Invest In Yourself with Stephanie Wiley

The Forrager Podcast for Cottage Food Businesses

Stephanie Wiley of Whitefish, MT sells cookie brittle with her business, Fat Kid Cookie Company.

For many years, family and friends raved about Stephanie’s unique cookies and told her, “You should sell these,” but it wasn’t until she tragically lost her 18-year-old son that she decided to completely change careers.

Out of that loss came a very strong mission for her new business, and in less than 2 years, she’s already grown it to 34 wholesale accounts and is expanding rapidly!

In this episode, you’ll hear how Stephanie continues to push herself beyond her comfort zone in order to make an impact and leave a legacy for both her and her son.

What You’ll Learn

• How Stephanie transformed a personal tragedy into a strong mission for her cookie business
• The challenges and rewards of starting a new career later in life
• The importance of bold and assertive marketing to stand out and attract customers
• Differences between running a service-based vs. product-based business
• Stephanie’s decision to keep her recipe a secret and the importance of a unique product
• How to find a commercial kitchen and obtain a wholesale manufacturing license
• Participating in a trade show and the impact on wholesale accounts
• Investing in rebranding and the importance of cohesive branding for product placement
• The challenges of getting cookies on store shelves and shipping in hot weather
• Stephanie’s vision for her business’s future and her drive to give back and create a legacy
• Shipping costs and pricing strategies for different product sizes

Resources

Fat Kid Cookie Company website (Instagram | Facebook)

Food Business Success by Sari Kimbell (listen to Sari in Episodes 59 & 60)

Faire (online wholesale marketplace)

Made in Montana (Tradeshow)

Montana Cottage Food Law

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Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/98