Today we’d like to introduce you to Karissa Todd.
Hi Karissa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Thanks to a delicious family recipe, sugar cookies always have been one of my family’s favorite holiday treats. I often made our sugar cookies for friends and colleagues and received rave reviews over the years.
In 2018 I was ready for a change from my corporate job. I had already taken a step into entrepreneurship in 2011 when I started my solo corporate communication freelance business, but was ready for a new challenge. At the time a friend suggested I should sell my cookies. In the back of my mind I had always thought it might be fun to have a bakery, so with that little nudge I launched Sugar Cookie Bliss as a part-time home-based business in November 2018. Within weeks I was hooked and knew that’s what I wanted to do full time. But it was definitely a journey. I am very risk adverse, so I took small steps to get where we are today.
First, I had to learn how to decorate cookies. LOL. I have always loved baking and knew our recipe was delicious, but knew nothing about cookie decorating. Most decorated cookies are royal icing, so I looked at cake decorating and thought of how I could blend ideas and concepts from both to create a unique product that would work well with my family recipe to create delicious and beautiful cookies.
Eventually, I was able let go of the corporate communication work and transition to cookies full time. Renamed the business Cookie Bliss KC, moved first to a shared commercial kitchen at a church, added employees, and in November 2023 moved into a retail space and opened our storefront at 3518 NE Vivion Rd.
Today, I have the most amazing team of decorators and bakery assistants I get to collaborate with every day. While I mostly focus on managing the business, they do the majority of the decorating, and all of the baking now.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Overall, I have been fortunate with amazing support and resources, but there have definitely been challenges. I had never worked in the food industry, so that was a big learning curve, and opening the storefront was a daunting undertaking. Finding a contractor, negotiating a lease, figuring out policies and permits… there are so many challenges in running the business that are not specific to baking and decorating cookies! Trying to find affordable supplies, managing expenses to be profitable and create a sustainable business – the same challenges every small business owner faces.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Cookie Bliss KC?
Helping you connect and celebrate, we make special moments a little sweeter.
We specialize in sugar cookie gifts and desserts for any occasion. Made in small batches from a family recipe, we are known for:
-Soft sugar cookies
-Delicious buttercream frosting
-Beautiful everyday, holiday and custom designs
A selection of cookies are available for walk-in purchase in our Northland storefront 9-5 Wednesday-Friday and 9-2 Saturday, but pre-orders from CookieBlissKC.com and custom orders make up the majority of our business. For custom orders, we specialize in working with organizations of all sizes to help them bring their brand to life for events, and customer and employee appreciation gifts, as well as help customers celebrate bridal and baby showers, birthdays and much more.
We only do sugar cookies, and take orders of all sizes, from half dozen to more than 100 dozen.
We deliver across the KC metro area, and ship in the contiguous states.
We also offer a gluten-friendly option. We recently adapted our signature recipe into a recipe free of gluten. These cookies are made on shared equipment in our shop, so they could contain trace amounts of wheat/barley flour, but we are excited to offer this new option for our customers.
We do not use peanuts or tree nuts as an ingredient in our cookies, so there are no nuts in our shop, but some of our ingredients are manufactured in facilities where nuts are used.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success for me is multi-faceted and evolves. When I first started the business, I defined success as being able to do cookies full time and pay myself something each month. Very quickly “success” became having a storefront. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished, but I’m constantly looking at what we can improve and how we can grow. On one hand, we are making people’s celebrations and special moments a little sweeter, helping spread smiles every day – that alone is success in my mind. And knowing that we have THE MOST AMAZING collaborative, talented team working hard every day feels like success. Defining success going forward is getting expenses in line and increasing revenue to remain a profitable and sustainable business. How do we grow while still maintaining quality. How do we hire more employees, but not lose our “family at work” feel. At this point, achieving those goals will feel like success. Three years from now, I’m sure I’ll have a new definition. Really, just taking the steps to achieve a goal or dream – that’s success. Even if the business only lasts a couple years, success is working hard, trying and doing it all with integrity. It doesn’t have to mean you created a multi-million dollar, 20-year old business. There are so many more ways to be successful that are personal and meaningful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://CookieBlissKC.com
- Instagram: @CookieBlissKC
- Facebook: @CookieBlissKC
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/73874268/admin/dashboard/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karissatodd/
