Today we’d like to introduce you to Maia Hollins.
Hi Maia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
The Chocolate Chip Company has operated in a Food Cottage capacity in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since 2015. The company began with me baking cookies for my husband, a Dallas Police Officer, and his coworkers to show my support and appreciation for their service. As the cookies grew in popularity around the department, orders started to pour in and with a merchandising background, I decided to make a business out of the opportunity. Since this time, I prepared myself and the company for the day we would get the opportunity to make it to grocery store shelves. I continued working my normal 9-5 jobs while building the company in my off time. In January of 2022, I decided to pitch my business to several different grocers hoping they would be interested; Central Market was thrilled to hear from me and decided to take a chance. Between January and May of 2022, I built a small-scale manufacturing facility to ensure that I could fulfill all of the orders. With the love and support of my husband and closest family I was able to accomplish this with all three of my children alongside of me in addition to the one child I am currently pregnant with. Coincidently I was fired from my job the day after I received the offer from Central Market, this is when I knew it was finally time for me to pursue my dream.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road at all, but it has been a blessed one. I was fired from my job the day after I received the offer from Central Market, this is when I knew it was finally time for me to pursue my dream. However, the loss of my job caused a financial strain that made it very hard to build a manufacturing facility to prepare my company for large-scale orders. Every step of the way God sent someone to help me figure out how to achieve this dream. Not to mention I am doing this while pregnant and with a 1-year-old, 2-year-old, and 9-year-old who are typically with me in business meetings, contractor interviews, etc.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My company manufactures cookie dough with our own proprietary recipes and we sell the product to grocery stores, currently to Central Market. We are working diligently to gain other accounts and expand across the state, we pride ourselves on diversity of flavors, taste, quality ingredients, and no preservatives.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can support us by shopping our brands at the stores, posting on social media, baking our cookies and conducting review videos. We would love to collaborate with coffee brands as we have a coffee-flavored line of cookies, we would also love to collaborate with any large Texas influencers, investors and independent stores/restaurants.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thechochip.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechocchip/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/thechochip
