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[00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:05.680] Hey, Entrepreneurs, it's Steph here with a special invite just for you.
[00:00:05.680 --> 00:00:10.800] Do you want to experience what it's like to be part of our Entrepreneursa League community of founders?
[00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:12.400] Now is your chance.
[00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:21.360] You can join me this month at one of our upcoming Entrepreneursa League info sessions where I'm going to share with you all you're going to get access to when you join the community.
[00:00:21.360 --> 00:00:27.040] Plus, I'll be giving away some big bonuses that you will only be able to get access to when you attend live.
[00:00:27.040 --> 00:00:35.600] Head over to refer.entreprenista.com forward slash info session to join us at one of our virtual info sessions this month.
[00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:40.640] That's refer.entreparnista.com forward slash info session.
[00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:44.560] Or head over to the show notes right now and tap the link to join us.
[00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:49.120] I can't wait to meet you there and learn more about you and your business.
[00:00:49.760 --> 00:00:51.040] I tried to get other jobs.
[00:00:51.040 --> 00:00:54.880] I tried to work in finance, a PR company, a food, a restaurant.
[00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:55.840] I was miserable.
[00:00:55.840 --> 00:01:06.880] And that's when I realized that unless I did something on my own terms and something that really had meaning for me and something that, you know, I was so passionate about that I was so excited to wake up every day and give my all, I was never going to be happy.
[00:01:06.880 --> 00:01:09.360] And so that's when I realized I didn't want to be an entrepreneur.
[00:01:09.360 --> 00:01:11.520] I had to be an entrepreneur.
[00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:24.160] As founders, we're not only trying to grow successful businesses, but we want to know that we're making an impact in our communities and in the world.
[00:01:24.160 --> 00:01:26.320] This is the dream of entrepreneurship.
[00:01:26.320 --> 00:01:36.880] And Lauren Castle is someone who has done this, building her brand, Sweet Laurens, into a leading, delicious, better-for-you, allergy-friendly baking and snacking company.
[00:01:36.880 --> 00:01:50.320] I actually met Lauren over a decade ago when she was first starting her business, and hearing her share the story of how she built this company from an idea to solve a problem into a global brand has been so incredible to watch.
[00:01:50.320 --> 00:01:59.920] And you're about to hear her personal story from beating cancer to realizing it was her mission in life to create products that make healthier eating actually accessible.
[00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:13.480] Lauren is about to share her story of all of her learning lessons on how she built her mission-driven business that is now sold in over 35,000 stores and how you can learn everything from her journey too.
[00:02:13.480 --> 00:02:18.200] Get ready to hear Lauren's journey and her biggest business secrets.
[00:02:19.800 --> 00:02:23.240] This is the Entrepreneurship Podcast presented by Social Fly.
[00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:33.960] It's the best business meeting you'll ever have with must-hear real-life looks at how leading women in business are getting it done and what it takes to build and grow a successful company.
[00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:39.720] It's beyond the Graham with no filters, no limits, and plenty of surprises.
[00:02:41.320 --> 00:02:51.880] Lauren, I am so excited to finally be recording this with you because I think we have talked about recording this episode of the podcast probably in 2018 when we first launched this show.
[00:02:51.880 --> 00:02:55.000] So it only took us about five and a half years to make this happen.
[00:02:55.640 --> 00:02:56.440] It's true.
[00:02:56.440 --> 00:02:58.360] It is a long time coming.
[00:02:58.680 --> 00:03:00.440] Well, I have to share with everyone.
[00:03:00.440 --> 00:03:06.680] We met, I feel like in the very early days when we were first starting our first business and you were first starting Sweet Lawrence.
[00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:07.880] What year did you start the company again?
[00:03:07.880 --> 00:03:09.080] What year was that?
[00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:14.840] 2010, I actually like incorporated Sweet Lauren's and trademarked it.
[00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:20.600] But honestly, we've been like a national business since 2016.
[00:03:20.920 --> 00:03:28.680] Yeah, and I feel like we connected, it was probably like 2013, 14, 2015 through that accelerator program.
[00:03:28.680 --> 00:03:37.880] And it's just been so incredible to just see your journey and growth, building this huge business, becoming a mama, doing all of the things.
[00:03:37.880 --> 00:03:41.720] So now we can actually talk about it, talk about it all with everyone.
[00:03:41.720 --> 00:03:55.600] But for our listeners and entrepreneurs who might be living somewhere where i don't know where they might be living but maybe they haven't seen your beautiful pink packaging or they don't know what sweet lawrence is can you tell everyone what sweet lawrence actually is Sure.
[00:03:55.600 --> 00:04:00.400] So Sweet Lawrence is a better for you baking and snacking brand.
[00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:03.840] And so we're best known for our refrigerated cookie dough.
[00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:05.280] That was the first product we launched.
[00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:08.480] Now we have refrigerated puff pastry and pizza dough and pie crust.
[00:04:08.480 --> 00:04:14.640] And we also have shelf stable crunchy breakfast biscuits that are great for snacking.
[00:04:14.640 --> 00:04:20.720] So we really expanded kind of into a snacking and baking company, but we started with cookie dough.
[00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:27.360] And so you can really find our products in the refrigerated dough section of over 35,000 supermarkets across the country.
[00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:28.080] Yes, I can't.
[00:04:28.080 --> 00:04:32.400] I feel like I cannot walk into a store without seeing Sweet Lawrence at Whole Foods.
[00:04:32.400 --> 00:04:36.400] I'm in Florida, so it's Whole Foods, Publix, everywhere I go, Sweet Lawrence is right there.
[00:04:36.400 --> 00:04:38.400] And every time I see it, I'm like, have to buy this.
[00:04:38.400 --> 00:04:40.080] We have to make more cookies at Home and Monthly.
[00:04:40.080 --> 00:04:42.480] And she absolutely, absolutely loves it.
[00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:45.520] What was your inspiration behind starting the brand?
[00:04:45.840 --> 00:04:55.440] So I started Sweet Lawrence because of a personal need that made me realize that everyone I met actually also had this need too.
[00:04:55.440 --> 00:05:02.560] But I graduated from college in 2006 and a couple of months after I graduated, I was diagnosed with cancer.
[00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:05.280] I had Hodgkin's lymphoma, stage two.
[00:05:05.280 --> 00:05:08.640] I had to undergo six months of chemotherapy immediately.
[00:05:08.640 --> 00:05:10.800] And it just rocked my world.
[00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:12.000] I was not expecting that.
[00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:18.320] I don't think anyone is expecting, you know, a major health scare, but especially at a young age, you feel so invincible.
[00:05:18.320 --> 00:05:20.960] And I quickly realized I wasn't.
[00:05:20.960 --> 00:05:23.360] You know, I realized health was everything.
[00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:34.040] And so, while I was going through treatment, on the days I didn't have treatment, I started to study nutrition and take cooking classes so that I just wanted to superpower myself with the food I ate.
[00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:41.320] I just wanted to feel really energetic and strong and not only beat cancer, but just thrive after it.
[00:05:41.320 --> 00:05:52.280] And healthy, better for you, less processed, whole real ingredients made me feel so much better than anything super empty or processed.
[00:05:52.280 --> 00:05:55.960] And the second I started noticing that difference, I couldn't eat junk food anymore.
[00:05:55.960 --> 00:06:03.000] I couldn't eat super empty, you know, just only sugar-filled, high corn syrup or artificial ingredients.
[00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:04.280] Like I just couldn't do it.
[00:06:04.280 --> 00:06:06.200] My body just did not like it.
[00:06:06.200 --> 00:06:19.480] And so it brought me down this road of just really paying attention to the type of oils I was using and sugars and salt and just everything being as less processed as possible and having more nutrition and delicious taste.
[00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:32.280] So I became a good cook and I have a huge sweet tooth and there was just really nothing on the market back then that was so delicious but also made of better for you ingredients.
[00:06:32.280 --> 00:06:39.880] And when there wasn't a bakery or product I could find easily in a supermarket, I just was like, I'm going to remake a chocolate chip cookie.
[00:06:39.880 --> 00:06:42.360] It's my favorite dessert in the world.
[00:06:42.680 --> 00:06:48.520] And I know it's been done a million times, but how can I do it differently and make sure it's still incredibly delicious?
[00:06:48.520 --> 00:06:51.880] Because I don't want to have to sacrifice taste to eat better either.
[00:06:52.440 --> 00:06:54.600] So started to make my own recipes.
[00:06:54.600 --> 00:07:07.920] And after, you know, really dozens and hundreds of trials and batches, trying every different type of combination, flour, mixture, and sweetener and sugar and oil.
[00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:12.840] Like, like I got to a recipe that everyone I gave it to loved.
[00:07:12.840 --> 00:07:18.000] And, you know, my aha was just, wow, like, I'm passionate about this.
[00:07:14.840 --> 00:07:21.920] I feel like I've cracked the code on something that's really difficult to make at home.
[00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.320] And I'm also pissed off at the food industry.
[00:07:24.320 --> 00:07:43.200] Like, I am so frustrated that it's actually hard to go into a supermarket and feel like there are so many products that you could buy that really will be incredible taste, but also, you know, you trust them and it's made of really good ingredients.
[00:07:43.200 --> 00:07:59.920] So I was like, I'm going to take this anger and funnel it into building a brand that really breaks through into supermarkets and is something you can trust, something that you love will always be like the best tasting thing on the shelf, but it's also really high-quality good ingredients.
[00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:04.720] And then over time, I've made Sweet Lawrence free of the top allergens too.
[00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:08.560] So it's not just like only simple, whole grain, better for you ingredients.
[00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:13.360] We're also gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut, tree-nut-free, soy-free, vegan.
[00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:26.320] And so we fit a lot of dietary restrictions or food allergies or less inflammatory diets that, you know, it's just hard to find great options out there in a normal supermarket.
[00:08:26.320 --> 00:08:29.760] So that's kind of the story of Sweet Lawrence.
[00:08:29.760 --> 00:08:32.000] Yeah, no, it's so hard to find those foods.
[00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:37.440] And I'm so glad you took that anger and made it a business.
[00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:40.240] What were some of the first steps that you took back then?
[00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:42.240] So take me back to the early days.
[00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:45.520] You're sitting in your kitchen, your friends, family, everyone's tasting this.
[00:08:45.520 --> 00:08:45.920] They love it.
[00:08:45.920 --> 00:08:47.840] You're like, all right, I'm going to turn this into a business now.
[00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:49.680] Like, what did you do first?
[00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:52.800] It definitely was never a straight line, right?
[00:08:52.800 --> 00:08:56.080] Like, there were so many things that had to happen.
[00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:58.320] So, thankfully, I was cured.
[00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:03.240] My doctor was like, go be normal, you know, go get a job, go be normal, go be your age, go have fun now.
[00:09:03.560 --> 00:09:09.880] And, you know, but by the way, stay in New York City because you still need to come for, you know, checkups every six months.
[00:09:09.880 --> 00:09:12.840] And so, it really, it was hard to be normal.
[00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:15.240] You know, I kind of couldn't be normal after that.
[00:09:15.880 --> 00:09:18.200] You know, like every day counted.
[00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:19.400] I wanted to love life.
[00:09:19.400 --> 00:09:22.840] I wanted to feel super passionate about what I was doing with my life.
[00:09:23.640 --> 00:09:28.520] Health was everything still, but also enjoying life was so important.
[00:09:28.520 --> 00:09:30.360] And so, I tried to get other jobs.
[00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:35.720] I tried to work in finance, a PR company, a food, a restaurant, a restaurant.
[00:09:36.680 --> 00:09:37.720] I was miserable.
[00:09:37.720 --> 00:09:49.320] And that's when I realized that unless I did something on my own terms and something that really had meaning for me, and something that, you know, I was so passionate about that I was so excited to wake up every day and give my all, I was never going to be happy.
[00:09:49.320 --> 00:09:52.280] And so, that's when I realized I didn't want to be an entrepreneur.
[00:09:52.280 --> 00:09:53.560] I had to be an entrepreneur.
[00:09:53.560 --> 00:09:55.160] Like, I was kind of unemployable.
[00:09:55.160 --> 00:09:56.200] Unemployable.
[00:09:56.440 --> 00:09:57.640] Just not employable.
[00:09:57.640 --> 00:10:01.400] Like, I like, not that I couldn't do a good job for someone else.
[00:10:01.400 --> 00:10:04.440] I just, there was something in me that would never be satisfied.
[00:10:04.440 --> 00:10:08.920] And so, and, and I'd always come home and bake.
[00:10:08.920 --> 00:10:14.120] It was just this thing that didn't matter how tired I was, it gave me a creative outlet.
[00:10:14.120 --> 00:10:15.720] It gave me joy.
[00:10:15.720 --> 00:10:20.520] It, you know, and I just started building like a binder of recipes.
[00:10:20.520 --> 00:10:25.400] And so, I didn't realize it was going to be a business until I realized I had to be an entrepreneur.
[00:10:25.400 --> 00:10:29.080] And all of my friends were like, come on, like, just make this into a business.
[00:10:29.080 --> 00:10:33.480] Like, they made it sound so easy, you know, like you have this hobby, like you're great at it.
[00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:35.400] Like, like people can taste the difference.
[00:10:35.640 --> 00:10:37.480] You know, your cookies are special.
[00:10:37.800 --> 00:10:47.680] So, when I got to that point, I realized I will work as hard as I absolutely need to to have my own business because I don't want to work for anyone else ever again.
[00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:55.360] And that gave me, I got, I think, this just commitment to whatever it took.
[00:10:55.600 --> 00:11:00.560] I didn't realize how hard it would be, but I knew that I would never be happy working for someone else.
[00:11:00.560 --> 00:11:02.960] So, you know, I just committed to getting it done.
[00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:12.560] Up next, you'll hear Lauren's journey turning a personal need into an actual business and why you should always take that call or meeting.
[00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:18.640] Hi, Entrepreneurs.
[00:11:18.640 --> 00:11:19.680] It's Steph here.
[00:11:19.680 --> 00:11:26.320] As a founder, I know firsthand that building a business can feel so lonely, but it doesn't have to.
[00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:30.960] And that's why we created our Entrepreneursa Founders Weekend Wealth and Wellness Retreat.
[00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:33.120] And I can't wait to meet you in person there.
[00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:47.360] So you're officially invited to join us from April 30th to May 3rd, 2026 at the stunning PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for three transformative days of connection, collaboration, and real business growth.
[00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:49.440] This isn't just another business conference.
[00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:57.840] It is a curated retreat designed to help you build authentic, lasting relationships with women who truly understand your journey.
[00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:04.640] From business panels and workshops to wellness activations and so much more, this is the room that you need to be in.
[00:12:04.640 --> 00:12:16.160] So if you are ready to invest in yourself and your business and your vision and your next level of success, head over to entrepreneurs.com forward slash foundersweekend to reserve your ticket today.
[00:12:16.160 --> 00:12:24.480] That's entrepreneur.com forward slash foundersweekend or head over to the show notes right now and tap the invitation to reserve your ticket.
[00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:25.920] I'll see you there.
[00:12:35.880 --> 00:12:41.480] So I started, my first step was taking a business writing course.
[00:12:41.480 --> 00:13:05.480] I worked at Levan Bakery on the Upper West Side in my early 20s and really like got along so well and loved the two females that founded the bakery and saw, you know, just saw the lines that would go outside for warm cookies and the passion and the joy and how special, like there was just something really special about fresh baked cookies.
[00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:13.000] And so I started to write a business, write a business plan for Sweet Lawrence because I really didn't know what I was doing.
[00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:21.080] And I didn't know if I should open up a bakery and sign a lease somewhere or create a consumer packaged product and sell it to grocery stores.
[00:13:21.080 --> 00:13:24.120] And if I did create a packaged product, what would it even look like?
[00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:25.320] Would it be baked cookies?
[00:13:25.320 --> 00:13:26.440] Would it be cookie dough?
[00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:28.040] Would it be baking mixes?
[00:13:28.040 --> 00:13:42.760] Like, so it gave me, we'd meet once a week and it gave me, you know, a really great amount of time to focus on, you know, what it would cost to open a bakery.
[00:13:42.760 --> 00:13:44.200] Was I ready for that?
[00:13:44.680 --> 00:13:46.680] What were the goals of the company?
[00:13:46.680 --> 00:13:53.640] And my goals really became like, how do I change the food industry and reach as many people as possible and do it as deliciously and conveniently?
[00:13:53.640 --> 00:13:56.360] And how do I give myself freedom?
[00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:58.120] Because that's also what I want.
[00:13:58.520 --> 00:14:09.160] And so I think during that business writing course, this guy in my class worked for Whole Foods in the overnight shift to make money because his dream was opening up a bike shop.
[00:14:09.160 --> 00:14:11.560] And I would always bring cookies in.
[00:14:11.560 --> 00:14:14.440] And one day I was like, Corey, how does one get into Whole Foods?
[00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:15.360] And he was like, I don't know.
[00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:16.960] I'll ask my manager.
[00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:22.160] And he called me the next day and was like, you know, you have a meeting with the head buyer on Wednesday.
[00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:25.920] And you know, I had no packaged product then.
[00:14:25.920 --> 00:14:38.240] I didn't have a business plan, but I had like a one-sheeter I created that kind of said what Sweet Lawrence was about, why the story behind it, and the types of ingredients I would only use in our recipes.
[00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:45.760] And I got like some big package in the mail, some like a box, a beautiful box with chocolates in it.
[00:14:45.760 --> 00:14:52.080] I took out all those chocolates and instead I put like my cookies in this beautiful box so it looked presentable.
[00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:57.360] And I went and took the meeting and, you know, just made a commitment to like show up 100%.
[00:14:57.360 --> 00:15:01.360] And I was like, even if this, I don't get a yes, it's just like a learning opportunity.
[00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:02.800] I'll come back.
[00:15:02.800 --> 00:15:04.400] So I really connected with the buyer.
[00:15:04.400 --> 00:15:07.680] We walked all around the supermarket, walked all around Whole Foods.
[00:15:07.680 --> 00:15:09.200] And, you know, he had two kids of his own.
[00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:12.080] And he was like, no one's built the next brand name in cookie dough.
[00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:16.960] Like, I would totally buy your product if it was on the shelf.
[00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:21.600] And the hardest thing to do is make something that's better for you and have it taste incredibly delicious.
[00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:23.040] And you've done both.
[00:15:23.040 --> 00:15:25.040] And he loved the story of Sweet Lawrence.
[00:15:25.040 --> 00:15:34.560] And he really gave me confidence that I had kind of what it took to eventually build something that really had staying power and really build, you know, a brand.
[00:15:34.560 --> 00:15:39.040] And so he called me the next day and was like, how soon can we get it?
[00:15:39.040 --> 00:15:40.400] My whole team loved it.
[00:15:40.400 --> 00:15:41.680] We're ready.
[00:15:41.680 --> 00:15:43.520] And, you know, I started crying.
[00:15:43.520 --> 00:15:47.280] I was like walking on the Upper West Side, and got the phone call.
[00:15:47.280 --> 00:15:52.960] And, you know, that was kind of all I needed was someone to take me really seriously and give me a chance.
[00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:56.160] And so there it began of just hustling.
[00:15:56.160 --> 00:15:59.520] Like, I just was like, okay, I can't make this in my kitchen anymore.
[00:15:59.520 --> 00:16:01.160] This has to be made in a factory.
[00:16:01.160 --> 00:16:02.120] I have to build a scale.
[00:16:02.120 --> 00:16:03.480] I'm a one-woman show.
[00:15:59.920 --> 00:16:07.320] I can't do all the selling and all the baking and/ixing.
[00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:11.160] So I found a factory in way upstate New York.
[00:16:11.160 --> 00:16:15.000] I took a bus ride three and a half hours upstate to go there.
[00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:18.200] They'd never made cookie dough, but they had mixers.
[00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:33.800] And I just started experimenting with them, like, you know, multiplying our recipe, you know, by 30 and 50, and, you know, just slowly increasing it and tweaking it as I went and just totally guessing, you know, just totally jumping in and guessing.
[00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:38.120] And I also demoed for that entire year in Whole Foods.
[00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:48.360] Every single week, I would take a roly suitcase with my toaster oven and go to Whole Foods and demo in the refrigerated dough section where it was freezing.
[00:16:48.360 --> 00:16:51.800] But I would make these warm cookies with, you know, Sweet Lawrence cookie dough.
[00:16:51.800 --> 00:17:05.240] And it was incredible because I would meet hundreds of people and I heard enough positive feedback that I really knew that there was a need in the market for this, that there was really a white space, that there really was a problem I could solve.
[00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:08.280] You know, I just met hundreds of people that would say, healthier cookie dough.
[00:17:08.280 --> 00:17:09.400] I never even heard of that.
[00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:10.760] That makes so much sense.
[00:17:10.760 --> 00:17:11.960] Of course I want to buy this.
[00:17:11.960 --> 00:17:14.280] Why isn't this sold in every supermarket?
[00:17:14.280 --> 00:17:22.520] And then of course I heard feedback like your packaging needs to improve or do you have these other flavors or I can't read you know the directions easily.
[00:17:22.520 --> 00:17:26.440] And, you know, I took all of that and just constantly tweaked.
[00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:34.120] And then I won a contest called the Next Big Small Brand for Culinary Genius, which was a food contest in New York City.
[00:17:34.120 --> 00:17:35.800] And I won branding and design work.
[00:17:35.800 --> 00:17:42.280] And so an agency spent a lot of time with me over that year redesigning our packaging.
[00:17:42.280 --> 00:17:54.240] And that's when I started to understand what it would take to pop off shelf to differentiate Sweet Lawrence from the big guys and really had to take the business to like the next level.
[00:17:54.560 --> 00:17:55.120] Wow.
[00:17:55.120 --> 00:18:01.280] You, I mean, you did all the things in the early days, just running around, hustling, talking to anyone and everyone you could.
[00:18:01.280 --> 00:18:04.080] And I love that story about getting that meeting at Whole Foods.
[00:18:04.080 --> 00:18:05.280] Like you just took that meeting.
[00:18:05.280 --> 00:18:10.320] And so many of us are, we're not ready for that next thing, but no one's ready, right?
[00:18:10.320 --> 00:18:15.520] You just have to take that meeting because one thing just leads to the next and it leads to the next.
[00:18:15.520 --> 00:18:17.840] Like, what if you had not gone and taken that meeting?
[00:18:18.080 --> 00:18:18.960] With the Whole Foods buyer.
[00:18:19.280 --> 00:18:20.080] No, it's true.
[00:18:20.080 --> 00:18:26.800] The biggest thing, you know, I think I was so scared to jump in because, you know, the second you jump in and start a company, you're going to be judged.
[00:18:26.800 --> 00:18:29.280] You have to be open to a lot of feedback.
[00:18:29.280 --> 00:18:31.520] And of course, it's not going to all be positive, you know?
[00:18:31.520 --> 00:18:43.760] And so you really have to throw your ego out the window and just be obsessed with the purpose of the business and have this growth mindset of I'm just learning, I will improve.
[00:18:43.760 --> 00:18:58.320] And I think the biggest thing I learned, you know, I took that meeting because I, you know, because I did not want to work for anyone else bad enough, I knew that I had to just show up and that no one was going to build this company for me.
[00:18:58.320 --> 00:19:01.840] If I was going to be an entrepreneur, I had to, I just knew I had to build it all myself.
[00:19:01.840 --> 00:19:14.000] So, you know, I created this growth mindset of just take the meeting, have fun with it, be prepared, and just always show up 110% and be your word.
[00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:29.040] So, you know, you know, I didn't know what the Whole Foods buyer would say, but, you know, I couldn't believe how just the story, you know, I was nervous telling the story of Sweet Lawrence because in the early days, I would get a little bit emotional about it.
[00:19:29.040 --> 00:19:32.760] And I also felt like it was, I didn't want anyone to feel sorry for me.
[00:19:33.080 --> 00:19:39.160] I also didn't feel like it was that appetizing to talk about like cancer and now I have cookies.
[00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:48.840] And so for all those reasons, I shied away, but you know, every time I got vulnerable and told the story, the reaction was so incredible, like so human.
[00:19:48.840 --> 00:19:53.240] And so, you know, you know, I just started to pay attention to what's working.
[00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:54.920] Like telling that story actually works.
[00:19:54.920 --> 00:19:57.080] So I have to be okay being vulnerable.
[00:19:57.080 --> 00:19:59.800] And it actually builds trust and authenticity.
[00:19:59.800 --> 00:20:06.280] And, you know, so he said to me on the phone, like, okay, can we, when, how soon can we get the cookie dough?
[00:20:06.280 --> 00:20:13.320] And I was like, next month, you know, and I really thought in my head, I could find a factory, scale a recipe, design packaging.
[00:20:13.320 --> 00:20:17.320] And of course, it took seven months to figure all that out.
[00:20:17.320 --> 00:20:19.000] But I just stayed in touch with him.
[00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:23.960] You know, I just tried to be really honest, like, okay, this factory needs a couple more months of test runs.
[00:20:23.960 --> 00:20:28.600] And I'm printing our packaging and it's taking, you know, a couple months.
[00:20:28.600 --> 00:20:31.080] And, you know, but I just stayed in touch with him.
[00:20:31.080 --> 00:20:34.040] And, and, you know, so I didn't go silent.
[00:20:34.040 --> 00:20:39.160] I wasn't, you know, I think like that communication skill was really important.
[00:20:39.160 --> 00:20:41.160] And so we built trust in a relationship.
[00:20:41.160 --> 00:20:44.280] And he saw that I was hustling and he saw that I was updating him.
[00:20:44.280 --> 00:20:47.160] And, you know, eventually it started shipping.
[00:20:47.800 --> 00:20:48.520] Yes.
[00:20:48.520 --> 00:20:50.680] Well, so many lessons from that, too.
[00:20:50.680 --> 00:20:53.640] Everything takes longer than you think it does when you're trying to build something.
[00:20:53.640 --> 00:20:57.240] Always leave in a couple months of buffer time for sure.
[00:20:57.240 --> 00:21:03.160] What did it feel like that first time you were standing in Whole Foods doing demos with your product?
[00:21:03.800 --> 00:21:09.560] You know, it's funny because like you get into Whole Foods and you're like, I've made it.
[00:21:09.560 --> 00:21:10.840] Like, I've made it.
[00:21:10.840 --> 00:21:13.360] Like, I'm in the mecca of grocery stores.
[00:21:13.360 --> 00:21:17.760] And, like, you know, I shop here and now my products here.
[00:21:14.840 --> 00:21:20.160] And you feel almost like a celebrity.
[00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:24.080] And then you realize it's a harsh reality, you know.
[00:21:25.360 --> 00:21:26.880] No one knows about your brand.
[00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:34.160] And so now you don't have to just like be a genius in innovation and creating a great product and great packaging.
[00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:35.920] Now you have to figure out how to market it.
[00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:39.120] And now you have to learn how to be like a genius in marketing.
[00:21:39.120 --> 00:21:59.680] And so, you know, I didn't realize jumping into this business that I would have to be great at so many things in order to make it successful, like managing a factory, creating quality control, you know, being great at packaging design, being great at marketing, being, you know, all the things great at selling.
[00:21:59.840 --> 00:22:00.720] Selling a team.
[00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:01.920] Right.
[00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:05.120] A team, like it's just one challenge after another.
[00:22:06.080 --> 00:22:28.720] But, you know, it definitely, I definitely never was bored, you know, and I started to just love, love the things that came with growth and the new challenges because from day one of launching Sweet Lawrence, I started getting emails from people across the country that would say, your product has changed my life.
[00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:31.600] I believe in food again because of Sweet Lawrence.
[00:22:31.600 --> 00:22:35.120] I can't tell you how much better I feel eating Sweet Lawrence.
[00:22:35.120 --> 00:22:37.840] You're the only cookie dough that doesn't hurt my stomach.
[00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:44.240] You know, and it like that really energized me.
[00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:50.160] And still to this day, it's the reason why I work so hard because it's not about me anymore, right?
[00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:55.680] It's like I see a version of what I went through in millions of people.
[00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:59.120] Not that, you know, there are people that have gone through cancer, but that's not what I'm talking about.
[00:22:59.120 --> 00:23:09.960] It's, it's, it's like athletes that just want to eat less inflammatory and care so much about, you know, what they put in their body, but they have a big sweet tooth and they want to satisfy their sweet tooth.
[00:23:09.960 --> 00:23:19.240] It's the busy mom who's just like, I'm just trying to make a better option, a better, you know, I'm just trying to give my kids something they're going to eat, they're going to love, but I want to feel good about what I'm giving them.
[00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:21.880] And I can't make everything from scratch, you know.
[00:23:21.880 --> 00:23:24.360] And then our product is free of the top allergens.
[00:23:24.360 --> 00:23:27.880] So it's gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, you know.
[00:23:27.880 --> 00:23:39.960] And so, you know, we get so many emails from people that are like, my kid is an extreme nut allergy or dairy allergy or gluten or my husband or my wife or my girlfriend or, you know, my mother, whatever it is.
[00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:43.160] And all of a sudden, they can have their favorite foods again.
[00:23:43.160 --> 00:23:48.840] So that is like the mission now, like behind the brand, right?
[00:23:48.840 --> 00:24:00.040] It's like really to offer something, you know, your favorite foods reinvented, you know, so that everyone can enjoy it, no matter kind of your dietary restriction or your health issue.
[00:24:00.040 --> 00:24:06.200] Or so, you know, I think that's, that's really what got me through all the hard times.
[00:24:07.160 --> 00:24:10.200] Yes, because it's not easy building a business, as you just said.
[00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:16.120] There's you have to learn absolutely everything and the highs, the lows that can happen over the course of 30 minutes.
[00:24:16.200 --> 00:24:18.200] The best thing can happen and then something terrible in business.
[00:24:18.200 --> 00:24:22.920] So you just got to keep going and not give up and stay resilient.
[00:24:22.920 --> 00:24:30.360] Coming up, Lauren shares her three biggest pieces of advice for CPG founders that you need to hear.
[00:24:31.640 --> 00:24:38.040] Founders are always asking us, what has been the secret to our success building multiple seven-figure businesses?
[00:24:38.040 --> 00:24:39.480] Do you want to know how?
[00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:41.160] It's our community.
[00:24:41.160 --> 00:24:48.720] We created the Entrepreneursa League for founders like you because the most successful entrepreneurs do not navigate business alone.
[00:24:44.600 --> 00:24:54.560] We navigate the challenges and opportunities with the support of people we know, love, and trust.
[00:24:54.560 --> 00:24:58.400] The relationships you build in business will be the key to your success.
[00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:00.560] Trust me, it's how we've done it.
[00:25:00.560 --> 00:25:06.240] And I'm giving you access to everything we've used to grow and scale our businesses over the past decade.
[00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:10.640] Plus, you're going to meet your new best friends in business right inside the community.
[00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:33.040] Our members have access to everything we've used to grow our businesses over the past 10 plus years, from in-person events to virtual events, business education, funding resources, office hours with myself and other top founders in your industry, press opportunities, and access to our community platform where you can instantly get all of your business questions answered.
[00:25:33.040 --> 00:25:39.760] You can join us in the community over at refer.entreprenista.com forward slash join us.
[00:25:39.760 --> 00:25:45.520] That's refer.entrepreneista.com forward slash join us to join the community.
[00:25:45.520 --> 00:25:48.880] Or head to the show notes right now and tap the link to join.
[00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:51.200] I cannot wait to meet you.
[00:25:52.160 --> 00:26:02.480] Knowing what you know now, we have, you know, so many entrepreneurs in our entrepreneurs league community that are, you know, one to three years in business, just starting a CPG brand.
[00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:08.720] What would you tell them today, knowing what you know now, if they're just getting started in their business?
[00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:19.840] I have so many things I would tell them, but I think like the top three things are make sure you're not just jumping into something that's trendy.
[00:26:19.840 --> 00:26:30.440] Like, make sure there is a real problem you're solving, a big why, and a really big white space, because it's such a hard industry to break into.
[00:26:30.680 --> 00:26:39.160] If you're really solving a big problem, you know, your business will be received, it will grow because people need it.
[00:26:39.720 --> 00:26:48.600] But, you know, if it's a trendy, smaller niche idea, it's really, really hard to create a thriving business.
[00:26:48.600 --> 00:26:52.440] And so set yourself up for success that way.
[00:26:52.440 --> 00:27:13.240] Two, and also, I would say, like, just make sure, hopefully, it's such a big idea and white space that you're personally so passionate about that it will give you what Sweet Lawrence has given me over a decade of energy and love for like the bigger mission of the brand that excites me every day.
[00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:16.040] I jump out of bed every day excited to tackle it.
[00:27:16.040 --> 00:27:23.160] I'm, you know, it's the only reason that I could keep going is that it's this passionate big idea.
[00:27:23.160 --> 00:27:28.520] So it'll help you give you the energy to like, you know, fight the fight every day.
[00:27:28.520 --> 00:27:33.560] Two, make sure to surround yourself with incredible mentors and team.
[00:27:33.560 --> 00:27:35.720] Like, I started the business alone.
[00:27:35.720 --> 00:27:38.520] I know every aspect and department of the industry.
[00:27:38.520 --> 00:27:46.680] I'm really grateful for that because now I know how to kind of manage the business high level because I understand what it takes.
[00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:50.120] But one person can only do so much.
[00:27:50.120 --> 00:28:03.800] And I think being really real with yourself and like really comfortable realizing what you love and what your talents are and what you're not great at and being so okay and confident in that.
[00:28:03.800 --> 00:28:14.600] So, you know, for me, like the finance, the operations, the managing factories, the logistics, you know, I'm part of that business.
[00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:15.760] I see it all.
[00:28:15.760 --> 00:28:17.280] It's not what brings me joy.
[00:28:17.280 --> 00:28:18.800] It's not what gives me energy.
[00:28:18.800 --> 00:28:36.240] So, you know, hiring the most incredible people I can find to take those parts over and, you know, focus on the things that, you know, I feel like are my superpowers and that give me energy, like innovation and being the face of the brand and the vision behind it and, you know, the marketing and packaging.
[00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:38.480] You know, so those are the things that I'm really involved with.
[00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:48.000] So I think a lot of us, you know, are afraid to like say we're not great at something or, you know, it makes us feel less like an entrepreneur or less successful.
[00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:50.000] It's not, no one is great at everything.
[00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:55.040] You know, it's as long as you have the vision and passion, that's what's going to make you the leader.
[00:28:55.040 --> 00:29:03.680] And, you know, so make sure you bring great people on your team so it's sustainable and you know excellent in all departments and bring on mentors.
[00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:09.440] I brought on mentors my whole life and you know just was very coachable.
[00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:13.760] You know, that doesn't mean always just listening to the mentor and not listening to your gut.
[00:29:13.760 --> 00:29:25.040] It's really important that like you are running the company, but be coachable, like be open to feedback, always be searching, you know, to be taught.
[00:29:25.280 --> 00:29:27.920] I think that's a really important lesson.
[00:29:28.240 --> 00:29:31.040] How did you find your mentors in the early days?
[00:29:31.360 --> 00:29:38.400] So my first mentor, I met through New York City EO, the entrepreneurs organization, right?
[00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:41.680] Like I was in an accelerator of it.
[00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:48.880] And the woman kind of running our cohort and I became really close.
[00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:51.280] So it was just like this organic relationship.
[00:29:51.280 --> 00:29:55.680] And she saw Sweet Lauren's, she saw like it take off.
[00:29:55.680 --> 00:29:57.360] It was taking off.
[00:29:57.360 --> 00:29:58.800] And I was so alone.
[00:29:58.800 --> 00:30:00.520] You know, I didn't have a solid team.
[00:30:00.520 --> 00:30:02.040] I didn't have a co-founder.
[00:30:02.040 --> 00:30:05.480] And so, and she was not in food.
[00:29:59.840 --> 00:30:06.680] She was not in CPG.
[00:30:06.840 --> 00:30:22.280] So it wasn't like an obvious fit, but we created a two-year kind of contract that every week I would meet with her for at least two hours and we would go over kind of my goals.
[00:30:22.280 --> 00:30:24.920] And it really kept me on track.
[00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:30.520] It made me feel supported personally, professionally, whatever was going on in my life.
[00:30:30.520 --> 00:30:34.680] I just felt like there was someone who had my back, believed in me.
[00:30:34.680 --> 00:30:37.720] And she's still one of my best friends today.
[00:30:38.280 --> 00:30:41.640] And then kind of, you know, we both kind of felt like we were outgrowing each other.
[00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:44.040] You know, she was like, I don't know what else I really can give you.
[00:30:44.520 --> 00:30:46.360] The business is at the next stage.
[00:30:46.360 --> 00:30:55.000] And so then I brought on an angel investor in the early days of Sweet Lawrence, who, again, no food experience, but just an incredible businessman.
[00:30:55.000 --> 00:31:03.640] And he was like, you know, I'm not going to be in the day-to-day, the company, but I can help coach you to be an incredible CEO and like do what I can to make sure the business is successful.
[00:31:03.640 --> 00:31:07.880] And that is now going on eight years of mentorship.
[00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:16.600] And, you know, someone, you know, just that when one person really believes in you, it's incredible the power it can have on your own life.
[00:31:16.600 --> 00:31:17.720] No, it is so true.
[00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:22.440] Courtney and I, we just met up with one of our first business coaches, Leslie.
[00:31:22.440 --> 00:31:24.520] She was down here speaking in Florida.
[00:31:24.520 --> 00:31:27.080] So we all just got together two days ago.
[00:31:27.080 --> 00:31:30.120] And she like, she changed the trajectory of our businesses.
[00:31:30.120 --> 00:31:38.120] Like she was the one who told us when we were building Social Fly and started Entrepreneurista really as a podcast and then wanted to actually build it into what it is today.
[00:31:38.120 --> 00:31:39.640] She's like, you guys need to divide and conquer.
[00:31:39.640 --> 00:31:41.720] And this is how you can make a plan to do it.
[00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:46.880] I'm like, She literally is why Entrepreneursa is what it is today because you know it was amazing.
[00:31:44.680 --> 00:31:48.800] Of course, it still is amazing to have a business partner.
[00:31:48.880 --> 00:31:52.560] Courtney and I have the best business partnership, but we don't know everything.
[00:31:52.560 --> 00:32:01.600] That's why, like, you have to surround yourself with people that know things that you don't know, have can introduce you to people that can help take you to the next level.
[00:32:01.600 --> 00:32:07.360] And I love how you just knew in the early days, and that's how we met through that accelerator program when we first connected years ago.
[00:32:07.360 --> 00:32:15.440] It's like you have to invest in yourself and invest in your business and invest in relationships because otherwise, none of us can just sit at home behind a computer and build a business alone.
[00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:18.000] Or, I guess, you can, you're just not going to go that far.
[00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:18.400] Yeah.
[00:32:18.400 --> 00:32:25.600] And honestly, the community aspect, um, it was so, I mean, entrepreneurship is so lonely.
[00:32:25.600 --> 00:32:29.600] I mean, you have a co-founder, so it's maybe a little bit less lonely, but it's still lonely.
[00:32:29.600 --> 00:32:30.560] It's just you two.
[00:32:30.560 --> 00:32:31.920] You know, it was just me.
[00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:37.920] Now I have a president, I have a full, you know, C-suite and an incredible team.
[00:32:38.560 --> 00:32:46.560] And so, like, it's less lonely in that, like, there's a group of us that I really enjoy.
[00:32:46.560 --> 00:32:47.600] I really respect.
[00:32:47.600 --> 00:32:50.080] Everyone is putting energy behind the business.
[00:32:50.080 --> 00:32:55.520] Everyone has different superpowers, but no one's going to love it the way I do.
[00:32:55.520 --> 00:33:01.280] Like, I literally, you know, eat, sleep, drink sweet Lauren's because it's, it's like really my mission in life.
[00:33:01.280 --> 00:33:03.680] I mean, it's become my identity after 10 years.
[00:33:03.680 --> 00:33:05.760] So it's, it's lonely.
[00:33:05.760 --> 00:33:07.840] You know, you, you, the buck stops with you.
[00:33:07.840 --> 00:33:15.200] So, like, if I am not passionate about this one day, you know, I don't know if the business could still thrive, you know, so it's a lot of responsibility.
[00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:17.520] Um, other people can get another job somewhere else.
[00:33:17.520 --> 00:33:19.840] Like, like it's a it's a job to them.
[00:33:19.840 --> 00:33:23.440] Um, where to me, like, this is my life's work.
[00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:24.000] Yeah.
[00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:28.640] And I really want to have a huge positive impact, and I want to feel like I did it right.
[00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:39.160] And, and um, you know, so there's just, I put on so much pressure on myself, and it's no one, no one else will feel that way.
[00:33:39.160 --> 00:33:48.680] Yeah, what is it like because you named the brand Sweet Lawrence, and you, of course, are Lauren and you share, you know, it is your identity, it's who you are.
[00:33:48.680 --> 00:33:56.360] Like, I feel that in my bones too with Entrepreneursa, like everything I do, like I eat, sleep, read, everything is entrepreneursa community helping everyone.
[00:33:56.360 --> 00:34:03.480] So, even though it's not my name, I just feel this like immense connection that I can't even imagine, like, not feeling this way every day.
[00:34:03.480 --> 00:34:07.160] But, did you think through that when you were naming the company?
[00:34:07.160 --> 00:34:08.280] Definitely.
[00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:11.880] So, one of my mom's best friends was like a branding expert.
[00:34:11.880 --> 00:34:30.040] And so, she, when Sweet Lawrence, you know, before when it started to get traction, um, and I won this contest and Whole Foods, I was designing my label for to get into Whole Foods, and I wanted to make sure I was naming it right and the logo was going to be good.
[00:34:30.040 --> 00:34:36.440] So, she came over and she helped me, you know, one after, she spent a couple hours with me one afternoon and was like, All right, let's play around.
[00:34:36.440 --> 00:34:40.120] Like, show me your list of your top favorite, you know, names.
[00:34:40.120 --> 00:34:48.600] And I had a lot of things on there that were like, you know, smart cookie and better baked goods and things like that.
[00:34:48.600 --> 00:34:54.840] Um, I didn't have Sweet Lawrence on the list, and she actually was like, No, it's Sweet Lauren's.
[00:34:54.840 --> 00:35:01.240] Like, that feels memorable, that feels authentic, that feels like I like that.
[00:35:01.240 --> 00:35:03.640] I want to, I want to buy that, I want that in my home.
[00:35:03.640 --> 00:35:04.920] There's emotion there.
[00:35:04.920 --> 00:35:14.400] She's like, All those other names are so kind of emotionless, and you have a story, you are the face of the brand.
[00:35:14.200 --> 00:35:17.760] You are the, you know, you are the product.
[00:35:18.080 --> 00:35:26.400] And, you know, it's really important, you know, that you create something that like, you know, people can remember and it feels good.
[00:35:26.400 --> 00:35:31.680] And so I tested it on a bunch of people and I got the same response.
[00:35:31.680 --> 00:35:39.920] And the pink, this like magenta pink color, you know, when we started picking that as kind of our color, same thing.
[00:35:39.920 --> 00:35:48.720] I tested on hundreds of people and men, women, every age group was like attracted to this kind of like power pink.
[00:35:48.720 --> 00:35:51.520] And I was surprised by that.
[00:35:51.520 --> 00:35:53.280] I was surprised that they like the name Sweet Lawrence.
[00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:54.240] I was surprised.
[00:35:54.240 --> 00:35:57.840] But again, I like try to throw my ego out and just listen to consumers.
[00:35:57.840 --> 00:35:59.520] Like what is working?
[00:35:59.520 --> 00:36:03.280] Who I'm trying to solve a problem for other people, not for myself anymore.
[00:36:03.280 --> 00:36:05.040] So it's not really about me.
[00:36:05.040 --> 00:36:06.720] Like I have to like it too.
[00:36:06.720 --> 00:36:11.200] But really wanted to just intuitively follow what was working.
[00:36:11.200 --> 00:36:28.400] And so, so, so called it Sweet Laurens, you know, saw the power of telling the story, saw the power of being a real person behind the brand that's really involved, that picks out all the ingredients, that will only ever launch things that I'll feed myself and my own kids.
[00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:37.360] And, you know, I think, I think that really differentiates us from, you know, all the other conventional products on the shelf.
[00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:39.440] And, you know, we're in all the mass supermarkets.
[00:36:39.440 --> 00:36:47.200] So it's really important that we stay real and different and that female owned and kind of the underdog and the independently owned.
[00:36:47.200 --> 00:36:58.000] And so, I mean, I'm afraid to get a parking ticket sometimes because, like, my name is on the package, you know, like I'm like, wow, like, you know, you know, I can't get arrested here.
[00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:01.480] But, you know, I don't really think about that or worry about that.
[00:37:01.480 --> 00:37:04.120] Like, my, this is my lifestyle, right?
[00:36:59.920 --> 00:37:06.120] Like, eating clean is my lifestyle.
[00:37:06.280 --> 00:37:08.520] Like, enjoying every day is my lifestyle.
[00:37:08.520 --> 00:37:21.080] So I'm just trying to be me and be real and show the things that I've just learned, you know, that I've been obsessed with and learned over the years and turn it into something that really brings joy to other people.
[00:37:21.080 --> 00:37:27.880] Because baking, even though it seems like really kind of sweet and easy, it's actually incredibly complicated.
[00:37:27.880 --> 00:37:31.240] It's a ton of chemistry and science.
[00:37:31.240 --> 00:37:43.400] And to figure out how to package a product with natural ingredients and with, you know, without like preservatives and a lot of gums and weird chemicals is a whole chemistry in itself.
[00:37:43.400 --> 00:37:47.160] And so, you know, I think I've worked so hard to crack the code on that.
[00:37:47.160 --> 00:37:51.560] It's like, it's time to just keep growing and really lean into it.
[00:37:51.880 --> 00:38:00.760] Well, I'm so glad you did all the work behind the scenes because I am someone who does not like to cook anything or mix anything so that I could just put it in the oven, Yuma.
[00:38:00.760 --> 00:38:04.040] Really help people like me who also like to eat clean, but don't actually want to cook.
[00:38:04.040 --> 00:38:05.320] So thank you.
[00:38:06.040 --> 00:38:06.840] That's exactly it.
[00:38:06.840 --> 00:38:16.280] I think, like, listen, even if you didn't have a career outside the home and you were just, you know, a stay-at-home mom, you're, those moms are the busiest.
[00:38:16.280 --> 00:38:18.440] Like, there's so much to do.
[00:38:18.440 --> 00:38:34.520] And so, unless you love baking from scratch and cleaning up your kitchen and buying all those ingredients, like, you know, I think we make moms, dads, you know, anyone who has a sweet tooth, like, feel like a superhero because our package comes with like 12 portions.
[00:38:34.520 --> 00:38:38.760] So you can make one or two, even in your air fryer, in your toaster oven.
[00:38:38.760 --> 00:38:42.280] Like, it's just so easy and portion controllable.
[00:38:42.280 --> 00:38:44.760] And so, I mean, I think that's just, we're all busy.
[00:38:44.880 --> 00:38:53.600] So, if we can save people time and money and headache, and also just the confidence of knowing it's going to work out perfectly every time.
[00:38:53.600 --> 00:38:58.160] Because sometimes I try to, even I, like, I'll experiment and be like, I want to make a new recipe.
[00:38:58.160 --> 00:39:00.640] It like never comes out great the first time.
[00:39:00.640 --> 00:39:04.640] You know, I have to like do it several times before it's perfect.
[00:39:04.640 --> 00:39:12.160] So, I think that's the goal with our brand and all the new products we're creating, like puff pastry, like that's so hard to make from scratch.
[00:39:12.160 --> 00:39:16.000] So, if we would never be able to do that, it wouldn't even be on my radar.
[00:39:16.320 --> 00:39:20.080] So, how do you decide when you're going to launch a new product?
[00:39:20.080 --> 00:39:23.280] And what do you have to do to actually bring it to market?
[00:39:23.600 --> 00:39:25.520] So, I think I learned from the early days.
[00:39:25.520 --> 00:39:37.680] My first like flavors in the early days were just honestly a gut feeling, like, oh, what, what do I like and what sounds cool versus what is rooted in data?
[00:39:37.680 --> 00:39:41.200] Like, what is gonna, what do most people want nationally?
[00:39:41.200 --> 00:39:45.040] And where's their white space, and what makes the most sense, and what's gonna sell the most?
[00:39:45.040 --> 00:39:47.280] So, now everything is really rooted in data.
[00:39:47.280 --> 00:39:56.480] We buy a lot of data, we do a ton of testing on our consumer base, we do a ton of testing in terms of where's their white space, is there a new innovation we can pull off?
[00:39:56.480 --> 00:40:03.280] Um, and so it's really to solve the biggest problems that are out there in the biggest white space because, like, that makes the most sense for our business.
[00:40:03.280 --> 00:40:09.360] And so, you know, naturally, after we launched cookie dough, people were like, Well, I can't eat cookies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
[00:40:09.360 --> 00:40:13.520] Can you create, you know, pizza dough or pie crust or puff pastry?
[00:40:13.520 --> 00:40:15.280] Those are things I would never make from scratch.
[00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:26.240] And there really isn't like a gluten-free, dairy-free, you know, kind of allergen-free or even just simple good ingredient option that's just sold everywhere at an accessible price point.
[00:40:26.240 --> 00:40:27.760] And it's just really easy to use.
[00:40:27.760 --> 00:40:31.560] And so, we've been working on new products for several years.
[00:40:31.880 --> 00:40:39.400] And last year we launched into the refrigerated puff pastry, pie crust, and pizza dough, and it's starting to get into every major supermarket.
[00:40:39.800 --> 00:40:40.920] And it's just refrigerated.
[00:40:40.920 --> 00:40:50.840] So you just have to like, it's roll it out and then make, you know, pigs in a blanket or Pop-Tarts or apple turnovers or chicken pot pie, whatever you want.
[00:40:50.840 --> 00:40:52.040] And it's really flaky.
[00:40:52.040 --> 00:40:53.640] You would never know it's gluten-free.
[00:40:53.640 --> 00:40:58.360] So I think like this, you know, it's rooted in data.
[00:40:58.360 --> 00:41:04.040] And it's also like, when can we, how long does it take to ideate and then test in our factory?
[00:41:04.040 --> 00:41:05.800] And actually, like, when is it ready to ship?
[00:41:05.960 --> 00:41:10.600] Because we're working on so many other really fun innovations, but they're just not ready to ship yet.
[00:41:10.600 --> 00:41:11.000] Yeah.
[00:41:11.000 --> 00:41:14.360] So it can take years to actually years.
[00:41:14.360 --> 00:41:16.120] And that's why you have to be obsessed.
[00:41:16.120 --> 00:41:21.800] That's why you have to literally be so passionate and obsessed with what you're doing because I would have dropped this years ago.
[00:41:21.800 --> 00:41:28.920] But the fact that like I'm okay waiting another year or two until it's ready, it's just like part of the game.
[00:41:28.920 --> 00:41:29.320] Yeah.
[00:41:29.320 --> 00:41:34.520] And I feel like, of course, in, you know, with foods, everything has to be perfect because people are eating it.
[00:41:34.520 --> 00:41:37.160] So you can't just, you can't just wing it.
[00:41:37.160 --> 00:41:38.760] No, you cannot wing it.
[00:41:38.760 --> 00:41:40.200] Absolutely not.
[00:41:41.160 --> 00:41:48.360] So I feel like I know all about the launch of the puff pastry and everything you're doing because of social media and marketing.
[00:41:48.360 --> 00:41:52.200] And marketing has changed so much over the past decade.
[00:41:52.200 --> 00:41:59.000] What has been your marketing strategy now that you've really leaned into over the past couple of years with all the changes?
[00:41:59.640 --> 00:42:10.760] So we always are kind of figuring out what the right marketing strategy is for Sweet Laurens because every year we're kind of a different business and we're growing and growing to new products.
[00:42:10.760 --> 00:42:19.840] So, for instance, you know, last year we launched, you know, instead of just being cookie dough, we now have, you know, puff pastry and pizza dough and pie crust.
[00:42:19.840 --> 00:42:29.360] And we even launched into shelf stable breakfast biscuits, which are this awesome, crunchy, you know, has four grams of protein and three grams of fiber.
[00:42:29.360 --> 00:42:33.280] It's all whole grain, really yummy, like biscuit that you can.
[00:42:33.360 --> 00:42:35.840] I haven't tried those yet, so I'll be going to Whole Foods this weekend.
[00:42:35.840 --> 00:42:39.040] So it's in the cookie aisle of Whole Foods, and you can also go on Amazon.
[00:42:39.120 --> 00:42:42.000] You can also Amazon it straight to your door.
[00:42:42.160 --> 00:42:46.720] And we have a cinnamon sugar flavor and a chocolate and a blueberry, and they're really, really good.
[00:42:46.720 --> 00:42:48.160] And kids love them too.
[00:42:48.160 --> 00:42:55.280] So they're really great for like, you know, and it's all school safe and just so great for kids, great for adults.
[00:42:55.280 --> 00:42:56.960] And so that's a shelf-stable item.
[00:42:56.960 --> 00:43:03.200] And that's a whole new category for us because like now we're on Amazon where we weren't really with our cookie dough.
[00:43:03.200 --> 00:43:16.800] And so I think we're constantly trying to figure out like how to grow our shelf stable line, you know, as D2C, how to continue to grow brand awareness for our cookie dough and our other products.
[00:43:17.280 --> 00:43:28.880] And so a lot of a lot of what we do in marketing is in-store activations and geo-targeting and really, you know, making sure someone can find our cookie dough in the refrigerated section.
[00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:41.760] But we've also started to just say, like, we're now at this point where let's have a lot of fun with the brand and what can we do that feels authentic, but is really like a fun reason to bring people into the category.
[00:43:41.760 --> 00:43:47.920] And so we launched a Barbie Sweet Lauren's pink heart-shaped cookie dough collab in January.
[00:43:47.920 --> 00:43:51.040] It will be around until June, which is super exciting.
[00:43:51.040 --> 00:43:53.520] And it's actually, we're going to do something again with them next year.
[00:43:53.520 --> 00:43:57.600] So it's like this really cool partnership that's ongoing.
[00:43:57.600 --> 00:44:00.000] But we felt like it's time.
[00:44:00.520 --> 00:44:06.920] What's really interesting about Sweet Laurens is more than half our customers don't shop the cookie dough section.
[00:44:07.240 --> 00:44:15.000] So it's not like they're coming to the cookie dough section every week, but because of Sweet Laurens, they are actually now coming to the cookie dough section.
[00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:26.360] You know, because there was never anything clean and better for you and super high quality or allergen-free, you know, we're also growing this incremental business to the cookie dough category.
[00:44:26.360 --> 00:44:33.640] So I think because of that, we have to think really big and we have to think out there to be able to like just be like, hey guys, come back to this section.
[00:44:33.640 --> 00:44:34.920] It's actually really cool now.
[00:44:34.920 --> 00:44:37.640] Now that we're here, there's actually a good option.
[00:44:37.640 --> 00:44:47.720] And so the Barbie collab, like a lot of retailers just have given us incredible end caps and displays and the packaging, I mean, our color is pink, but so is Barbie.
[00:44:47.720 --> 00:44:51.080] So the packaging is like pink and really pops.
[00:44:51.080 --> 00:45:01.080] And we're doing a give back to a nonprofit called Girls with Impact through with Barbie, with Mattel, with their Dream Gap project.
[00:45:01.080 --> 00:45:16.200] And so we're trying to help support young female entrepreneurs through this and just in general, like empower just fun female empowerment, you know, women and you know, like it's just authentic.
[00:45:16.200 --> 00:45:16.760] It's our story.
[00:45:16.760 --> 00:45:32.040] It's Barbie's from the Barbie movie story, you know, and it's, and just bringing that into everyone's home is a really cool way to kind of like subconsciously or consciously bring these ideas into people's kitchen.
[00:45:32.040 --> 00:45:33.000] No, I love that.
[00:45:33.000 --> 00:45:40.920] We obviously bought the Barbie cookies as soon as we saw it, as soon as you posted on Instagram, I'm like, Molly, because I actually, I didn't want to show her the movie at first.
[00:45:40.920 --> 00:45:42.840] I was like, I wasn't sure if it was going to be appropriate.
[00:45:42.840 --> 00:45:43.480] So then I watched it.
[00:45:43.480 --> 00:45:44.760] I'm like, okay, she's got to see this movie.
[00:45:44.960 --> 00:45:46.400] This is like it.
[00:45:46.720 --> 00:45:49.600] So, what do you have an idea to do a collaboration with Barbie, right?
[00:45:49.600 --> 00:45:52.320] Like, for me, I'm like, that'd be a dream collaboration for entrepreneurs.
[00:45:52.320 --> 00:45:53.040] I'm like, I love it.
[00:45:53.040 --> 00:45:55.360] It's like such, so empowering.
[00:45:55.360 --> 00:46:05.920] How do you go about striking up those conversations with potential business collaborators and any advice you can share with our entrepreneurs who want to collaborate with, you know, vision and mission-aligned brands?
[00:46:05.920 --> 00:46:14.160] Yeah, I would say if you see another brand do it, try to befriend that brand, like learn as much as about the partnership and what it was like working with them.
[00:46:14.160 --> 00:46:17.920] And if you, if they have any contacts and could intro you.
[00:46:17.920 --> 00:46:24.160] And, you know, we were introduced to the people at Mattel and actually they'd never heard of Sweet Lawrence.
[00:46:24.160 --> 00:46:27.280] And that to me was like, this is why we need the Barbie collab.
[00:46:27.280 --> 00:46:29.360] Like we, everyone needs to know about us.
[00:46:29.360 --> 00:46:38.720] And Barbie and Sweet Lawrence are so, it's, you know, the female owned and female empowerment and we're both pink and the joy and it like just makes so much sense.
[00:46:38.720 --> 00:46:44.000] And so we sent them samples, told them the whole story of Sweet Lawrence, showed them a lot of the press we've gotten.
[00:46:44.000 --> 00:46:46.640] And all of a sudden they were like, oh my God, why haven't we heard of this brand?
[00:46:46.640 --> 00:46:49.520] It's so, it's so on-brand Barbie.
[00:46:49.520 --> 00:46:54.560] Because by the way, Barbie loves to bake and Barbie eats mostly plant-based, supposedly.
[00:46:54.560 --> 00:46:57.280] And, you know, it just felt really aligned.
[00:46:57.280 --> 00:46:59.440] And so, you know, they loved it.
[00:46:59.440 --> 00:47:09.120] And listen, there's a lot of brands that just throw the Barbie logo like on their pajamas or towel or, you know, cup.
[00:47:09.120 --> 00:47:11.360] There's so many different ways to collab with a brand.
[00:47:11.360 --> 00:47:14.000] But we wanted to make sure it felt authentic.
[00:47:14.000 --> 00:47:15.280] It was our first collab ever.
[00:47:15.280 --> 00:47:17.680] And so it was a really big one to go first.
[00:47:17.680 --> 00:47:22.240] And we just wanted to have as much impact as possible.
[00:47:22.240 --> 00:47:25.200] So that's why we did a nonprofit associated with it as well.
[00:47:25.200 --> 00:47:29.960] And just was like, let's just make this as impactful and great as possible.
[00:47:29.960 --> 00:47:32.200] And so that's what we've done.
[00:47:29.600 --> 00:47:35.560] And so, you know, and it's a royalty deal.
[00:47:35.720 --> 00:47:37.560] So it's a percentage of our sales.
[00:47:37.560 --> 00:47:51.400] So I think that, you know, there's so many ways to do deals, but and I think the most important thing is to build, make sure your, your business is big enough itself before you kind of go for one of these deals.
[00:47:51.400 --> 00:47:58.360] Because, you know, I think it's a really great way to like grow incremental business.
[00:47:58.360 --> 00:48:01.720] But obviously, you know, it's only here for a limited time.
[00:48:01.720 --> 00:48:03.480] You know, it's here until June and it's gone.
[00:48:03.480 --> 00:48:17.720] So like I want to make sure that like those customers that hopefully we get new are then going to go check out our chocolate chunk cookie dough or our sugar cookie or, you know, our other normal flavors and really kind of join the brand.
[00:48:17.720 --> 00:48:25.640] And so, you know, I think it's just really important to like really know who your customers are, really build that base, be easy to find, really make sure you have product market fit.
[00:48:25.640 --> 00:48:33.080] So when you pour kind of like an exciting clab on top, it just helps ignite it even more.
[00:48:33.320 --> 00:48:36.280] But it's not like the reason your business is successful.
[00:48:36.280 --> 00:48:39.000] Yeah, no, that's such a helpful tip.
[00:48:39.320 --> 00:48:48.120] Knowing what you know now building this huge business, is there something you wish you knew when you were first starting that you know right now?
[00:48:49.400 --> 00:48:56.360] I feel like with Sweet Laurens, I was early to market, and that's exhausting.
[00:48:56.360 --> 00:49:03.960] You know, it's like really hard to be early to market and, you know, have the patience to wait around.
[00:49:03.960 --> 00:49:14.440] So, what I feel like could have maybe sped up that time is really hiring like the best team possible in the early days.
[00:49:14.440 --> 00:49:20.000] Like, I think I tried to get away with as little of a team as possible.
[00:49:20.320 --> 00:49:24.960] And really, what I've seen, the magic that a really experienced team can pull off is incredible.
[00:49:24.960 --> 00:49:28.160] And it's helped us grow so exponentially over the last couple of years.
[00:49:28.160 --> 00:49:33.600] So, bringing on that really experienced culture-fit team.
[00:49:33.600 --> 00:49:42.560] And I think finding data, buying data, whatever you need to do to help make sure you're making smart decisions for your business.
[00:49:42.560 --> 00:49:44.960] Like, data has changed our business.
[00:49:44.960 --> 00:49:48.880] And so, it's not just us guessing, it's not just instincts.
[00:49:48.880 --> 00:49:52.960] And I think those are two things that have helped us grow exponentially.
[00:49:52.960 --> 00:49:55.200] And I just wish I did this five years ago.
[00:49:55.200 --> 00:49:55.840] Yeah.
[00:49:55.840 --> 00:50:04.160] When did you, I know you mentioned you brought on an angel investor seven or eight years ago, but when did you realize you needed to bring on capital to really be able to scale the business?
[00:50:04.160 --> 00:50:12.400] Well, I got into all public supermarkets, then all Kroger supermarkets, and all of a sudden, we were going to be like a multi-million dollar business and have national distribution.
[00:50:12.400 --> 00:50:14.480] And one, you can't mess those relationships up.
[00:50:14.800 --> 00:50:15.920] I knew we had to deliver.
[00:50:15.920 --> 00:50:20.400] I knew I needed to hire a really great team to manage those accounts.
[00:50:20.400 --> 00:50:24.000] Like, we just went from such a small business to like a national business.
[00:50:24.000 --> 00:50:30.640] And so, um, I brought on an angel investor, and um, that's also my mentor.
[00:50:30.640 --> 00:50:38.720] And so, we created a deal where it wasn't just about you know, the angel investment, it was about mentoring me weekly and really helping me grow into a top CEO.
[00:50:39.040 --> 00:50:41.520] And so, that was the deal.
[00:50:41.520 --> 00:50:45.600] And, and then, truly, like, we became profitable that year.
[00:50:45.600 --> 00:51:08.760] And so, I didn't really need the cash so much, but it was more, it was more having what I needed to build the team I needed and having enough cushion in the bank that I could actually go to sleep at night and that we weren't just like so touch and go because that was so stressful for so long.
[00:51:09.560 --> 00:51:13.160] But I didn't build a business like, oh my God, let's use all that money tomorrow.
[00:51:13.160 --> 00:51:19.480] It was really like the safety net and to use, to use it for things necessary.
[00:51:19.480 --> 00:51:22.600] And it really made us focus on being profitable.
[00:51:22.600 --> 00:51:26.600] And, you know, I'm just really proud of last, we've been profitable for the last eight years.
[00:51:26.600 --> 00:51:30.920] And I never had to raise big VC or private equity money because of that.
[00:51:30.920 --> 00:51:39.240] And so I think like that's, that's, that's been a great part of our success.
[00:51:39.560 --> 00:51:46.040] I have to ask, because I ask everyone this question, because I'm always looking to learn all the best business tools and solutions that everyone is using.
[00:51:46.040 --> 00:51:48.120] So what are all your go-tos?
[00:51:48.120 --> 00:51:49.400] What apps are you using?
[00:51:49.400 --> 00:51:50.040] What tools?
[00:51:50.040 --> 00:51:51.480] Tell me all the things.
[00:51:51.480 --> 00:51:55.160] So like, I'm not a crazy, you know, apps person.
[00:51:55.160 --> 00:52:01.000] I think to me, I actually think like phone conversations are the most important thing.
[00:52:01.000 --> 00:52:03.000] Like, so we're a completely remote team.
[00:52:03.000 --> 00:52:08.040] So I would say Microsoft Teams like keeps us super connected.
[00:52:08.040 --> 00:52:22.520] And, you know, we, we every Friday, you know, the top kind of emails that come in get posted, emails or messages of just like, you know, brand love, like whatever a customer has said.
[00:52:22.520 --> 00:52:25.000] So things like that get shot out to the whole team.
[00:52:25.000 --> 00:52:31.080] And we're all, you know, I just think it re-energizes everyone and reminds everyone like the impact that we have and why the work is important.
[00:52:31.080 --> 00:52:38.840] And then, you know, it's just a great way to stay super in touch, you know, with your team, especially being remote.
[00:52:38.840 --> 00:52:47.200] And, you know, I think that we, but, you know, I think people are exhausted on Zoom or, you know, video calls every day.
[00:52:47.520 --> 00:52:54.720] And so I just try to like pick up the phone and have like a phone conversation as much as possible and stay just like human and connected.
[00:52:54.720 --> 00:52:55.920] Yeah, I love that.
[00:52:55.920 --> 00:52:59.200] Lauren, what is your biggest business secret?
[00:52:59.840 --> 00:53:05.520] I think my biggest business secret is maybe two things.
[00:53:05.520 --> 00:53:09.200] I think I'm like deliriously optimistic.
[00:53:09.200 --> 00:53:19.200] And so I think because I spent enough time with customers and seeing the real need in the market, you know, it's not just like pie in the sky.
[00:53:19.200 --> 00:53:21.360] Like I like, I see it, I feel it.
[00:53:21.360 --> 00:53:33.920] And I've internalized that to give me this like endless energy to kind of believe in what Sweet Lawrence can be and the good it can do and then the how much it's needed nationally.
[00:53:33.920 --> 00:53:41.440] So, you know, there's nothing that's like too, too big to dream of for the company.
[00:53:41.440 --> 00:53:46.240] Like I just keep pushing the envelope because I have that deep conviction inside.
[00:53:46.240 --> 00:53:52.000] So I think that's a special trait that the founder visionary can bring.
[00:53:52.000 --> 00:54:00.000] And so, you know, I make sure I bring that in because, um, and I'd say what's connected to that is very calculated risks.
[00:54:00.000 --> 00:54:04.640] You know, I don't feel, I know people say that like, you know, entrepreneurs are such risk takers.
[00:54:04.640 --> 00:54:06.720] I actually don't really feel that way.
[00:54:06.720 --> 00:54:31.160] You know, I can't guarantee, I can't predict the future, but we have such, we make such calculated decisions and risks now where, of course, I listen to my gut, I listen to consumers, but we look at a ton of data, we listen to everyone on our team, you know, and we, and so, you know, just making sure that you do all the homework and research necessary to make those big, you know, guesses.
[00:54:29.840 --> 00:54:36.440] And that way, it's really not risky, you're just kind of like building the future.
[00:54:36.760 --> 00:54:38.120] Yeah, I know, I love that.
[00:54:38.120 --> 00:54:42.120] Last question for you, Lauren: What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?
[00:54:43.400 --> 00:54:55.800] It means using my unique gifts and talents to change the world and make products that speak to me as a female.
[00:54:56.440 --> 00:55:04.040] And, you know, I think being in the food industry, over 80% of shoppers and supermarkets are women.
[00:55:04.040 --> 00:55:10.280] And so when I started in the industry, it's still male-dominated, but it was definitely male-dominated then.
[00:55:10.280 --> 00:55:16.600] And a lot of people didn't take me seriously as a young, first-time entrepreneur and female.
[00:55:16.920 --> 00:55:31.160] But I always just would tell myself, like, I have a better chance at figuring out what a young female wants to buy more than some big company or even a guy necessarily, because I am the customer.
[00:55:31.160 --> 00:55:44.440] So, you know, I'm going to put blinders on to what the rest of the industry looks like and just have that deep belief in myself that I actually bring a really unique way of looking at things.
[00:55:44.440 --> 00:55:46.840] And it's very authentic to our industry.
[00:55:46.840 --> 00:55:48.840] And so that's a huge strength.
[00:55:48.840 --> 00:55:51.480] And I'm not going to let anyone else tell me differently.
[00:55:51.800 --> 00:55:55.400] Well, it is seriously just so incredible all you've accomplished.
[00:55:55.400 --> 00:55:57.880] I literally just feel so proud.
[00:55:57.880 --> 00:56:00.760] And every time I go, literally, I'm in Kofus every single week.
[00:56:00.760 --> 00:56:02.760] And I literally think of you every single week.
[00:56:02.760 --> 00:56:06.280] I'm sure so many people think of you every day when they're in the supermarket.
[00:56:06.280 --> 00:56:10.360] So, everything you have done is just wonderful.
[00:56:10.360 --> 00:56:13.960] And you are literally changing the world one cookie at a time.
[00:56:13.960 --> 00:56:18.960] And I'm just so honored to know you and have you share this journey with the world.
[00:56:19.280 --> 00:56:21.920] Where can everyone find you, follow you?
[00:56:21.920 --> 00:56:25.840] For those who haven't tested or tried Sweet Lawrence, you guys all need to go buy them right now.
[00:56:25.840 --> 00:56:28.080] Go to your grocery store, or where can everyone go find you?
[00:56:28.080 --> 00:56:28.720] Share all the links.
[00:56:28.720 --> 00:56:30.640] We'll link out to everything in the show notes.
[00:56:30.640 --> 00:56:31.680] You're so awesome.
[00:56:31.680 --> 00:56:34.160] And I just have to say the same.
[00:56:34.160 --> 00:56:45.040] I've been watching you, you know, we both started at the same time, and you're just such a supporter of female entrepreneurship and empowering females and everyone telling their story and everyone has their own story.
[00:56:45.040 --> 00:56:48.080] And so, you know, I'm just so proud of you guys too.
[00:56:48.400 --> 00:57:00.160] Sweet Laurens, you can find us, our cookie dough and our puff pastry and pizza dough and pie crust in the refrigerated dough section of your local grocery store, Whole Foods Kroger, Target Publix, et cetera.
[00:57:00.160 --> 00:57:04.240] You can throw your zip code into our store locator on sweetlawrence.com.
[00:57:04.240 --> 00:57:06.960] It's sweetloarens.com.
[00:57:06.960 --> 00:57:12.400] Just so you can see what stores near you carry what products of ours.
[00:57:12.400 --> 00:57:21.440] And we have these new breakfast biscuits that are available on Amazon and also in the cookie section of Whole Foods and a bunch of other supermarkets.
[00:57:21.440 --> 00:57:26.320] And you can follow Sweet Lawrence on Instagram and TikTok and Facebook, sweet L-O-R-E-N-S.
[00:57:26.320 --> 00:57:27.600] And I'm Lauren B.
[00:57:27.600 --> 00:57:34.240] Castle, L-O-R-E-N-B Castle on Instagram if you want to stay in touch too.
[00:57:34.560 --> 00:57:41.040] All right, everyone, go ahead to the show notes right now, tap all the links, go shop Sweet Lawrence, and go connect with Lauren.
[00:57:41.040 --> 00:57:43.760] I promise you, these cookies and everything is absolutely delicious.
[00:57:43.760 --> 00:57:47.440] And I'm going to actually go order the biscuits on Amazon right now as soon as we finish recording.
[00:57:47.440 --> 00:57:49.240] So thank you again.
[00:57:49.120 --> 00:57:50.280] Thanks.
[00:57:50.880 --> 00:57:51.280] Yes.
[00:57:51.280 --> 00:57:52.320] Oh, cinnamon sugar.
[00:57:52.320 --> 00:57:52.560] Okay.
[00:57:52.560 --> 00:57:54.240] Or I'm ordering right after this.
[00:57:54.240 --> 00:57:55.680] Thank you again, Lauren.
[00:57:55.680 --> 00:57:56.400] I'm Stephanie.
[00:57:56.400 --> 00:57:59.640] And this is the best business meeting I've ever had.
[00:58:01.240 --> 00:58:02.600] Hi, Entrepreneurs.
[00:57:59.120 --> 00:58:03.480] It's Steph here.
[00:58:03.640 --> 00:58:10.680] And I hope today's episode has left you feeling inspired and with some actionable tips that you can apply to your own business.
[00:58:10.680 --> 00:58:18.040] The way we've grown our community and resources is by sharing content like this for years and asking for help along the way.
[00:58:18.040 --> 00:58:23.560] So here's where we need your help so we can continue to make as much impact as possible together.
[00:58:23.560 --> 00:58:33.320] If you can leave us a five-star review and extra credit if you share this episode on Instagram, LinkedIn, or DM it to a founder friend who would benefit from hearing it.
[00:58:33.320 --> 00:58:40.680] Not only would it mean the world to us, but you sharing this episode is going to help someone who just may n

Prompt 2: Key Takeaways

Now please extract the key takeaways from the transcript content I provided.

Extract the most important key takeaways from this part of the conversation. Use a single sentence statement (the key takeaway) rather than milquetoast descriptions like "the hosts discuss...". 

Limit the key takeaways to a maximum of 3. The key takeaways should be insightful and knowledge-additive. 

IMPORTANT: Return ONLY valid JSON, no explanations or markdown. Ensure:
- All strings are properly quoted and escaped
- No trailing commas
- All braces and brackets are balanced
Format: {"key_takeaways": ["takeaway 1", "takeaway 2"]}

Prompt 3: Segments

Now identify 2-4 distinct topical segments from this part of the conversation.

For each segment, identify:
- Descriptive title (3-6 words)  
- START timestamp when this topic begins (HH:MM:SS format)
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Most important Key takeaway from that segment. Key takeaway must be specific and knowledge-additive.
- Brief summary of the discussion

IMPORTANT: The timestamp should mark when the topic/segment STARTS, not a range. Look for topic transitions and conversation shifts.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted, no trailing commas:
{
  "segments": [
    {
      "segment_title": "Topic Discussion", 
      "timestamp": "01:15:30",
      "key_takeaway": "main point from this segment",
      "segment_summary": "brief description of what was discussed"
    }
  ]
}

Timestamp format: HH:MM:SS (e.g., 00:05:30, 01:22:45) marking the START of each segment.

Prompt 4: Media Mentions

Now scan the transcript content I provided for ACTUAL mentions of specific media titles:

Find explicit mentions of:
- Books (with specific titles)
- Movies (with specific titles)  
- TV Shows (with specific titles)
- Music/Songs (with specific titles)

DO NOT include:
- Websites, URLs, or web services
- Other podcasts or podcast names

IMPORTANT: 
- Only include items explicitly mentioned by name. Do not invent titles.
- Valid categories are: "Book", "Movie", "TV Show", "Music"
- Include the exact phrase where each item was mentioned
- Find the nearest proximate timestamp where it appears in the conversation
- THE TIMESTAMP OF THE MEDIA MENTION IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT INVENT TIMESTAMPS AND DO NOT MISATTRIBUTE TIMESTAMPS
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Timestamps are given as ranges, e.g. 01:13:42.520 --> 01:13:46.720. Use the EARLIER of the 2 timestamps in the range.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted and escaped, no trailing commas:
{
  "media_mentions": [
    {
      "title": "Exact Title as Mentioned",
      "category": "Book",
      "author_artist": "N/A",
      "context": "Brief context of why it was mentioned",
      "context_phrase": "The exact sentence or phrase where it was mentioned",
      "timestamp": "estimated time like 01:15:30"
    }
  ]
}

If no media is mentioned, return: {"media_mentions": []}

Prompt 5: Context Setup

You are an expert data extractor tasked with analyzing a podcast transcript. 
I will provide you with part 2 of 2 from a podcast transcript. 
I will then ask you to extract different types of information from this content in subsequent messages. Please confirm you have received and understood the transcript content.

Transcript section:
ou can follow Sweet Lawrence on Instagram and TikTok and Facebook, sweet L-O-R-E-N-S.
[00:57:26.320 --> 00:57:27.600] And I'm Lauren B.
[00:57:27.600 --> 00:57:34.240] Castle, L-O-R-E-N-B Castle on Instagram if you want to stay in touch too.
[00:57:34.560 --> 00:57:41.040] All right, everyone, go ahead to the show notes right now, tap all the links, go shop Sweet Lawrence, and go connect with Lauren.
[00:57:41.040 --> 00:57:43.760] I promise you, these cookies and everything is absolutely delicious.
[00:57:43.760 --> 00:57:47.440] And I'm going to actually go order the biscuits on Amazon right now as soon as we finish recording.
[00:57:47.440 --> 00:57:49.240] So thank you again.
[00:57:49.120 --> 00:57:50.280] Thanks.
[00:57:50.880 --> 00:57:51.280] Yes.
[00:57:51.280 --> 00:57:52.320] Oh, cinnamon sugar.
[00:57:52.320 --> 00:57:52.560] Okay.
[00:57:52.560 --> 00:57:54.240] Or I'm ordering right after this.
[00:57:54.240 --> 00:57:55.680] Thank you again, Lauren.
[00:57:55.680 --> 00:57:56.400] I'm Stephanie.
[00:57:56.400 --> 00:57:59.640] And this is the best business meeting I've ever had.
[00:58:01.240 --> 00:58:02.600] Hi, Entrepreneurs.
[00:57:59.120 --> 00:58:03.480] It's Steph here.
[00:58:03.640 --> 00:58:10.680] And I hope today's episode has left you feeling inspired and with some actionable tips that you can apply to your own business.
[00:58:10.680 --> 00:58:18.040] The way we've grown our community and resources is by sharing content like this for years and asking for help along the way.
[00:58:18.040 --> 00:58:23.560] So here's where we need your help so we can continue to make as much impact as possible together.
[00:58:23.560 --> 00:58:33.320] If you can leave us a five-star review and extra credit if you share this episode on Instagram, LinkedIn, or DM it to a founder friend who would benefit from hearing it.
[00:58:33.320 --> 00:58:40.680] Not only would it mean the world to us, but you sharing this episode is going to help someone who just may need to hear what we share today.
[00:58:40.680 --> 00:58:43.720] And you know I love nothing more than giveaways and prizes.
[00:58:43.720 --> 00:58:50.440] So every month I'll be giving away a one-on-one session with me to someone who has shared the episode and left a review.
[00:58:50.440 --> 00:58:53.320] So send me a personal DM over on Instagram.
[00:58:53.320 --> 00:58:58.200] I'm at Steph Jill Carton once you've done it so you can be entered to win.
[00:58:58.200 --> 00:59:03.880] Wishing you a productive week ahead and stay tuned for another impactful episode next week.

Prompt 6: Key Takeaways

Now please extract the key takeaways from the transcript content I provided.

Extract the most important key takeaways from this part of the conversation. Use a single sentence statement (the key takeaway) rather than milquetoast descriptions like "the hosts discuss...". 

Limit the key takeaways to a maximum of 3. The key takeaways should be insightful and knowledge-additive. 

IMPORTANT: Return ONLY valid JSON, no explanations or markdown. Ensure:
- All strings are properly quoted and escaped
- No trailing commas
- All braces and brackets are balanced
Format: {"key_takeaways": ["takeaway 1", "takeaway 2"]}

Prompt 7: Segments

Now identify 2-4 distinct topical segments from this part of the conversation.

For each segment, identify:
- Descriptive title (3-6 words)  
- START timestamp when this topic begins (HH:MM:SS format)
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Most important Key takeaway from that segment. Key takeaway must be specific and knowledge-additive.
- Brief summary of the discussion

IMPORTANT: The timestamp should mark when the topic/segment STARTS, not a range. Look for topic transitions and conversation shifts.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted, no trailing commas:
{
  "segments": [
    {
      "segment_title": "Topic Discussion", 
      "timestamp": "01:15:30",
      "key_takeaway": "main point from this segment",
      "segment_summary": "brief description of what was discussed"
    }
  ]
}

Timestamp format: HH:MM:SS (e.g., 00:05:30, 01:22:45) marking the START of each segment.

Prompt 8: Media Mentions

Now scan the transcript content I provided for ACTUAL mentions of specific media titles:

Find explicit mentions of:
- Books (with specific titles)
- Movies (with specific titles)  
- TV Shows (with specific titles)
- Music/Songs (with specific titles)

DO NOT include:
- Websites, URLs, or web services
- Other podcasts or podcast names

IMPORTANT: 
- Only include items explicitly mentioned by name. Do not invent titles.
- Valid categories are: "Book", "Movie", "TV Show", "Music"
- Include the exact phrase where each item was mentioned
- Find the nearest proximate timestamp where it appears in the conversation
- THE TIMESTAMP OF THE MEDIA MENTION IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT INVENT TIMESTAMPS AND DO NOT MISATTRIBUTE TIMESTAMPS
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Timestamps are given as ranges, e.g. 01:13:42.520 --> 01:13:46.720. Use the EARLIER of the 2 timestamps in the range.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted and escaped, no trailing commas:
{
  "media_mentions": [
    {
      "title": "Exact Title as Mentioned",
      "category": "Book",
      "author_artist": "N/A",
      "context": "Brief context of why it was mentioned",
      "context_phrase": "The exact sentence or phrase where it was mentioned",
      "timestamp": "estimated time like 01:15:30"
    }
  ]
}

If no media is mentioned, return: {"media_mentions": []}

Full Transcript

[00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:05.680] Hey, Entrepreneurs, it's Steph here with a special invite just for you.
[00:00:05.680 --> 00:00:10.800] Do you want to experience what it's like to be part of our Entrepreneursa League community of founders?
[00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:12.400] Now is your chance.
[00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:21.360] You can join me this month at one of our upcoming Entrepreneursa League info sessions where I'm going to share with you all you're going to get access to when you join the community.
[00:00:21.360 --> 00:00:27.040] Plus, I'll be giving away some big bonuses that you will only be able to get access to when you attend live.
[00:00:27.040 --> 00:00:35.600] Head over to refer.entreprenista.com forward slash info session to join us at one of our virtual info sessions this month.
[00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:40.640] That's refer.entreparnista.com forward slash info session.
[00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:44.560] Or head over to the show notes right now and tap the link to join us.
[00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:49.120] I can't wait to meet you there and learn more about you and your business.
[00:00:49.760 --> 00:00:51.040] I tried to get other jobs.
[00:00:51.040 --> 00:00:54.880] I tried to work in finance, a PR company, a food, a restaurant.
[00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:55.840] I was miserable.
[00:00:55.840 --> 00:01:06.880] And that's when I realized that unless I did something on my own terms and something that really had meaning for me and something that, you know, I was so passionate about that I was so excited to wake up every day and give my all, I was never going to be happy.
[00:01:06.880 --> 00:01:09.360] And so that's when I realized I didn't want to be an entrepreneur.
[00:01:09.360 --> 00:01:11.520] I had to be an entrepreneur.
[00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:24.160] As founders, we're not only trying to grow successful businesses, but we want to know that we're making an impact in our communities and in the world.
[00:01:24.160 --> 00:01:26.320] This is the dream of entrepreneurship.
[00:01:26.320 --> 00:01:36.880] And Lauren Castle is someone who has done this, building her brand, Sweet Laurens, into a leading, delicious, better-for-you, allergy-friendly baking and snacking company.
[00:01:36.880 --> 00:01:50.320] I actually met Lauren over a decade ago when she was first starting her business, and hearing her share the story of how she built this company from an idea to solve a problem into a global brand has been so incredible to watch.
[00:01:50.320 --> 00:01:59.920] And you're about to hear her personal story from beating cancer to realizing it was her mission in life to create products that make healthier eating actually accessible.
[00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:13.480] Lauren is about to share her story of all of her learning lessons on how she built her mission-driven business that is now sold in over 35,000 stores and how you can learn everything from her journey too.
[00:02:13.480 --> 00:02:18.200] Get ready to hear Lauren's journey and her biggest business secrets.
[00:02:19.800 --> 00:02:23.240] This is the Entrepreneurship Podcast presented by Social Fly.
[00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:33.960] It's the best business meeting you'll ever have with must-hear real-life looks at how leading women in business are getting it done and what it takes to build and grow a successful company.
[00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:39.720] It's beyond the Graham with no filters, no limits, and plenty of surprises.
[00:02:41.320 --> 00:02:51.880] Lauren, I am so excited to finally be recording this with you because I think we have talked about recording this episode of the podcast probably in 2018 when we first launched this show.
[00:02:51.880 --> 00:02:55.000] So it only took us about five and a half years to make this happen.
[00:02:55.640 --> 00:02:56.440] It's true.
[00:02:56.440 --> 00:02:58.360] It is a long time coming.
[00:02:58.680 --> 00:03:00.440] Well, I have to share with everyone.
[00:03:00.440 --> 00:03:06.680] We met, I feel like in the very early days when we were first starting our first business and you were first starting Sweet Lawrence.
[00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:07.880] What year did you start the company again?
[00:03:07.880 --> 00:03:09.080] What year was that?
[00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:14.840] 2010, I actually like incorporated Sweet Lauren's and trademarked it.
[00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:20.600] But honestly, we've been like a national business since 2016.
[00:03:20.920 --> 00:03:28.680] Yeah, and I feel like we connected, it was probably like 2013, 14, 2015 through that accelerator program.
[00:03:28.680 --> 00:03:37.880] And it's just been so incredible to just see your journey and growth, building this huge business, becoming a mama, doing all of the things.
[00:03:37.880 --> 00:03:41.720] So now we can actually talk about it, talk about it all with everyone.
[00:03:41.720 --> 00:03:55.600] But for our listeners and entrepreneurs who might be living somewhere where i don't know where they might be living but maybe they haven't seen your beautiful pink packaging or they don't know what sweet lawrence is can you tell everyone what sweet lawrence actually is Sure.
[00:03:55.600 --> 00:04:00.400] So Sweet Lawrence is a better for you baking and snacking brand.
[00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:03.840] And so we're best known for our refrigerated cookie dough.
[00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:05.280] That was the first product we launched.
[00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:08.480] Now we have refrigerated puff pastry and pizza dough and pie crust.
[00:04:08.480 --> 00:04:14.640] And we also have shelf stable crunchy breakfast biscuits that are great for snacking.
[00:04:14.640 --> 00:04:20.720] So we really expanded kind of into a snacking and baking company, but we started with cookie dough.
[00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:27.360] And so you can really find our products in the refrigerated dough section of over 35,000 supermarkets across the country.
[00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:28.080] Yes, I can't.
[00:04:28.080 --> 00:04:32.400] I feel like I cannot walk into a store without seeing Sweet Lawrence at Whole Foods.
[00:04:32.400 --> 00:04:36.400] I'm in Florida, so it's Whole Foods, Publix, everywhere I go, Sweet Lawrence is right there.
[00:04:36.400 --> 00:04:38.400] And every time I see it, I'm like, have to buy this.
[00:04:38.400 --> 00:04:40.080] We have to make more cookies at Home and Monthly.
[00:04:40.080 --> 00:04:42.480] And she absolutely, absolutely loves it.
[00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:45.520] What was your inspiration behind starting the brand?
[00:04:45.840 --> 00:04:55.440] So I started Sweet Lawrence because of a personal need that made me realize that everyone I met actually also had this need too.
[00:04:55.440 --> 00:05:02.560] But I graduated from college in 2006 and a couple of months after I graduated, I was diagnosed with cancer.
[00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:05.280] I had Hodgkin's lymphoma, stage two.
[00:05:05.280 --> 00:05:08.640] I had to undergo six months of chemotherapy immediately.
[00:05:08.640 --> 00:05:10.800] And it just rocked my world.
[00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:12.000] I was not expecting that.
[00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:18.320] I don't think anyone is expecting, you know, a major health scare, but especially at a young age, you feel so invincible.
[00:05:18.320 --> 00:05:20.960] And I quickly realized I wasn't.
[00:05:20.960 --> 00:05:23.360] You know, I realized health was everything.
[00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:34.040] And so, while I was going through treatment, on the days I didn't have treatment, I started to study nutrition and take cooking classes so that I just wanted to superpower myself with the food I ate.
[00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:41.320] I just wanted to feel really energetic and strong and not only beat cancer, but just thrive after it.
[00:05:41.320 --> 00:05:52.280] And healthy, better for you, less processed, whole real ingredients made me feel so much better than anything super empty or processed.
[00:05:52.280 --> 00:05:55.960] And the second I started noticing that difference, I couldn't eat junk food anymore.
[00:05:55.960 --> 00:06:03.000] I couldn't eat super empty, you know, just only sugar-filled, high corn syrup or artificial ingredients.
[00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:04.280] Like I just couldn't do it.
[00:06:04.280 --> 00:06:06.200] My body just did not like it.
[00:06:06.200 --> 00:06:19.480] And so it brought me down this road of just really paying attention to the type of oils I was using and sugars and salt and just everything being as less processed as possible and having more nutrition and delicious taste.
[00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:32.280] So I became a good cook and I have a huge sweet tooth and there was just really nothing on the market back then that was so delicious but also made of better for you ingredients.
[00:06:32.280 --> 00:06:39.880] And when there wasn't a bakery or product I could find easily in a supermarket, I just was like, I'm going to remake a chocolate chip cookie.
[00:06:39.880 --> 00:06:42.360] It's my favorite dessert in the world.
[00:06:42.680 --> 00:06:48.520] And I know it's been done a million times, but how can I do it differently and make sure it's still incredibly delicious?
[00:06:48.520 --> 00:06:51.880] Because I don't want to have to sacrifice taste to eat better either.
[00:06:52.440 --> 00:06:54.600] So started to make my own recipes.
[00:06:54.600 --> 00:07:07.920] And after, you know, really dozens and hundreds of trials and batches, trying every different type of combination, flour, mixture, and sweetener and sugar and oil.
[00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:12.840] Like, like I got to a recipe that everyone I gave it to loved.
[00:07:12.840 --> 00:07:18.000] And, you know, my aha was just, wow, like, I'm passionate about this.
[00:07:14.840 --> 00:07:21.920] I feel like I've cracked the code on something that's really difficult to make at home.
[00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.320] And I'm also pissed off at the food industry.
[00:07:24.320 --> 00:07:43.200] Like, I am so frustrated that it's actually hard to go into a supermarket and feel like there are so many products that you could buy that really will be incredible taste, but also, you know, you trust them and it's made of really good ingredients.
[00:07:43.200 --> 00:07:59.920] So I was like, I'm going to take this anger and funnel it into building a brand that really breaks through into supermarkets and is something you can trust, something that you love will always be like the best tasting thing on the shelf, but it's also really high-quality good ingredients.
[00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:04.720] And then over time, I've made Sweet Lawrence free of the top allergens too.
[00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:08.560] So it's not just like only simple, whole grain, better for you ingredients.
[00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:13.360] We're also gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut, tree-nut-free, soy-free, vegan.
[00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:26.320] And so we fit a lot of dietary restrictions or food allergies or less inflammatory diets that, you know, it's just hard to find great options out there in a normal supermarket.
[00:08:26.320 --> 00:08:29.760] So that's kind of the story of Sweet Lawrence.
[00:08:29.760 --> 00:08:32.000] Yeah, no, it's so hard to find those foods.
[00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:37.440] And I'm so glad you took that anger and made it a business.
[00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:40.240] What were some of the first steps that you took back then?
[00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:42.240] So take me back to the early days.
[00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:45.520] You're sitting in your kitchen, your friends, family, everyone's tasting this.
[00:08:45.520 --> 00:08:45.920] They love it.
[00:08:45.920 --> 00:08:47.840] You're like, all right, I'm going to turn this into a business now.
[00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:49.680] Like, what did you do first?
[00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:52.800] It definitely was never a straight line, right?
[00:08:52.800 --> 00:08:56.080] Like, there were so many things that had to happen.
[00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:58.320] So, thankfully, I was cured.
[00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:03.240] My doctor was like, go be normal, you know, go get a job, go be normal, go be your age, go have fun now.
[00:09:03.560 --> 00:09:09.880] And, you know, but by the way, stay in New York City because you still need to come for, you know, checkups every six months.
[00:09:09.880 --> 00:09:12.840] And so, it really, it was hard to be normal.
[00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:15.240] You know, I kind of couldn't be normal after that.
[00:09:15.880 --> 00:09:18.200] You know, like every day counted.
[00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:19.400] I wanted to love life.
[00:09:19.400 --> 00:09:22.840] I wanted to feel super passionate about what I was doing with my life.
[00:09:23.640 --> 00:09:28.520] Health was everything still, but also enjoying life was so important.
[00:09:28.520 --> 00:09:30.360] And so, I tried to get other jobs.
[00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:35.720] I tried to work in finance, a PR company, a food, a restaurant, a restaurant.
[00:09:36.680 --> 00:09:37.720] I was miserable.
[00:09:37.720 --> 00:09:49.320] And that's when I realized that unless I did something on my own terms and something that really had meaning for me, and something that, you know, I was so passionate about that I was so excited to wake up every day and give my all, I was never going to be happy.
[00:09:49.320 --> 00:09:52.280] And so, that's when I realized I didn't want to be an entrepreneur.
[00:09:52.280 --> 00:09:53.560] I had to be an entrepreneur.
[00:09:53.560 --> 00:09:55.160] Like, I was kind of unemployable.
[00:09:55.160 --> 00:09:56.200] Unemployable.
[00:09:56.440 --> 00:09:57.640] Just not employable.
[00:09:57.640 --> 00:10:01.400] Like, I like, not that I couldn't do a good job for someone else.
[00:10:01.400 --> 00:10:04.440] I just, there was something in me that would never be satisfied.
[00:10:04.440 --> 00:10:08.920] And so, and, and I'd always come home and bake.
[00:10:08.920 --> 00:10:14.120] It was just this thing that didn't matter how tired I was, it gave me a creative outlet.
[00:10:14.120 --> 00:10:15.720] It gave me joy.
[00:10:15.720 --> 00:10:20.520] It, you know, and I just started building like a binder of recipes.
[00:10:20.520 --> 00:10:25.400] And so, I didn't realize it was going to be a business until I realized I had to be an entrepreneur.
[00:10:25.400 --> 00:10:29.080] And all of my friends were like, come on, like, just make this into a business.
[00:10:29.080 --> 00:10:33.480] Like, they made it sound so easy, you know, like you have this hobby, like you're great at it.
[00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:35.400] Like, like people can taste the difference.
[00:10:35.640 --> 00:10:37.480] You know, your cookies are special.
[00:10:37.800 --> 00:10:47.680] So, when I got to that point, I realized I will work as hard as I absolutely need to to have my own business because I don't want to work for anyone else ever again.
[00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:55.360] And that gave me, I got, I think, this just commitment to whatever it took.
[00:10:55.600 --> 00:11:00.560] I didn't realize how hard it would be, but I knew that I would never be happy working for someone else.
[00:11:00.560 --> 00:11:02.960] So, you know, I just committed to getting it done.
[00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:12.560] Up next, you'll hear Lauren's journey turning a personal need into an actual business and why you should always take that call or meeting.
[00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:18.640] Hi, Entrepreneurs.
[00:11:18.640 --> 00:11:19.680] It's Steph here.
[00:11:19.680 --> 00:11:26.320] As a founder, I know firsthand that building a business can feel so lonely, but it doesn't have to.
[00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:30.960] And that's why we created our Entrepreneursa Founders Weekend Wealth and Wellness Retreat.
[00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:33.120] And I can't wait to meet you in person there.
[00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:47.360] So you're officially invited to join us from April 30th to May 3rd, 2026 at the stunning PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for three transformative days of connection, collaboration, and real business growth.
[00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:49.440] This isn't just another business conference.
[00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:57.840] It is a curated retreat designed to help you build authentic, lasting relationships with women who truly understand your journey.
[00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:04.640] From business panels and workshops to wellness activations and so much more, this is the room that you need to be in.
[00:12:04.640 --> 00:12:16.160] So if you are ready to invest in yourself and your business and your vision and your next level of success, head over to entrepreneurs.com forward slash foundersweekend to reserve your ticket today.
[00:12:16.160 --> 00:12:24.480] That's entrepreneur.com forward slash foundersweekend or head over to the show notes right now and tap the invitation to reserve your ticket.
[00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:25.920] I'll see you there.
[00:12:35.880 --> 00:12:41.480] So I started, my first step was taking a business writing course.
[00:12:41.480 --> 00:13:05.480] I worked at Levan Bakery on the Upper West Side in my early 20s and really like got along so well and loved the two females that founded the bakery and saw, you know, just saw the lines that would go outside for warm cookies and the passion and the joy and how special, like there was just something really special about fresh baked cookies.
[00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:13.000] And so I started to write a business, write a business plan for Sweet Lawrence because I really didn't know what I was doing.
[00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:21.080] And I didn't know if I should open up a bakery and sign a lease somewhere or create a consumer packaged product and sell it to grocery stores.
[00:13:21.080 --> 00:13:24.120] And if I did create a packaged product, what would it even look like?
[00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:25.320] Would it be baked cookies?
[00:13:25.320 --> 00:13:26.440] Would it be cookie dough?
[00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:28.040] Would it be baking mixes?
[00:13:28.040 --> 00:13:42.760] Like, so it gave me, we'd meet once a week and it gave me, you know, a really great amount of time to focus on, you know, what it would cost to open a bakery.
[00:13:42.760 --> 00:13:44.200] Was I ready for that?
[00:13:44.680 --> 00:13:46.680] What were the goals of the company?
[00:13:46.680 --> 00:13:53.640] And my goals really became like, how do I change the food industry and reach as many people as possible and do it as deliciously and conveniently?
[00:13:53.640 --> 00:13:56.360] And how do I give myself freedom?
[00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:58.120] Because that's also what I want.
[00:13:58.520 --> 00:14:09.160] And so I think during that business writing course, this guy in my class worked for Whole Foods in the overnight shift to make money because his dream was opening up a bike shop.
[00:14:09.160 --> 00:14:11.560] And I would always bring cookies in.
[00:14:11.560 --> 00:14:14.440] And one day I was like, Corey, how does one get into Whole Foods?
[00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:15.360] And he was like, I don't know.
[00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:16.960] I'll ask my manager.
[00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:22.160] And he called me the next day and was like, you know, you have a meeting with the head buyer on Wednesday.
[00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:25.920] And you know, I had no packaged product then.
[00:14:25.920 --> 00:14:38.240] I didn't have a business plan, but I had like a one-sheeter I created that kind of said what Sweet Lawrence was about, why the story behind it, and the types of ingredients I would only use in our recipes.
[00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:45.760] And I got like some big package in the mail, some like a box, a beautiful box with chocolates in it.
[00:14:45.760 --> 00:14:52.080] I took out all those chocolates and instead I put like my cookies in this beautiful box so it looked presentable.
[00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:57.360] And I went and took the meeting and, you know, just made a commitment to like show up 100%.
[00:14:57.360 --> 00:15:01.360] And I was like, even if this, I don't get a yes, it's just like a learning opportunity.
[00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:02.800] I'll come back.
[00:15:02.800 --> 00:15:04.400] So I really connected with the buyer.
[00:15:04.400 --> 00:15:07.680] We walked all around the supermarket, walked all around Whole Foods.
[00:15:07.680 --> 00:15:09.200] And, you know, he had two kids of his own.
[00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:12.080] And he was like, no one's built the next brand name in cookie dough.
[00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:16.960] Like, I would totally buy your product if it was on the shelf.
[00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:21.600] And the hardest thing to do is make something that's better for you and have it taste incredibly delicious.
[00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:23.040] And you've done both.
[00:15:23.040 --> 00:15:25.040] And he loved the story of Sweet Lawrence.
[00:15:25.040 --> 00:15:34.560] And he really gave me confidence that I had kind of what it took to eventually build something that really had staying power and really build, you know, a brand.
[00:15:34.560 --> 00:15:39.040] And so he called me the next day and was like, how soon can we get it?
[00:15:39.040 --> 00:15:40.400] My whole team loved it.
[00:15:40.400 --> 00:15:41.680] We're ready.
[00:15:41.680 --> 00:15:43.520] And, you know, I started crying.
[00:15:43.520 --> 00:15:47.280] I was like walking on the Upper West Side, and got the phone call.
[00:15:47.280 --> 00:15:52.960] And, you know, that was kind of all I needed was someone to take me really seriously and give me a chance.
[00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:56.160] And so there it began of just hustling.
[00:15:56.160 --> 00:15:59.520] Like, I just was like, okay, I can't make this in my kitchen anymore.
[00:15:59.520 --> 00:16:01.160] This has to be made in a factory.
[00:16:01.160 --> 00:16:02.120] I have to build a scale.
[00:16:02.120 --> 00:16:03.480] I'm a one-woman show.
[00:15:59.920 --> 00:16:07.320] I can't do all the selling and all the baking and/ixing.
[00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:11.160] So I found a factory in way upstate New York.
[00:16:11.160 --> 00:16:15.000] I took a bus ride three and a half hours upstate to go there.
[00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:18.200] They'd never made cookie dough, but they had mixers.
[00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:33.800] And I just started experimenting with them, like, you know, multiplying our recipe, you know, by 30 and 50, and, you know, just slowly increasing it and tweaking it as I went and just totally guessing, you know, just totally jumping in and guessing.
[00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:38.120] And I also demoed for that entire year in Whole Foods.
[00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:48.360] Every single week, I would take a roly suitcase with my toaster oven and go to Whole Foods and demo in the refrigerated dough section where it was freezing.
[00:16:48.360 --> 00:16:51.800] But I would make these warm cookies with, you know, Sweet Lawrence cookie dough.
[00:16:51.800 --> 00:17:05.240] And it was incredible because I would meet hundreds of people and I heard enough positive feedback that I really knew that there was a need in the market for this, that there was really a white space, that there really was a problem I could solve.
[00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:08.280] You know, I just met hundreds of people that would say, healthier cookie dough.
[00:17:08.280 --> 00:17:09.400] I never even heard of that.
[00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:10.760] That makes so much sense.
[00:17:10.760 --> 00:17:11.960] Of course I want to buy this.
[00:17:11.960 --> 00:17:14.280] Why isn't this sold in every supermarket?
[00:17:14.280 --> 00:17:22.520] And then of course I heard feedback like your packaging needs to improve or do you have these other flavors or I can't read you know the directions easily.
[00:17:22.520 --> 00:17:26.440] And, you know, I took all of that and just constantly tweaked.
[00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:34.120] And then I won a contest called the Next Big Small Brand for Culinary Genius, which was a food contest in New York City.
[00:17:34.120 --> 00:17:35.800] And I won branding and design work.
[00:17:35.800 --> 00:17:42.280] And so an agency spent a lot of time with me over that year redesigning our packaging.
[00:17:42.280 --> 00:17:54.240] And that's when I started to understand what it would take to pop off shelf to differentiate Sweet Lawrence from the big guys and really had to take the business to like the next level.
[00:17:54.560 --> 00:17:55.120] Wow.
[00:17:55.120 --> 00:18:01.280] You, I mean, you did all the things in the early days, just running around, hustling, talking to anyone and everyone you could.
[00:18:01.280 --> 00:18:04.080] And I love that story about getting that meeting at Whole Foods.
[00:18:04.080 --> 00:18:05.280] Like you just took that meeting.
[00:18:05.280 --> 00:18:10.320] And so many of us are, we're not ready for that next thing, but no one's ready, right?
[00:18:10.320 --> 00:18:15.520] You just have to take that meeting because one thing just leads to the next and it leads to the next.
[00:18:15.520 --> 00:18:17.840] Like, what if you had not gone and taken that meeting?
[00:18:18.080 --> 00:18:18.960] With the Whole Foods buyer.
[00:18:19.280 --> 00:18:20.080] No, it's true.
[00:18:20.080 --> 00:18:26.800] The biggest thing, you know, I think I was so scared to jump in because, you know, the second you jump in and start a company, you're going to be judged.
[00:18:26.800 --> 00:18:29.280] You have to be open to a lot of feedback.
[00:18:29.280 --> 00:18:31.520] And of course, it's not going to all be positive, you know?
[00:18:31.520 --> 00:18:43.760] And so you really have to throw your ego out the window and just be obsessed with the purpose of the business and have this growth mindset of I'm just learning, I will improve.
[00:18:43.760 --> 00:18:58.320] And I think the biggest thing I learned, you know, I took that meeting because I, you know, because I did not want to work for anyone else bad enough, I knew that I had to just show up and that no one was going to build this company for me.
[00:18:58.320 --> 00:19:01.840] If I was going to be an entrepreneur, I had to, I just knew I had to build it all myself.
[00:19:01.840 --> 00:19:14.000] So, you know, I created this growth mindset of just take the meeting, have fun with it, be prepared, and just always show up 110% and be your word.
[00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:29.040] So, you know, you know, I didn't know what the Whole Foods buyer would say, but, you know, I couldn't believe how just the story, you know, I was nervous telling the story of Sweet Lawrence because in the early days, I would get a little bit emotional about it.
[00:19:29.040 --> 00:19:32.760] And I also felt like it was, I didn't want anyone to feel sorry for me.
[00:19:33.080 --> 00:19:39.160] I also didn't feel like it was that appetizing to talk about like cancer and now I have cookies.
[00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:48.840] And so for all those reasons, I shied away, but you know, every time I got vulnerable and told the story, the reaction was so incredible, like so human.
[00:19:48.840 --> 00:19:53.240] And so, you know, you know, I just started to pay attention to what's working.
[00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:54.920] Like telling that story actually works.
[00:19:54.920 --> 00:19:57.080] So I have to be okay being vulnerable.
[00:19:57.080 --> 00:19:59.800] And it actually builds trust and authenticity.
[00:19:59.800 --> 00:20:06.280] And, you know, so he said to me on the phone, like, okay, can we, when, how soon can we get the cookie dough?
[00:20:06.280 --> 00:20:13.320] And I was like, next month, you know, and I really thought in my head, I could find a factory, scale a recipe, design packaging.
[00:20:13.320 --> 00:20:17.320] And of course, it took seven months to figure all that out.
[00:20:17.320 --> 00:20:19.000] But I just stayed in touch with him.
[00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:23.960] You know, I just tried to be really honest, like, okay, this factory needs a couple more months of test runs.
[00:20:23.960 --> 00:20:28.600] And I'm printing our packaging and it's taking, you know, a couple months.
[00:20:28.600 --> 00:20:31.080] And, you know, but I just stayed in touch with him.
[00:20:31.080 --> 00:20:34.040] And, and, you know, so I didn't go silent.
[00:20:34.040 --> 00:20:39.160] I wasn't, you know, I think like that communication skill was really important.
[00:20:39.160 --> 00:20:41.160] And so we built trust in a relationship.
[00:20:41.160 --> 00:20:44.280] And he saw that I was hustling and he saw that I was updating him.
[00:20:44.280 --> 00:20:47.160] And, you know, eventually it started shipping.
[00:20:47.800 --> 00:20:48.520] Yes.
[00:20:48.520 --> 00:20:50.680] Well, so many lessons from that, too.
[00:20:50.680 --> 00:20:53.640] Everything takes longer than you think it does when you're trying to build something.
[00:20:53.640 --> 00:20:57.240] Always leave in a couple months of buffer time for sure.
[00:20:57.240 --> 00:21:03.160] What did it feel like that first time you were standing in Whole Foods doing demos with your product?
[00:21:03.800 --> 00:21:09.560] You know, it's funny because like you get into Whole Foods and you're like, I've made it.
[00:21:09.560 --> 00:21:10.840] Like, I've made it.
[00:21:10.840 --> 00:21:13.360] Like, I'm in the mecca of grocery stores.
[00:21:13.360 --> 00:21:17.760] And, like, you know, I shop here and now my products here.
[00:21:14.840 --> 00:21:20.160] And you feel almost like a celebrity.
[00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:24.080] And then you realize it's a harsh reality, you know.
[00:21:25.360 --> 00:21:26.880] No one knows about your brand.
[00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:34.160] And so now you don't have to just like be a genius in innovation and creating a great product and great packaging.
[00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:35.920] Now you have to figure out how to market it.
[00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:39.120] And now you have to learn how to be like a genius in marketing.
[00:21:39.120 --> 00:21:59.680] And so, you know, I didn't realize jumping into this business that I would have to be great at so many things in order to make it successful, like managing a factory, creating quality control, you know, being great at packaging design, being great at marketing, being, you know, all the things great at selling.
[00:21:59.840 --> 00:22:00.720] Selling a team.
[00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:01.920] Right.
[00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:05.120] A team, like it's just one challenge after another.
[00:22:06.080 --> 00:22:28.720] But, you know, it definitely, I definitely never was bored, you know, and I started to just love, love the things that came with growth and the new challenges because from day one of launching Sweet Lawrence, I started getting emails from people across the country that would say, your product has changed my life.
[00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:31.600] I believe in food again because of Sweet Lawrence.
[00:22:31.600 --> 00:22:35.120] I can't tell you how much better I feel eating Sweet Lawrence.
[00:22:35.120 --> 00:22:37.840] You're the only cookie dough that doesn't hurt my stomach.
[00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:44.240] You know, and it like that really energized me.
[00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:50.160] And still to this day, it's the reason why I work so hard because it's not about me anymore, right?
[00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:55.680] It's like I see a version of what I went through in millions of people.
[00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:59.120] Not that, you know, there are people that have gone through cancer, but that's not what I'm talking about.
[00:22:59.120 --> 00:23:09.960] It's, it's, it's like athletes that just want to eat less inflammatory and care so much about, you know, what they put in their body, but they have a big sweet tooth and they want to satisfy their sweet tooth.
[00:23:09.960 --> 00:23:19.240] It's the busy mom who's just like, I'm just trying to make a better option, a better, you know, I'm just trying to give my kids something they're going to eat, they're going to love, but I want to feel good about what I'm giving them.
[00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:21.880] And I can't make everything from scratch, you know.
[00:23:21.880 --> 00:23:24.360] And then our product is free of the top allergens.
[00:23:24.360 --> 00:23:27.880] So it's gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, you know.
[00:23:27.880 --> 00:23:39.960] And so, you know, we get so many emails from people that are like, my kid is an extreme nut allergy or dairy allergy or gluten or my husband or my wife or my girlfriend or, you know, my mother, whatever it is.
[00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:43.160] And all of a sudden, they can have their favorite foods again.
[00:23:43.160 --> 00:23:48.840] So that is like the mission now, like behind the brand, right?
[00:23:48.840 --> 00:24:00.040] It's like really to offer something, you know, your favorite foods reinvented, you know, so that everyone can enjoy it, no matter kind of your dietary restriction or your health issue.
[00:24:00.040 --> 00:24:06.200] Or so, you know, I think that's, that's really what got me through all the hard times.
[00:24:07.160 --> 00:24:10.200] Yes, because it's not easy building a business, as you just said.
[00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:16.120] There's you have to learn absolutely everything and the highs, the lows that can happen over the course of 30 minutes.
[00:24:16.200 --> 00:24:18.200] The best thing can happen and then something terrible in business.
[00:24:18.200 --> 00:24:22.920] So you just got to keep going and not give up and stay resilient.
[00:24:22.920 --> 00:24:30.360] Coming up, Lauren shares her three biggest pieces of advice for CPG founders that you need to hear.
[00:24:31.640 --> 00:24:38.040] Founders are always asking us, what has been the secret to our success building multiple seven-figure businesses?
[00:24:38.040 --> 00:24:39.480] Do you want to know how?
[00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:41.160] It's our community.
[00:24:41.160 --> 00:24:48.720] We created the Entrepreneursa League for founders like you because the most successful entrepreneurs do not navigate business alone.
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[00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:00.560] Trust me, it's how we've done it.
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[00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:51.200] I cannot wait to meet you.
[00:25:52.160 --> 00:26:02.480] Knowing what you know now, we have, you know, so many entrepreneurs in our entrepreneurs league community that are, you know, one to three years in business, just starting a CPG brand.
[00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:08.720] What would you tell them today, knowing what you know now, if they're just getting started in their business?
[00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:19.840] I have so many things I would tell them, but I think like the top three things are make sure you're not just jumping into something that's trendy.
[00:26:19.840 --> 00:26:30.440] Like, make sure there is a real problem you're solving, a big why, and a really big white space, because it's such a hard industry to break into.
[00:26:30.680 --> 00:26:39.160] If you're really solving a big problem, you know, your business will be received, it will grow because people need it.
[00:26:39.720 --> 00:26:48.600] But, you know, if it's a trendy, smaller niche idea, it's really, really hard to create a thriving business.
[00:26:48.600 --> 00:26:52.440] And so set yourself up for success that way.
[00:26:52.440 --> 00:27:13.240] Two, and also, I would say, like, just make sure, hopefully, it's such a big idea and white space that you're personally so passionate about that it will give you what Sweet Lawrence has given me over a decade of energy and love for like the bigger mission of the brand that excites me every day.
[00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:16.040] I jump out of bed every day excited to tackle it.
[00:27:16.040 --> 00:27:23.160] I'm, you know, it's the only reason that I could keep going is that it's this passionate big idea.
[00:27:23.160 --> 00:27:28.520] So it'll help you give you the energy to like, you know, fight the fight every day.
[00:27:28.520 --> 00:27:33.560] Two, make sure to surround yourself with incredible mentors and team.
[00:27:33.560 --> 00:27:35.720] Like, I started the business alone.
[00:27:35.720 --> 00:27:38.520] I know every aspect and department of the industry.
[00:27:38.520 --> 00:27:46.680] I'm really grateful for that because now I know how to kind of manage the business high level because I understand what it takes.
[00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:50.120] But one person can only do so much.
[00:27:50.120 --> 00:28:03.800] And I think being really real with yourself and like really comfortable realizing what you love and what your talents are and what you're not great at and being so okay and confident in that.
[00:28:03.800 --> 00:28:14.600] So, you know, for me, like the finance, the operations, the managing factories, the logistics, you know, I'm part of that business.
[00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:15.760] I see it all.
[00:28:15.760 --> 00:28:17.280] It's not what brings me joy.
[00:28:17.280 --> 00:28:18.800] It's not what gives me energy.
[00:28:18.800 --> 00:28:36.240] So, you know, hiring the most incredible people I can find to take those parts over and, you know, focus on the things that, you know, I feel like are my superpowers and that give me energy, like innovation and being the face of the brand and the vision behind it and, you know, the marketing and packaging.
[00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:38.480] You know, so those are the things that I'm really involved with.
[00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:48.000] So I think a lot of us, you know, are afraid to like say we're not great at something or, you know, it makes us feel less like an entrepreneur or less successful.
[00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:50.000] It's not, no one is great at everything.
[00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:55.040] You know, it's as long as you have the vision and passion, that's what's going to make you the leader.
[00:28:55.040 --> 00:29:03.680] And, you know, so make sure you bring great people on your team so it's sustainable and you know excellent in all departments and bring on mentors.
[00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:09.440] I brought on mentors my whole life and you know just was very coachable.
[00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:13.760] You know, that doesn't mean always just listening to the mentor and not listening to your gut.
[00:29:13.760 --> 00:29:25.040] It's really important that like you are running the company, but be coachable, like be open to feedback, always be searching, you know, to be taught.
[00:29:25.280 --> 00:29:27.920] I think that's a really important lesson.
[00:29:28.240 --> 00:29:31.040] How did you find your mentors in the early days?
[00:29:31.360 --> 00:29:38.400] So my first mentor, I met through New York City EO, the entrepreneurs organization, right?
[00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:41.680] Like I was in an accelerator of it.
[00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:48.880] And the woman kind of running our cohort and I became really close.
[00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:51.280] So it was just like this organic relationship.
[00:29:51.280 --> 00:29:55.680] And she saw Sweet Lauren's, she saw like it take off.
[00:29:55.680 --> 00:29:57.360] It was taking off.
[00:29:57.360 --> 00:29:58.800] And I was so alone.
[00:29:58.800 --> 00:30:00.520] You know, I didn't have a solid team.
[00:30:00.520 --> 00:30:02.040] I didn't have a co-founder.
[00:30:02.040 --> 00:30:05.480] And so, and she was not in food.
[00:29:59.840 --> 00:30:06.680] She was not in CPG.
[00:30:06.840 --> 00:30:22.280] So it wasn't like an obvious fit, but we created a two-year kind of contract that every week I would meet with her for at least two hours and we would go over kind of my goals.
[00:30:22.280 --> 00:30:24.920] And it really kept me on track.
[00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:30.520] It made me feel supported personally, professionally, whatever was going on in my life.
[00:30:30.520 --> 00:30:34.680] I just felt like there was someone who had my back, believed in me.
[00:30:34.680 --> 00:30:37.720] And she's still one of my best friends today.
[00:30:38.280 --> 00:30:41.640] And then kind of, you know, we both kind of felt like we were outgrowing each other.
[00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:44.040] You know, she was like, I don't know what else I really can give you.
[00:30:44.520 --> 00:30:46.360] The business is at the next stage.
[00:30:46.360 --> 00:30:55.000] And so then I brought on an angel investor in the early days of Sweet Lawrence, who, again, no food experience, but just an incredible businessman.
[00:30:55.000 --> 00:31:03.640] And he was like, you know, I'm not going to be in the day-to-day, the company, but I can help coach you to be an incredible CEO and like do what I can to make sure the business is successful.
[00:31:03.640 --> 00:31:07.880] And that is now going on eight years of mentorship.
[00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:16.600] And, you know, someone, you know, just that when one person really believes in you, it's incredible the power it can have on your own life.
[00:31:16.600 --> 00:31:17.720] No, it is so true.
[00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:22.440] Courtney and I, we just met up with one of our first business coaches, Leslie.
[00:31:22.440 --> 00:31:24.520] She was down here speaking in Florida.
[00:31:24.520 --> 00:31:27.080] So we all just got together two days ago.
[00:31:27.080 --> 00:31:30.120] And she like, she changed the trajectory of our businesses.
[00:31:30.120 --> 00:31:38.120] Like she was the one who told us when we were building Social Fly and started Entrepreneurista really as a podcast and then wanted to actually build it into what it is today.
[00:31:38.120 --> 00:31:39.640] She's like, you guys need to divide and conquer.
[00:31:39.640 --> 00:31:41.720] And this is how you can make a plan to do it.
[00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:46.880] I'm like, She literally is why Entrepreneursa is what it is today because you know it was amazing.
[00:31:44.680 --> 00:31:48.800] Of course, it still is amazing to have a business partner.
[00:31:48.880 --> 00:31:52.560] Courtney and I have the best business partnership, but we don't know everything.
[00:31:52.560 --> 00:32:01.600] That's why, like, you have to surround yourself with people that know things that you don't know, have can introduce you to people that can help take you to the next level.
[00:32:01.600 --> 00:32:07.360] And I love how you just knew in the early days, and that's how we met through that accelerator program when we first connected years ago.
[00:32:07.360 --> 00:32:15.440] It's like you have to invest in yourself and invest in your business and invest in relationships because otherwise, none of us can just sit at home behind a computer and build a business alone.
[00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:18.000] Or, I guess, you can, you're just not going to go that far.
[00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:18.400] Yeah.
[00:32:18.400 --> 00:32:25.600] And honestly, the community aspect, um, it was so, I mean, entrepreneurship is so lonely.
[00:32:25.600 --> 00:32:29.600] I mean, you have a co-founder, so it's maybe a little bit less lonely, but it's still lonely.
[00:32:29.600 --> 00:32:30.560] It's just you two.
[00:32:30.560 --> 00:32:31.920] You know, it was just me.
[00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:37.920] Now I have a president, I have a full, you know, C-suite and an incredible team.
[00:32:38.560 --> 00:32:46.560] And so, like, it's less lonely in that, like, there's a group of us that I really enjoy.
[00:32:46.560 --> 00:32:47.600] I really respect.
[00:32:47.600 --> 00:32:50.080] Everyone is putting energy behind the business.
[00:32:50.080 --> 00:32:55.520] Everyone has different superpowers, but no one's going to love it the way I do.
[00:32:55.520 --> 00:33:01.280] Like, I literally, you know, eat, sleep, drink sweet Lauren's because it's, it's like really my mission in life.
[00:33:01.280 --> 00:33:03.680] I mean, it's become my identity after 10 years.
[00:33:03.680 --> 00:33:05.760] So it's, it's lonely.
[00:33:05.760 --> 00:33:07.840] You know, you, you, the buck stops with you.
[00:33:07.840 --> 00:33:15.200] So, like, if I am not passionate about this one day, you know, I don't know if the business could still thrive, you know, so it's a lot of responsibility.
[00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:17.520] Um, other people can get another job somewhere else.
[00:33:17.520 --> 00:33:19.840] Like, like it's a it's a job to them.
[00:33:19.840 --> 00:33:23.440] Um, where to me, like, this is my life's work.
[00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:24.000] Yeah.
[00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:28.640] And I really want to have a huge positive impact, and I want to feel like I did it right.
[00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:39.160] And, and um, you know, so there's just, I put on so much pressure on myself, and it's no one, no one else will feel that way.
[00:33:39.160 --> 00:33:48.680] Yeah, what is it like because you named the brand Sweet Lawrence, and you, of course, are Lauren and you share, you know, it is your identity, it's who you are.
[00:33:48.680 --> 00:33:56.360] Like, I feel that in my bones too with Entrepreneursa, like everything I do, like I eat, sleep, read, everything is entrepreneursa community helping everyone.
[00:33:56.360 --> 00:34:03.480] So, even though it's not my name, I just feel this like immense connection that I can't even imagine, like, not feeling this way every day.
[00:34:03.480 --> 00:34:07.160] But, did you think through that when you were naming the company?
[00:34:07.160 --> 00:34:08.280] Definitely.
[00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:11.880] So, one of my mom's best friends was like a branding expert.
[00:34:11.880 --> 00:34:30.040] And so, she, when Sweet Lawrence, you know, before when it started to get traction, um, and I won this contest and Whole Foods, I was designing my label for to get into Whole Foods, and I wanted to make sure I was naming it right and the logo was going to be good.
[00:34:30.040 --> 00:34:36.440] So, she came over and she helped me, you know, one after, she spent a couple hours with me one afternoon and was like, All right, let's play around.
[00:34:36.440 --> 00:34:40.120] Like, show me your list of your top favorite, you know, names.
[00:34:40.120 --> 00:34:48.600] And I had a lot of things on there that were like, you know, smart cookie and better baked goods and things like that.
[00:34:48.600 --> 00:34:54.840] Um, I didn't have Sweet Lawrence on the list, and she actually was like, No, it's Sweet Lauren's.
[00:34:54.840 --> 00:35:01.240] Like, that feels memorable, that feels authentic, that feels like I like that.
[00:35:01.240 --> 00:35:03.640] I want to, I want to buy that, I want that in my home.
[00:35:03.640 --> 00:35:04.920] There's emotion there.
[00:35:04.920 --> 00:35:14.400] She's like, All those other names are so kind of emotionless, and you have a story, you are the face of the brand.
[00:35:14.200 --> 00:35:17.760] You are the, you know, you are the product.
[00:35:18.080 --> 00:35:26.400] And, you know, it's really important, you know, that you create something that like, you know, people can remember and it feels good.
[00:35:26.400 --> 00:35:31.680] And so I tested it on a bunch of people and I got the same response.
[00:35:31.680 --> 00:35:39.920] And the pink, this like magenta pink color, you know, when we started picking that as kind of our color, same thing.
[00:35:39.920 --> 00:35:48.720] I tested on hundreds of people and men, women, every age group was like attracted to this kind of like power pink.
[00:35:48.720 --> 00:35:51.520] And I was surprised by that.
[00:35:51.520 --> 00:35:53.280] I was surprised that they like the name Sweet Lawrence.
[00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:54.240] I was surprised.
[00:35:54.240 --> 00:35:57.840] But again, I like try to throw my ego out and just listen to consumers.
[00:35:57.840 --> 00:35:59.520] Like what is working?
[00:35:59.520 --> 00:36:03.280] Who I'm trying to solve a problem for other people, not for myself anymore.
[00:36:03.280 --> 00:36:05.040] So it's not really about me.
[00:36:05.040 --> 00:36:06.720] Like I have to like it too.
[00:36:06.720 --> 00:36:11.200] But really wanted to just intuitively follow what was working.
[00:36:11.200 --> 00:36:28.400] And so, so, so called it Sweet Laurens, you know, saw the power of telling the story, saw the power of being a real person behind the brand that's really involved, that picks out all the ingredients, that will only ever launch things that I'll feed myself and my own kids.
[00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:37.360] And, you know, I think, I think that really differentiates us from, you know, all the other conventional products on the shelf.
[00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:39.440] And, you know, we're in all the mass supermarkets.
[00:36:39.440 --> 00:36:47.200] So it's really important that we stay real and different and that female owned and kind of the underdog and the independently owned.
[00:36:47.200 --> 00:36:58.000] And so, I mean, I'm afraid to get a parking ticket sometimes because, like, my name is on the package, you know, like I'm like, wow, like, you know, you know, I can't get arrested here.
[00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:01.480] But, you know, I don't really think about that or worry about that.
[00:37:01.480 --> 00:37:04.120] Like, my, this is my lifestyle, right?
[00:36:59.920 --> 00:37:06.120] Like, eating clean is my lifestyle.
[00:37:06.280 --> 00:37:08.520] Like, enjoying every day is my lifestyle.
[00:37:08.520 --> 00:37:21.080] So I'm just trying to be me and be real and show the things that I've just learned, you know, that I've been obsessed with and learned over the years and turn it into something that really brings joy to other people.
[00:37:21.080 --> 00:37:27.880] Because baking, even though it seems like really kind of sweet and easy, it's actually incredibly complicated.
[00:37:27.880 --> 00:37:31.240] It's a ton of chemistry and science.
[00:37:31.240 --> 00:37:43.400] And to figure out how to package a product with natural ingredients and with, you know, without like preservatives and a lot of gums and weird chemicals is a whole chemistry in itself.
[00:37:43.400 --> 00:37:47.160] And so, you know, I think I've worked so hard to crack the code on that.
[00:37:47.160 --> 00:37:51.560] It's like, it's time to just keep growing and really lean into it.
[00:37:51.880 --> 00:38:00.760] Well, I'm so glad you did all the work behind the scenes because I am someone who does not like to cook anything or mix anything so that I could just put it in the oven, Yuma.
[00:38:00.760 --> 00:38:04.040] Really help people like me who also like to eat clean, but don't actually want to cook.
[00:38:04.040 --> 00:38:05.320] So thank you.
[00:38:06.040 --> 00:38:06.840] That's exactly it.
[00:38:06.840 --> 00:38:16.280] I think, like, listen, even if you didn't have a career outside the home and you were just, you know, a stay-at-home mom, you're, those moms are the busiest.
[00:38:16.280 --> 00:38:18.440] Like, there's so much to do.
[00:38:18.440 --> 00:38:34.520] And so, unless you love baking from scratch and cleaning up your kitchen and buying all those ingredients, like, you know, I think we make moms, dads, you know, anyone who has a sweet tooth, like, feel like a superhero because our package comes with like 12 portions.
[00:38:34.520 --> 00:38:38.760] So you can make one or two, even in your air fryer, in your toaster oven.
[00:38:38.760 --> 00:38:42.280] Like, it's just so easy and portion controllable.
[00:38:42.280 --> 00:38:44.760] And so, I mean, I think that's just, we're all busy.
[00:38:44.880 --> 00:38:53.600] So, if we can save people time and money and headache, and also just the confidence of knowing it's going to work out perfectly every time.
[00:38:53.600 --> 00:38:58.160] Because sometimes I try to, even I, like, I'll experiment and be like, I want to make a new recipe.
[00:38:58.160 --> 00:39:00.640] It like never comes out great the first time.
[00:39:00.640 --> 00:39:04.640] You know, I have to like do it several times before it's perfect.
[00:39:04.640 --> 00:39:12.160] So, I think that's the goal with our brand and all the new products we're creating, like puff pastry, like that's so hard to make from scratch.
[00:39:12.160 --> 00:39:16.000] So, if we would never be able to do that, it wouldn't even be on my radar.
[00:39:16.320 --> 00:39:20.080] So, how do you decide when you're going to launch a new product?
[00:39:20.080 --> 00:39:23.280] And what do you have to do to actually bring it to market?
[00:39:23.600 --> 00:39:25.520] So, I think I learned from the early days.
[00:39:25.520 --> 00:39:37.680] My first like flavors in the early days were just honestly a gut feeling, like, oh, what, what do I like and what sounds cool versus what is rooted in data?
[00:39:37.680 --> 00:39:41.200] Like, what is gonna, what do most people want nationally?
[00:39:41.200 --> 00:39:45.040] And where's their white space, and what makes the most sense, and what's gonna sell the most?
[00:39:45.040 --> 00:39:47.280] So, now everything is really rooted in data.
[00:39:47.280 --> 00:39:56.480] We buy a lot of data, we do a ton of testing on our consumer base, we do a ton of testing in terms of where's their white space, is there a new innovation we can pull off?
[00:39:56.480 --> 00:40:03.280] Um, and so it's really to solve the biggest problems that are out there in the biggest white space because, like, that makes the most sense for our business.
[00:40:03.280 --> 00:40:09.360] And so, you know, naturally, after we launched cookie dough, people were like, Well, I can't eat cookies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
[00:40:09.360 --> 00:40:13.520] Can you create, you know, pizza dough or pie crust or puff pastry?
[00:40:13.520 --> 00:40:15.280] Those are things I would never make from scratch.
[00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:26.240] And there really isn't like a gluten-free, dairy-free, you know, kind of allergen-free or even just simple good ingredient option that's just sold everywhere at an accessible price point.
[00:40:26.240 --> 00:40:27.760] And it's just really easy to use.
[00:40:27.760 --> 00:40:31.560] And so, we've been working on new products for several years.
[00:40:31.880 --> 00:40:39.400] And last year we launched into the refrigerated puff pastry, pie crust, and pizza dough, and it's starting to get into every major supermarket.
[00:40:39.800 --> 00:40:40.920] And it's just refrigerated.
[00:40:40.920 --> 00:40:50.840] So you just have to like, it's roll it out and then make, you know, pigs in a blanket or Pop-Tarts or apple turnovers or chicken pot pie, whatever you want.
[00:40:50.840 --> 00:40:52.040] And it's really flaky.
[00:40:52.040 --> 00:40:53.640] You would never know it's gluten-free.
[00:40:53.640 --> 00:40:58.360] So I think like this, you know, it's rooted in data.
[00:40:58.360 --> 00:41:04.040] And it's also like, when can we, how long does it take to ideate and then test in our factory?
[00:41:04.040 --> 00:41:05.800] And actually, like, when is it ready to ship?
[00:41:05.960 --> 00:41:10.600] Because we're working on so many other really fun innovations, but they're just not ready to ship yet.
[00:41:10.600 --> 00:41:11.000] Yeah.
[00:41:11.000 --> 00:41:14.360] So it can take years to actually years.
[00:41:14.360 --> 00:41:16.120] And that's why you have to be obsessed.
[00:41:16.120 --> 00:41:21.800] That's why you have to literally be so passionate and obsessed with what you're doing because I would have dropped this years ago.
[00:41:21.800 --> 00:41:28.920] But the fact that like I'm okay waiting another year or two until it's ready, it's just like part of the game.
[00:41:28.920 --> 00:41:29.320] Yeah.
[00:41:29.320 --> 00:41:34.520] And I feel like, of course, in, you know, with foods, everything has to be perfect because people are eating it.
[00:41:34.520 --> 00:41:37.160] So you can't just, you can't just wing it.
[00:41:37.160 --> 00:41:38.760] No, you cannot wing it.
[00:41:38.760 --> 00:41:40.200] Absolutely not.
[00:41:41.160 --> 00:41:48.360] So I feel like I know all about the launch of the puff pastry and everything you're doing because of social media and marketing.
[00:41:48.360 --> 00:41:52.200] And marketing has changed so much over the past decade.
[00:41:52.200 --> 00:41:59.000] What has been your marketing strategy now that you've really leaned into over the past couple of years with all the changes?
[00:41:59.640 --> 00:42:10.760] So we always are kind of figuring out what the right marketing strategy is for Sweet Laurens because every year we're kind of a different business and we're growing and growing to new products.
[00:42:10.760 --> 00:42:19.840] So, for instance, you know, last year we launched, you know, instead of just being cookie dough, we now have, you know, puff pastry and pizza dough and pie crust.
[00:42:19.840 --> 00:42:29.360] And we even launched into shelf stable breakfast biscuits, which are this awesome, crunchy, you know, has four grams of protein and three grams of fiber.
[00:42:29.360 --> 00:42:33.280] It's all whole grain, really yummy, like biscuit that you can.
[00:42:33.360 --> 00:42:35.840] I haven't tried those yet, so I'll be going to Whole Foods this weekend.
[00:42:35.840 --> 00:42:39.040] So it's in the cookie aisle of Whole Foods, and you can also go on Amazon.
[00:42:39.120 --> 00:42:42.000] You can also Amazon it straight to your door.
[00:42:42.160 --> 00:42:46.720] And we have a cinnamon sugar flavor and a chocolate and a blueberry, and they're really, really good.
[00:42:46.720 --> 00:42:48.160] And kids love them too.
[00:42:48.160 --> 00:42:55.280] So they're really great for like, you know, and it's all school safe and just so great for kids, great for adults.
[00:42:55.280 --> 00:42:56.960] And so that's a shelf-stable item.
[00:42:56.960 --> 00:43:03.200] And that's a whole new category for us because like now we're on Amazon where we weren't really with our cookie dough.
[00:43:03.200 --> 00:43:16.800] And so I think we're constantly trying to figure out like how to grow our shelf stable line, you know, as D2C, how to continue to grow brand awareness for our cookie dough and our other products.
[00:43:17.280 --> 00:43:28.880] And so a lot of a lot of what we do in marketing is in-store activations and geo-targeting and really, you know, making sure someone can find our cookie dough in the refrigerated section.
[00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:41.760] But we've also started to just say, like, we're now at this point where let's have a lot of fun with the brand and what can we do that feels authentic, but is really like a fun reason to bring people into the category.
[00:43:41.760 --> 00:43:47.920] And so we launched a Barbie Sweet Lauren's pink heart-shaped cookie dough collab in January.
[00:43:47.920 --> 00:43:51.040] It will be around until June, which is super exciting.
[00:43:51.040 --> 00:43:53.520] And it's actually, we're going to do something again with them next year.
[00:43:53.520 --> 00:43:57.600] So it's like this really cool partnership that's ongoing.
[00:43:57.600 --> 00:44:00.000] But we felt like it's time.
[00:44:00.520 --> 00:44:06.920] What's really interesting about Sweet Laurens is more than half our customers don't shop the cookie dough section.
[00:44:07.240 --> 00:44:15.000] So it's not like they're coming to the cookie dough section every week, but because of Sweet Laurens, they are actually now coming to the cookie dough section.
[00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:26.360] You know, because there was never anything clean and better for you and super high quality or allergen-free, you know, we're also growing this incremental business to the cookie dough category.
[00:44:26.360 --> 00:44:33.640] So I think because of that, we have to think really big and we have to think out there to be able to like just be like, hey guys, come back to this section.
[00:44:33.640 --> 00:44:34.920] It's actually really cool now.
[00:44:34.920 --> 00:44:37.640] Now that we're here, there's actually a good option.
[00:44:37.640 --> 00:44:47.720] And so the Barbie collab, like a lot of retailers just have given us incredible end caps and displays and the packaging, I mean, our color is pink, but so is Barbie.
[00:44:47.720 --> 00:44:51.080] So the packaging is like pink and really pops.
[00:44:51.080 --> 00:45:01.080] And we're doing a give back to a nonprofit called Girls with Impact through with Barbie, with Mattel, with their Dream Gap project.
[00:45:01.080 --> 00:45:16.200] And so we're trying to help support young female entrepreneurs through this and just in general, like empower just fun female empowerment, you know, women and you know, like it's just authentic.
[00:45:16.200 --> 00:45:16.760] It's our story.
[00:45:16.760 --> 00:45:32.040] It's Barbie's from the Barbie movie story, you know, and it's, and just bringing that into everyone's home is a really cool way to kind of like subconsciously or consciously bring these ideas into people's kitchen.
[00:45:32.040 --> 00:45:33.000] No, I love that.
[00:45:33.000 --> 00:45:40.920] We obviously bought the Barbie cookies as soon as we saw it, as soon as you posted on Instagram, I'm like, Molly, because I actually, I didn't want to show her the movie at first.
[00:45:40.920 --> 00:45:42.840] I was like, I wasn't sure if it was going to be appropriate.
[00:45:42.840 --> 00:45:43.480] So then I watched it.
[00:45:43.480 --> 00:45:44.760] I'm like, okay, she's got to see this movie.
[00:45:44.960 --> 00:45:46.400] This is like it.
[00:45:46.720 --> 00:45:49.600] So, what do you have an idea to do a collaboration with Barbie, right?
[00:45:49.600 --> 00:45:52.320] Like, for me, I'm like, that'd be a dream collaboration for entrepreneurs.
[00:45:52.320 --> 00:45:53.040] I'm like, I love it.
[00:45:53.040 --> 00:45:55.360] It's like such, so empowering.
[00:45:55.360 --> 00:46:05.920] How do you go about striking up those conversations with potential business collaborators and any advice you can share with our entrepreneurs who want to collaborate with, you know, vision and mission-aligned brands?
[00:46:05.920 --> 00:46:14.160] Yeah, I would say if you see another brand do it, try to befriend that brand, like learn as much as about the partnership and what it was like working with them.
[00:46:14.160 --> 00:46:17.920] And if you, if they have any contacts and could intro you.
[00:46:17.920 --> 00:46:24.160] And, you know, we were introduced to the people at Mattel and actually they'd never heard of Sweet Lawrence.
[00:46:24.160 --> 00:46:27.280] And that to me was like, this is why we need the Barbie collab.
[00:46:27.280 --> 00:46:29.360] Like we, everyone needs to know about us.
[00:46:29.360 --> 00:46:38.720] And Barbie and Sweet Lawrence are so, it's, you know, the female owned and female empowerment and we're both pink and the joy and it like just makes so much sense.
[00:46:38.720 --> 00:46:44.000] And so we sent them samples, told them the whole story of Sweet Lawrence, showed them a lot of the press we've gotten.
[00:46:44.000 --> 00:46:46.640] And all of a sudden they were like, oh my God, why haven't we heard of this brand?
[00:46:46.640 --> 00:46:49.520] It's so, it's so on-brand Barbie.
[00:46:49.520 --> 00:46:54.560] Because by the way, Barbie loves to bake and Barbie eats mostly plant-based, supposedly.
[00:46:54.560 --> 00:46:57.280] And, you know, it just felt really aligned.
[00:46:57.280 --> 00:46:59.440] And so, you know, they loved it.
[00:46:59.440 --> 00:47:09.120] And listen, there's a lot of brands that just throw the Barbie logo like on their pajamas or towel or, you know, cup.
[00:47:09.120 --> 00:47:11.360] There's so many different ways to collab with a brand.
[00:47:11.360 --> 00:47:14.000] But we wanted to make sure it felt authentic.
[00:47:14.000 --> 00:47:15.280] It was our first collab ever.
[00:47:15.280 --> 00:47:17.680] And so it was a really big one to go first.
[00:47:17.680 --> 00:47:22.240] And we just wanted to have as much impact as possible.
[00:47:22.240 --> 00:47:25.200] So that's why we did a nonprofit associated with it as well.
[00:47:25.200 --> 00:47:29.960] And just was like, let's just make this as impactful and great as possible.
[00:47:29.960 --> 00:47:32.200] And so that's what we've done.
[00:47:29.600 --> 00:47:35.560] And so, you know, and it's a royalty deal.
[00:47:35.720 --> 00:47:37.560] So it's a percentage of our sales.
[00:47:37.560 --> 00:47:51.400] So I think that, you know, there's so many ways to do deals, but and I think the most important thing is to build, make sure your, your business is big enough itself before you kind of go for one of these deals.
[00:47:51.400 --> 00:47:58.360] Because, you know, I think it's a really great way to like grow incremental business.
[00:47:58.360 --> 00:48:01.720] But obviously, you know, it's only here for a limited time.
[00:48:01.720 --> 00:48:03.480] You know, it's here until June and it's gone.
[00:48:03.480 --> 00:48:17.720] So like I want to make sure that like those customers that hopefully we get new are then going to go check out our chocolate chunk cookie dough or our sugar cookie or, you know, our other normal flavors and really kind of join the brand.
[00:48:17.720 --> 00:48:25.640] And so, you know, I think it's just really important to like really know who your customers are, really build that base, be easy to find, really make sure you have product market fit.
[00:48:25.640 --> 00:48:33.080] So when you pour kind of like an exciting clab on top, it just helps ignite it even more.
[00:48:33.320 --> 00:48:36.280] But it's not like the reason your business is successful.
[00:48:36.280 --> 00:48:39.000] Yeah, no, that's such a helpful tip.
[00:48:39.320 --> 00:48:48.120] Knowing what you know now building this huge business, is there something you wish you knew when you were first starting that you know right now?
[00:48:49.400 --> 00:48:56.360] I feel like with Sweet Laurens, I was early to market, and that's exhausting.
[00:48:56.360 --> 00:49:03.960] You know, it's like really hard to be early to market and, you know, have the patience to wait around.
[00:49:03.960 --> 00:49:14.440] So, what I feel like could have maybe sped up that time is really hiring like the best team possible in the early days.
[00:49:14.440 --> 00:49:20.000] Like, I think I tried to get away with as little of a team as possible.
[00:49:20.320 --> 00:49:24.960] And really, what I've seen, the magic that a really experienced team can pull off is incredible.
[00:49:24.960 --> 00:49:28.160] And it's helped us grow so exponentially over the last couple of years.
[00:49:28.160 --> 00:49:33.600] So, bringing on that really experienced culture-fit team.
[00:49:33.600 --> 00:49:42.560] And I think finding data, buying data, whatever you need to do to help make sure you're making smart decisions for your business.
[00:49:42.560 --> 00:49:44.960] Like, data has changed our business.
[00:49:44.960 --> 00:49:48.880] And so, it's not just us guessing, it's not just instincts.
[00:49:48.880 --> 00:49:52.960] And I think those are two things that have helped us grow exponentially.
[00:49:52.960 --> 00:49:55.200] And I just wish I did this five years ago.
[00:49:55.200 --> 00:49:55.840] Yeah.
[00:49:55.840 --> 00:50:04.160] When did you, I know you mentioned you brought on an angel investor seven or eight years ago, but when did you realize you needed to bring on capital to really be able to scale the business?
[00:50:04.160 --> 00:50:12.400] Well, I got into all public supermarkets, then all Kroger supermarkets, and all of a sudden, we were going to be like a multi-million dollar business and have national distribution.
[00:50:12.400 --> 00:50:14.480] And one, you can't mess those relationships up.
[00:50:14.800 --> 00:50:15.920] I knew we had to deliver.
[00:50:15.920 --> 00:50:20.400] I knew I needed to hire a really great team to manage those accounts.
[00:50:20.400 --> 00:50:24.000] Like, we just went from such a small business to like a national business.
[00:50:24.000 --> 00:50:30.640] And so, um, I brought on an angel investor, and um, that's also my mentor.
[00:50:30.640 --> 00:50:38.720] And so, we created a deal where it wasn't just about you know, the angel investment, it was about mentoring me weekly and really helping me grow into a top CEO.
[00:50:39.040 --> 00:50:41.520] And so, that was the deal.
[00:50:41.520 --> 00:50:45.600] And, and then, truly, like, we became profitable that year.
[00:50:45.600 --> 00:51:08.760] And so, I didn't really need the cash so much, but it was more, it was more having what I needed to build the team I needed and having enough cushion in the bank that I could actually go to sleep at night and that we weren't just like so touch and go because that was so stressful for so long.
[00:51:09.560 --> 00:51:13.160] But I didn't build a business like, oh my God, let's use all that money tomorrow.
[00:51:13.160 --> 00:51:19.480] It was really like the safety net and to use, to use it for things necessary.
[00:51:19.480 --> 00:51:22.600] And it really made us focus on being profitable.
[00:51:22.600 --> 00:51:26.600] And, you know, I'm just really proud of last, we've been profitable for the last eight years.
[00:51:26.600 --> 00:51:30.920] And I never had to raise big VC or private equity money because of that.
[00:51:30.920 --> 00:51:39.240] And so I think like that's, that's, that's been a great part of our success.
[00:51:39.560 --> 00:51:46.040] I have to ask, because I ask everyone this question, because I'm always looking to learn all the best business tools and solutions that everyone is using.
[00:51:46.040 --> 00:51:48.120] So what are all your go-tos?
[00:51:48.120 --> 00:51:49.400] What apps are you using?
[00:51:49.400 --> 00:51:50.040] What tools?
[00:51:50.040 --> 00:51:51.480] Tell me all the things.
[00:51:51.480 --> 00:51:55.160] So like, I'm not a crazy, you know, apps person.
[00:51:55.160 --> 00:52:01.000] I think to me, I actually think like phone conversations are the most important thing.
[00:52:01.000 --> 00:52:03.000] Like, so we're a completely remote team.
[00:52:03.000 --> 00:52:08.040] So I would say Microsoft Teams like keeps us super connected.
[00:52:08.040 --> 00:52:22.520] And, you know, we, we every Friday, you know, the top kind of emails that come in get posted, emails or messages of just like, you know, brand love, like whatever a customer has said.
[00:52:22.520 --> 00:52:25.000] So things like that get shot out to the whole team.
[00:52:25.000 --> 00:52:31.080] And we're all, you know, I just think it re-energizes everyone and reminds everyone like the impact that we have and why the work is important.
[00:52:31.080 --> 00:52:38.840] And then, you know, it's just a great way to stay super in touch, you know, with your team, especially being remote.
[00:52:38.840 --> 00:52:47.200] And, you know, I think that we, but, you know, I think people are exhausted on Zoom or, you know, video calls every day.
[00:52:47.520 --> 00:52:54.720] And so I just try to like pick up the phone and have like a phone conversation as much as possible and stay just like human and connected.
[00:52:54.720 --> 00:52:55.920] Yeah, I love that.
[00:52:55.920 --> 00:52:59.200] Lauren, what is your biggest business secret?
[00:52:59.840 --> 00:53:05.520] I think my biggest business secret is maybe two things.
[00:53:05.520 --> 00:53:09.200] I think I'm like deliriously optimistic.
[00:53:09.200 --> 00:53:19.200] And so I think because I spent enough time with customers and seeing the real need in the market, you know, it's not just like pie in the sky.
[00:53:19.200 --> 00:53:21.360] Like I like, I see it, I feel it.
[00:53:21.360 --> 00:53:33.920] And I've internalized that to give me this like endless energy to kind of believe in what Sweet Lawrence can be and the good it can do and then the how much it's needed nationally.
[00:53:33.920 --> 00:53:41.440] So, you know, there's nothing that's like too, too big to dream of for the company.
[00:53:41.440 --> 00:53:46.240] Like I just keep pushing the envelope because I have that deep conviction inside.
[00:53:46.240 --> 00:53:52.000] So I think that's a special trait that the founder visionary can bring.
[00:53:52.000 --> 00:54:00.000] And so, you know, I make sure I bring that in because, um, and I'd say what's connected to that is very calculated risks.
[00:54:00.000 --> 00:54:04.640] You know, I don't feel, I know people say that like, you know, entrepreneurs are such risk takers.
[00:54:04.640 --> 00:54:06.720] I actually don't really feel that way.
[00:54:06.720 --> 00:54:31.160] You know, I can't guarantee, I can't predict the future, but we have such, we make such calculated decisions and risks now where, of course, I listen to my gut, I listen to consumers, but we look at a ton of data, we listen to everyone on our team, you know, and we, and so, you know, just making sure that you do all the homework and research necessary to make those big, you know, guesses.
[00:54:29.840 --> 00:54:36.440] And that way, it's really not risky, you're just kind of like building the future.
[00:54:36.760 --> 00:54:38.120] Yeah, I know, I love that.
[00:54:38.120 --> 00:54:42.120] Last question for you, Lauren: What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?
[00:54:43.400 --> 00:54:55.800] It means using my unique gifts and talents to change the world and make products that speak to me as a female.
[00:54:56.440 --> 00:55:04.040] And, you know, I think being in the food industry, over 80% of shoppers and supermarkets are women.
[00:55:04.040 --> 00:55:10.280] And so when I started in the industry, it's still male-dominated, but it was definitely male-dominated then.
[00:55:10.280 --> 00:55:16.600] And a lot of people didn't take me seriously as a young, first-time entrepreneur and female.
[00:55:16.920 --> 00:55:31.160] But I always just would tell myself, like, I have a better chance at figuring out what a young female wants to buy more than some big company or even a guy necessarily, because I am the customer.
[00:55:31.160 --> 00:55:44.440] So, you know, I'm going to put blinders on to what the rest of the industry looks like and just have that deep belief in myself that I actually bring a really unique way of looking at things.
[00:55:44.440 --> 00:55:46.840] And it's very authentic to our industry.
[00:55:46.840 --> 00:55:48.840] And so that's a huge strength.
[00:55:48.840 --> 00:55:51.480] And I'm not going to let anyone else tell me differently.
[00:55:51.800 --> 00:55:55.400] Well, it is seriously just so incredible all you've accomplished.
[00:55:55.400 --> 00:55:57.880] I literally just feel so proud.
[00:55:57.880 --> 00:56:00.760] And every time I go, literally, I'm in Kofus every single week.
[00:56:00.760 --> 00:56:02.760] And I literally think of you every single week.
[00:56:02.760 --> 00:56:06.280] I'm sure so many people think of you every day when they're in the supermarket.
[00:56:06.280 --> 00:56:10.360] So, everything you have done is just wonderful.
[00:56:10.360 --> 00:56:13.960] And you are literally changing the world one cookie at a time.
[00:56:13.960 --> 00:56:18.960] And I'm just so honored to know you and have you share this journey with the world.
[00:56:19.280 --> 00:56:21.920] Where can everyone find you, follow you?
[00:56:21.920 --> 00:56:25.840] For those who haven't tested or tried Sweet Lawrence, you guys all need to go buy them right now.
[00:56:25.840 --> 00:56:28.080] Go to your grocery store, or where can everyone go find you?
[00:56:28.080 --> 00:56:28.720] Share all the links.
[00:56:28.720 --> 00:56:30.640] We'll link out to everything in the show notes.
[00:56:30.640 --> 00:56:31.680] You're so awesome.
[00:56:31.680 --> 00:56:34.160] And I just have to say the same.
[00:56:34.160 --> 00:56:45.040] I've been watching you, you know, we both started at the same time, and you're just such a supporter of female entrepreneurship and empowering females and everyone telling their story and everyone has their own story.
[00:56:45.040 --> 00:56:48.080] And so, you know, I'm just so proud of you guys too.
[00:56:48.400 --> 00:57:00.160] Sweet Laurens, you can find us, our cookie dough and our puff pastry and pizza dough and pie crust in the refrigerated dough section of your local grocery store, Whole Foods Kroger, Target Publix, et cetera.
[00:57:00.160 --> 00:57:04.240] You can throw your zip code into our store locator on sweetlawrence.com.
[00:57:04.240 --> 00:57:06.960] It's sweetloarens.com.
[00:57:06.960 --> 00:57:12.400] Just so you can see what stores near you carry what products of ours.
[00:57:12.400 --> 00:57:21.440] And we have these new breakfast biscuits that are available on Amazon and also in the cookie section of Whole Foods and a bunch of other supermarkets.
[00:57:21.440 --> 00:57:26.320] And you can follow Sweet Lawrence on Instagram and TikTok and Facebook, sweet L-O-R-E-N-S.
[00:57:26.320 --> 00:57:27.600] And I'm Lauren B.
[00:57:27.600 --> 00:57:34.240] Castle, L-O-R-E-N-B Castle on Instagram if you want to stay in touch too.
[00:57:34.560 --> 00:57:41.040] All right, everyone, go ahead to the show notes right now, tap all the links, go shop Sweet Lawrence, and go connect with Lauren.
[00:57:41.040 --> 00:57:43.760] I promise you, these cookies and everything is absolutely delicious.
[00:57:43.760 --> 00:57:47.440] And I'm going to actually go order the biscuits on Amazon right now as soon as we finish recording.
[00:57:47.440 --> 00:57:49.240] So thank you again.
[00:57:49.120 --> 00:57:50.280] Thanks.
[00:57:50.880 --> 00:57:51.280] Yes.
[00:57:51.280 --> 00:57:52.320] Oh, cinnamon sugar.
[00:57:52.320 --> 00:57:52.560] Okay.
[00:57:52.560 --> 00:57:54.240] Or I'm ordering right after this.
[00:57:54.240 --> 00:57:55.680] Thank you again, Lauren.
[00:57:55.680 --> 00:57:56.400] I'm Stephanie.
[00:57:56.400 --> 00:57:59.640] And this is the best business meeting I've ever had.
[00:58:01.240 --> 00:58:02.600] Hi, Entrepreneurs.
[00:57:59.120 --> 00:58:03.480] It's Steph here.
[00:58:03.640 --> 00:58:10.680] And I hope today's episode has left you feeling inspired and with some actionable tips that you can apply to your own business.
[00:58:10.680 --> 00:58:18.040] The way we've grown our community and resources is by sharing content like this for years and asking for help along the way.
[00:58:18.040 --> 00:58:23.560] So here's where we need your help so we can continue to make as much impact as possible together.
[00:58:23.560 --> 00:58:33.320] If you can leave us a five-star review and extra credit if you share this episode on Instagram, LinkedIn, or DM it to a founder friend who would benefit from hearing it.
[00:58:33.320 --> 00:58:40.680] Not only would it mean the world to us, but you sharing this episode is going to help someone who just may need to hear what we share today.
[00:58:40.680 --> 00:58:43.720] And you know I love nothing more than giveaways and prizes.
[00:58:43.720 --> 00:58:50.440] So every month I'll be giving away a one-on-one session with me to someone who has shared the episode and left a review.
[00:58:50.440 --> 00:58:53.320] So send me a personal DM over on Instagram.
[00:58:53.320 --> 00:58:58.200] I'm at Steph Jill Carton once you've done it so you can be entered to win.
[00:58:58.200 --> 00:59:03.880] Wishing you a productive week ahead and stay tuned for another impactful episode next week.