Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Ward.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
On a whim, I decided to try my hand at decorated sugar cookies for my daughter’s first birthday in December of 2018. They turned out okay, nothing spectacular, but they were fun to make. I’m a lover of all crafts—I want to learn it all, try it all, do it all. So, throughout the beginning of 2019, when something came up that I could make cookies for, I did! Again, these first attempts were pretty plain Jane. I made a set for a baby shower I was cohosting and got some really positive feedback. My family and friends encouraged me to “Try and sell them!”, a few of my albeit pushier friends (haha) were really enthusiastic about it so I finally made a listing online. Overnight I had dozens of inquiries and my cookie business began!
Has it been a smooth road?
As far as business ownership is concerned, it has been pretty smooth, I have been in the small business world a while as I also make quilts and other custom items of that sort. So that part was more or less easy for me.
The cookie decoration itself also came fairly easy to me, I consider myself to be very creative and artistic, there’s definitely a learning curve when it comes to different consistencies and techniques but social media has helped with that a lot. It’s easy to look up a tutorial and learn something new and I’m a quick learner.
The struggle for me has been in balance. When I started this venture, my daughter was about a year and a half old and my son was about four months. I am a stay at home mom and they are so young still that my time to actually work on orders is limited to naps (if they take them) and after bedtime.
I think that this is a hurdle that a lot of stay at home parents face, though. There is a challenge in finding definition for yourself outside of being a mom or a dad. I’ve been lucky to have found something that is all my own, something that gives me great satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Self-care is more than hair appointments and spa days, it’s finding that “thing” that is just yours and yours alone, and nurturing that.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Mama Duck Cookie Company story. Tell us more about the business.
Mama Duck Cookie Company specializes in creating custom, hand-decorated sugar cookies. I pride myself on making cookies that taste great look adorable and are affordable! I am always eager to take on a challenge, whether it be a new design that I’ve never tried or a really large order!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The custom everything trend has been going strong for several years now and people love being able to give and get things that are specially tailored to a specific person. That stretches into the dessert industry, custom cookies, cakes, etc. are wildly popular for parties of all kinds. Television shows have competitions of being the best of the best at creating edible works of art and cookies are finding their place in that! I anticipate that this segment of the customizable gift world will remain popular and even grow over the next several years.
Contact Info:
- Email: mamaduckcookieco@gmail.com
- Instagram: @mamaduckcookieco
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/mamaduckcookieco
Image Credit:
CJS Wedding & Birth Photography
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