When you bite into the perfect cookie, you can taste the passion and determination baked into every morsel - this is the essence of Molly B's Cookies. Our latest episode features Molly Blakely, the powerhouse behind these delectable treats, who shares her unwavering commitment to business integrity and the pivotal role faith plays in her entrepreneurial journey. She recounts her inspiring experience at a world food competition, where her beliefs took center stage, and unpacks the challenges of ensuring her gourmet cookies remain untouched by rising costs. Her tale transcends the kitchen, offering a masterclass in upholding one's values in the cutthroat world of business.
Venture into the heart of entrepreneurship with us as Molly Blakely illuminates the entrepreneurial spirit that fuels the American economy. She debunks the myth that the American dream is out of reach, asserting that the only true barrier is the one we place before ourselves. With humor and heart, Molly likens rejection to peaches – not everyone's taste, despite their sweetness. She reveals aspirations for her business to spread joy and sketches out her blueprint for future philanthropy, aiming to support foster children and single mothers. This conversation is a poignant reminder of the courage required to make a difference and the foundational values that have built our nation.
When you bite into the perfect cookie, you can taste the passion and determination baked into every morsel - this is the essence of Molly B's Cookies. Our latest episode features Molly Blakely, the powerhouse behind these delectable treats, who shares her unwavering commitment to business integrity and the pivotal role faith plays in her entrepreneurial journey. She recounts her inspiring experience at a world food competition, where her beliefs took center stage, and unpacks the challenges of ensuring her gourmet cookies remain untouched by rising costs. Her tale transcends the kitchen, offering a masterclass in upholding one's values in the cutthroat world of business.
Venture into the heart of entrepreneurship with us as Molly Blakely illuminates the entrepreneurial spirit that fuels the American economy. She debunks the myth that the American dream is out of reach, asserting that the only true barrier is the one we place before ourselves. With humor and heart, Molly likens rejection to peaches – not everyone's taste, despite their sweetness. She reveals aspirations for her business to spread joy and sketches out her blueprint for future philanthropy, aiming to support foster children and single mothers. This conversation is a poignant reminder of the courage required to make a difference and the foundational values that have built our nation.
Welcome back to Stand Today. You're with Kelly and Josiah Chewbacca, my son, and we are with Molly Blakely with Molly B's Cookies, founder and CEO of Delicious Gourmet Cookies. We're so glad to pick up this talk with you. So, molly, we talk a lot on Stand, about taking a stand for faith, for freedom, government by the people. I think freedom really stands a lot in our business world for freedom of our economy and free market system, but we don't just see people taking a stand in the political world, which is often what people talk about, especially with some of the guests that we have talk about, especially with some of the guests that we have. People have to take a stand in all areas of their life, and so I wanted to talk with you about having to take a stand in the face of adversity in this world that you're in, you just kind of referred to it.
Speaker 1:
You know having to take a stand about not taking an opportunity with an organization that didn't align with you, but could you share with us some of the decisions that you've made, some experiences that you've had, having to take a stand in the face of adversity as a business owner?
Speaker 3:
You know, everyone knows that, like everything has gotten more expensive. So when I started, butter was $1.99 and now it's $3.49 to $3.99. And so I had to make a decision Am I going to switch to margarine and possibly change the complete integrity of what I've been building this entire time and save the money, or not? And I decided not to, and I didn't raise my prices because I wanted people to be able to still enjoy it. So my margins dropped a little bit, but not a humongous amount, and I really think that that is what has helped me to stand and stay. You know, still like competitive with the other people out there I mean, I'm being compared to with like pricing is like Nabisco and you know that sort of thing. So it's, I wasn't prepared for that or a premium gourmet cookie, so, but that alone is good.
Speaker 3:
And then also having to stand in my integrity of who I am, you know there are things that I don't want to align in that that I'm invited to that are big opportunities that I just say no, thank you, you know. And also I am really bold about my faith. You know I went to the world food competition a couple of months ago and they invited me there and I brought someone to the Lord right there in the middle of the stadium, you know, and I and I believe in divine appointments and I know that that's part of my purpose here on this world and I won't compromise that. So that's, that's really one of the things that I do take a stand on If people ask me about it. I'm bold.
Speaker 1:
I love that about you. You're you're bold about a lot of things. Like you know, cheetos sauce on cookies. Bold, yes, I think that. I think going into business takes a lot of boldness.
Speaker 2:
Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1:
It's a that's one of the things that's going to make you good at business too. That's what I think. So one of the questions I had and, having gone with you through this journey and you know, having been in conversations with you when you were first getting your legs up under you kind of those hard stages of the entrepreneurial journey, it really is. I believe and Josiah and I have talked about this because he's interested in going into business it's the business owners, whether they're small business owners or small business owners, that become large business owners or companies and corporations that really drive the economic industry of America.
Speaker 1:
But in order to have small businesses and large businesses, you have to have people willing to take the risk and get out there and do that. People who are not comfortable just being employees and saying I'm going to go exchange time for a paycheck and work for someone else, but instead they say I've got an idea. Like you said, I'm going to hustle for capital, I'm going to take a risk and put it out there and then have some exposure and try and create product and add value to the market and the economy and exchange that for something. So you're someone who's out there doing this every day and engaging with other entrepreneurs. So I wanted to ask you what's your take on why more people aren't engaging in the American dream in this way? Why don't they just go for it? Yeah?
Speaker 3:
no-transcript. Nothing else out there like it. Go for it what there's no one stopping you, except for you. Stop limiting yourself to maybe they won't like it, maybe they will, or whatever you don't need to sell to the whole world. There are people that just want indulgent cookies. The people that are gluten-free are not my customers. You know what I mean. I'm just going for the ones like me that want something really delicious and naughty, and there's enough of people 8 billion people in the world. There are going to people that love what you're coming up with. So you have to just cling onto that and know and I always talk about the peach thing and remember this because it's really important you could be the juiciest peach, the most sweet peach, the most beautiful peach in the world, and there are still people that just don't like peaches. So don't take it personally. If they don't like your stuff, just be like they don't like peaches and move on. And just know that. Don't get defensive. Be open and always be kind.
Speaker 2:
Those are some wonderful, wonderful observations.
Speaker 3:
I've heard the peach one before, and it's true, some people just don't like peaches.
Speaker 2:
It's unfortunate, but for the people that do like peaches and the people that do like Molly B's cookies, how do you want your business to impact and change their lives?
Speaker 3:
Their lives. Well, I wanted to bring them joy. I want them to have an experience that just makes them happy. I have scripture on all of my packaging, so and I just put the little address so they have to look it up, because I want people to have to be tangible and see what is this, why is this? This here, you know, and I'm I love that. But also I have a bunch of silly dad jokes on the back of all my boba doodles and it says to do a silly fun dance in order to eat them. And you have a better experience. I just want people to have joy. I want them to get them. I want them to learn my story and be inspired to. You know, mary Kay started her business at 45. Kfc started at 59. I was 45 when I had to start. Completely over, it's doable. You'll never, ever, ever, ever too old. You're not just start right now, see.
Speaker 1:
So that's not too old, you're not, I just want to bring out some family laundry right now. I haven't even started yet. I'm not even at my prime entrepreneurial starting age yet.
Speaker 2:
I'm very confused. I don't know where all this is coming from.
Speaker 1:
You're you're never too old, absolutely just so glad that you shared that with my high school son, molly. That was just a lot of wisdom coming from a woman of experience that mom hasn't even reached her prime entrepreneurial age yet.
Speaker 2:
I agree, you haven't reached your prime entrepreneurial age. I'm not sure why we're acting as if I've said anything about my age, about my age. I literally have no idea where this is coming from. My life is over. She's ended me. Mrs molly, what are your dreams for the future?
Speaker 3:
because I have none so my dreams for the future are I want to exit in two years 2027 um, consistent with other people who have exited at the same pace that I'm growing right now. Um, there was a candy company that just recently exited at 360 million. There was another one pretzel company that exited at 1.1 billion. So that's my plan. I want to exit. All my investors will be very happy.
Speaker 3:
And then I plan on making and I started a nonprofit called the Blakely foundation that is helping kids out of foster care that are just lost, cause some of them, when they get out of foster care, people beat them on the street. So, like, there you go, best of luck to you. And it's teaching them how to do every single possible part of the restaurant business. So it's called entry-level academy. It's already been approved by the state of alaska as a second post-educational educational program and, um, we're starting it. So I want to grow that, I want it to be national and I want to help kids that just need a little help and motivation and know that they're loved and that they can do anything. So that that's where my heart is. That and helping women that are like single moms, like I was all kind of in together with it.
Speaker 2:
That's wonderful. We have only a couple minutes left in the segment, so I've got just one last question for you. What would be your message to all of America? If you could say one thing to our entire nation, what would you say?
Speaker 3:
Remember that we were founded on in God we trust, and don't forget that that's it that's it.
Speaker 2:
That's wonderful, short, simple, to the point yeah, extremely extremely important for our country, our nation, our future, our success. You are on stand with kelly and josiah shibaka. This has been an amazing interview with molly b from molly b's cookies stay tuned we are going to come back right after the break. We're going to talk about some of that dirty laundry you just aired, because I don't know where that came from.
Speaker 2:
So we're going to have some family dynamics talking after the break. So come on back and join us. Also, make sure that you get a snack. Go to mollybeescookiescom. That's M-O-L-L-Y-B-E-E-S-C-O-O-M.
Speaker 3:
Get your cookies.
Speaker 2:
M-O-L-L-Y-D-Zcom. Get your cookies. Come back after the break. Stand firm, stand by. We'll see you soon.