop. Um, but like it's it's like how how do you come up with a recipe and then like how do you taste test it and make sure it's like right in.
11:08.79
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, yeah.
11:19.25
syrupcoaching
In every kitchen you're going to bake it.
11:22.63
Kirstyn Shaw
Ah, that is actually very tricky because every oven is so different. Um, so we just have to play around with the oven and cook times and temperatures to get it to turn out pretty consistently um flavors i. Feel like I I'm always going back to a lot of like nostalgic things I've loved from childhood so Cinnabu was one of my favorites I've done hostess cupcakes um like lemon ah cakes I love you know it's funny I'm very lowbrow with some things. My very favorite cake in the whole world is that.
11:42.71
syrupcoaching
Me.
11:55.41
Kirstyn Shaw
Spots lemon cake from Costco but if you haven't had that like it's like £20 and I could probably eat the top half of that thing in like too sittings. It's so good. So I've been trying to like come up with the cookie form of that it hasn't worked out yet. Um.
11:58.56
syrupcoaching
Never we walk. Ah.
12:11.32
syrupcoaching
And yeah.
12:14.53
Kirstyn Shaw
And then yeah, a lot of things just like seeing things on the internet like getting inspired by something um or sometimes I'll come up with the name of a cookie the um pucker up the strawberry one I did.
12:17.99
syrupcoaching
I Have yeah.
12:27.37
Kirstyn Shaw
I started for Valentine's day last year I came up with the name first and I was like okay like what can I do to make a cute red cookie for Valentine's day when I tried red velvet and I was like oh this is so boring like let's try strawberry instead and then it has actually been one of my best selling cookies. So yeah, a lot of random inspiration.
12:32.47
syrupcoaching
Yeah.
12:43.82
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah, and then like when you when you decided on like here's gonna be the flavor for pucker up like how many batches did it take to get to that like just right flavor.
12:47.31
Kirstyn Shaw
Like.
12:57.89
Kirstyn Shaw
Ah, that one it probably took a few tries I got lucky with that one but some of them seriously I try like 10 times and then I can't even get it right? or can't get it to be consistent and we'll just drop it last year I was trying to do an Apple.
13:05.51
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah.
13:12.72
Kirstyn Shaw
Cookie for Thanksgiving and we just couldn't get it right? So I'm going to go back to the drawing board with that one because I just love apple apple stuff. Um, but yeah, it's also tricky because ah up until now I haven't had retail space. So.
13:13.88
syrupcoaching
Re here.
13:26.91
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah.
13:30.70
Kirstyn Shaw
It's and 75% of my orders are shipped so I have to figure out what is going to ship well whereas when I open up retail space in the fall I'll be able to really do whatever I want and not have to lean on shipping my cookies as much which I'm really excited for.
13:34.40
syrupcoaching
Here.
13:46.65
syrupcoaching
That's awesome Kenny you.
13:47.26
Kirstyn Shaw
So I can have things like Cinny buns on the menu all the time and do like different flavors of those and work with more fresh ingredients.
13:51.43
syrupcoaching
Awesome! Can you can you share anything about the retail store is that still under wraps to the fall.
13:57.96
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, yeah I got really really lucky. My sister's friend saw ah a bakery on um Instagram that was letting go of the space that they had taken a lease on and started building out and never finished and they were just over it. So it's going. It's in Virgil Village right across the street from squirrel so I'm just waiting on the construction bid and as long as it's within what he expected it to be I'll be taking over that lease and hopefully get it built out in like 6 to eight weeks so just waiting on a construction bid but it's like.
14:19.18
syrupcoaching
Yeah, holding. Yeah.
14:31.62
syrupcoaching
Oh my gosh.
14:34.49
Kirstyn Shaw
I Already bought an oven and have it delivered there. So it's like it needs to happen. Thank you.
14:36.97
syrupcoaching
Ah, yeah, yeah, I'm sending good vibes to you? Um I can't only imagine I love a squirrel they catered my um, my first son's our our baby shower and yeah, love them.
14:49.47
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, my gosh we? yeah yeah, yeah, absolutely, that's what I'm hoping for? yeah ah yeah.
14:51.84
syrupcoaching
And then you have squirrel and then you have courage on the same street. So the runoff of both of those who yeah who doesn't want to be a on a bruni for like Sunday breakfast come on. Yeah, that's awesome like super incredible I'm really pumped and that's not.
15:06.22
Kirstyn Shaw
Yes.
15:09.58
syrupcoaching
That's not too far a drive for me. So personally, that's also a win. Ah.
15:11.39
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, yeah, yeah I just got really lucky because I never thought that I'd be able to afford retail space because Retail is so much more expensive than ah commercial. Um, but just because they locked in the lease.
15:21.23
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah, yeah, 15
15:28.35
Kirstyn Shaw
Four years ago and it's at a really good rate that it's doable.
15:31.30
syrupcoaching
Yeah, and then it's is it a ton of construction or just kind of like customizing to what you need.
15:35.28
Kirstyn Shaw
No, they've art. It's like almost finished being built out I need to get a hood installed and have the walk-in fridge and freezer completed and then the rest of it is cosmetic like finishing up the paint and tile and that kind of stuff which is really fun to be able to design and I already have.
15:54.26
syrupcoaching
Yeah.
15:54.59
Kirstyn Shaw
Ah, a gal that wants to be my coffee partner and wants to like take over all of that. So I won't even have to do coffee and beverage. So I think it's gonna be great and I really wanted to operate like a co-op so like bringing in other bakers and other makers to share the space with I know how hard it is to find.
16:00.19
syrupcoaching
Yeah, it's perfect.
16:06.71
syrupcoaching
Yeah.
16:13.83
Kirstyn Shaw
Base especially on a small scale so to be able to open up the space and bring all of our customers together I think will be mutually beneficial for everybody.
16:20.30
syrupcoaching
Yeah, well it sounds like also like you gone fall circle too like you started so many years ago with a dream to have this like coworking space and bring people together. But you're still doing that with your life. It's just in different format.
16:33.70
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, yeah, exactly it's funny. It's what people always ask if I'll go back to the coworking space because I spent 2 years working on that business plan and getting all like just it was a lot of work because it was so many different business components.
16:47.90
syrupcoaching
Yeah.
16:49.90
Kirstyn Shaw
And verticals that I wasn't familiar with um, but for me at that point that served a need for me and I wanted it to exist as a space that I could use and like now that I don't need that anymore I'm not as passionate about it whereas I have transferred that passion into yeah exactly like a co-op kitchen or a.
17:05.67
syrupcoaching
Um, new.
17:08.89
Kirstyn Shaw
Co-working kitchen and that that really doesn't exist. It's kind of crazy that it's so difficult for small people to find kitchen space.
17:11.41
syrupcoaching
You see.
17:18.39
syrupcoaching
Right? right? right? Yeah and then just you know supporting other talent out there and lifting them up and you know they can sort of ride the coattails of what you're doing. Um, that's this. That's great for community and that's great for you know sharing the love.
17:22.13
Kirstyn Shaw
Are.
17:30.30
Kirstyn Shaw
Yeah, absolutely and I love sharing like I feel like I've learned so much. It's silly for people to have to refigure things out like anything I know any vendors like I'm happy to share all that stuff.
17:42.20
syrupcoaching
Yeah, and then that's amazing too because it's like you oftentimes you're only like 10% ahead of somebody who's you know, trying to follow, not exactly your footsteps but you know something a similar path and it's like why not. Like I don't want to be a gatekeeper for anything like here's this person phone number here's what I did wrong. You know here's what's going to save you time. Um, you know I think that you know we're We're all on this planet to kind of help each other out and if we don't recognize that you know what are we.
18:06.96
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, yeah, are here? Absolutely um.
18:17.80
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, exactly yeah and there's enough business for everybody like I'm not I'm not threatened by that at all by sharing.
18:19.13
syrupcoaching
Yeah.
18:26.82
syrupcoaching
No, no, not at all, not at all awesome. Well um I now have like a hundred things that I need to place orders for So it's just a good reminder to always check in with you every couple months every couple weeks. Um.
18:42.78
syrupcoaching
But um I have one last question for you and it's question I ask everyone and quite honestly my college roommate and I started this like oh my gosh shit close to twenty years ago um and it was like every night.
18:44.81
Kirstyn Shaw
Yes.
18:59.25
syrupcoaching
We'd ask each other this question before bed and it'd be like if you had a button to do something for you right now? What? what to do? um and that was college the most of the time it was like bring me a gatorade or you job 8 a m um.
19:12.50
Kirstyn Shaw
Um.
19:17.53
syrupcoaching
But but now it's It's so interesting I Think about that question often I'm like um, you know if I I'm going to have this like giant thing on my phone I'm like this was actually like a button and I could press it. What would it do if you had that button What? what to do in your life or in your day to day.
19:26.63
Kirstyn Shaw
Yes.
19:33.60
Kirstyn Shaw
Oh my gosh Clean up after me I'm very age D So I like will open a cabinet and already be onto the next thing and obviously the kitchen gets very messy with all of the dishes and I can't.
19:43.82
syrupcoaching
Um, me.
19:50.40
Kirstyn Shaw
Dart like my surface has to be totally clean before I can start something else. Otherwise I just get too distracted. Um, but I also just like put things in obscure places like I have a chain on my phone because I lose my phone every single time I put it down So I'm usually wearing it So I don't lose it I'll like put it on a shelf in the refrigerator and be like.
19:53.88
syrupcoaching
Is there.
20:09.39
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah, ah I'd like I would like that button too because I'm also a misplacer of things. Yes, awesome.
20:09.68
Kirstyn Shaw
Where where did it go but so keep keeping the organized and cleaning up after me would be the button save me so much time.
20:21.42
Kirstyn Shaw
Yes, yes, accomplished.
20:26.58
syrupcoaching
Awesome! Well it was an absolute pleasure having you on today and chatting and hearing your story I love what you're doing and I'm so excited congrats on the retail space I cannot wait shout about it to everybody I know.
20:35.48
Kirstyn Shaw
Um, thank you so much. You'll obviously be invited to the Grand opening. Um, you're welcome. Thank you too bye.
20:43.61
syrupcoaching
Thank you, Thank you? Awesome! Okay, thank you dear have a great weekend bye.