ZEINAB FOUDA
May 30, 2024
If you do not live under a rock, you definitely have indulged @thecookievore at least once in a lifetime.
Maybe it satiated your sweet tooth, came through on a tough day or even made your loved ones happy.
We spoke to Zainab Fouda, Founder of “The Cookievore”, and today you get to find out if her journey’s been sweet as her treats, and how her urge to make her loved ones happy led up to her building a local cookie empire!
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Zeinab, do you remember the first cookie recipe you ever followed?
Oh, yes!
It was my first ever cooking elective class from 8th grade!
It was a recipe by Mrs. Faeda, my Jordanian cooking class teacher.
It was definitely the seed that started it all!
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In what ways do you think people can spread more love & joy?
By genuinely caring about people and noticing the little things that make them happy, be it food, compliments, hugs, sharing, storytelling …
I believe that food prepared from a place of love really holds a special value that can really be sensed.
Preparing food for your loved ones is definitely a love language!
Walk me through the time you decided to quit your former job up until you had the epiphany of starting Cookievore.
This might come as a surprise but I had no prior planning whatsoever. As a student, I used to bake cakes, cookies, and sandwiches for my colleagues. It allowed me to experiment in the kitchen, and it made people happy to eat my offerings! So I just kept developing recipes for those very two reasons without the foresight of ever turning it into a business.
After graduating I worked as a full time teaching assistant in college, but that didn’t really fulfill my creative needs, and I was truly miserable, so I quit. There were definitely some societal norms that I broke by doing a career shift but I just followed my heart and what truly mattered to me. I then worked as a food stylist for a bit while also developing my cookie recipe because I always saw room for improvement. I knew in my heart that food styling was just a transit stop for me and not a destination so again, I quit. Incidentally, I’ve been getting rave reviews about my cookies that I used to feed anyone and everyone at any gathering or occasion.
A lot friends/ family encouraged me to start selling them on instagram and so I decided to just go with it! Designed the logo and came up with a packaging design and name and things picked up from there!
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Assessing the local market currently, in 2024, is it possible for entrepreneurs to break through the market with amateur skills & a one-man show strategy, given the competition?
Certainly!
That’s how I first did it. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to stay consistent and take it one step at a time. Learn as you go.
Learning is key for entrepreneurship.
I used to be the baker, media agent, customer support, content creator and courier when I first started.
As long as you bring your true self to the table and not cut corners, then you’ll most likely make it.
Entrepreneurship vs. The Corporate life
To each their pros and cons but, in my experience, entrepreneurship really feeds into my need for building things from scratch, and turning my vision into tangible things that can be savored.
A corporate job honestly stifled my creative freedom, but is a lot more stable. Entrepreneurship is risky but “with great risk, comes great reward” and it’s definitely a lot more fulfilling.
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What’s your favorite Cookievore cookie?
It’s gotta be the Original Chunk Cookie!
It’s my first ever cookie to sell.
It has both dark and milk chocolate mixed in with my signature brown butter dough. It’s the true OG and holds a very special place in my heart!
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Do you plan on expanding your product range?
Yes!
I’m looking forward to developing and releasing new baked items besides cookies and exploring the savory realm too.
Stay tuned.
Walk me through the toughest phase for Cookievore.
The toughest phase was definitely right after I first started, when all the orders were piling up, and I had expended all my energy and was sleep deprived. Quitting was too tempting.
Luckily, my family got my back and my siblings decided to join Cookievore full time.
It wouldn’t have been possible without them!
I’m truly grateful for them and everything they had done to grow Cookievore.
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How do you regularly find the headspace & time for creativity & play as you run an ever-growing business?
Delegation!
Realizing that it’s not a one-man show any more,
and that it’s actually damaging for both the business and myself to do everything myself.
Pick your trusted team and delegate the tasks to them while offering guidance.
Taking much needed breaks is also vital to the growth and continuity of the business and helps me avoid burnout.
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Golden Tips:
One golden tip on dealing with angry customers is to actively listen to their concerns without interrupting.
Let them vent their frustrations while showing empathy and understanding.
This helps them feel heard and can often defuse the situation.
One golden tip on reinforcing employee loyalty is that employee loyalty can be achieved through creating a positive work environment where employees feel valued, respected, and recognized for their contributions and hard work.