The Spirit of the Organization

Now that we've been up and running for a few weeks it's time to take a moment to look back and see what we've learned so far:

1. There's so much more to this operation than just baking cookies.  We've been making a real effort to reach out to each and every person that has supported the organization in its earliest stages to let them know how much we appreciate them and to solicit feedback on how we can keep improving things.
2. No matter how hard you plan things, there are always a few kinks to work out in operations.  When we first decided to open our doors in early October we were hesitant as we expected there to be fewer orders in October than in November or December.  We didn't want to launch too early and have our potential customers forget about us by November, when they really want to use us.  However, opening early proved to be a blessing in disguise as we were able to catch some key operational glitches and potential bottlenecks early - before things really heat up. 
3. Patience, patience, patience.  We have to keep ourselves from checking for new orders every five minutes, as inevitably, we'll be disappointed.  We'll admit it, a part of us lights up every time we receive an order and wishes that we would get a new order very five minutes!  However, it IS still early in the Holiday Baking Season!  We have to remind ourselves not to judge our success by where we stand today, but by how this organization thrives over the next few months.
   

Batter Up!

I don't know if any of you have been checking out the packages and assortments section of the website, but if you do or have, you'll notice that there's a "Batter Up" package to celebrate Baseball Playoffs. If you watched that Twins/Tigers game last night, then like me, you may be hoping that we're in for some exciting games this post season.

So why the "Batter Up" package rather than "Kick Off" or "Puck Off" package? Okay, that last one didn't come out right. Well, growing up in St. Louis lead to the inevitable fact that baseball has a special place in my heart. Many of you may be familiar with this fact, that St. Louis is a baseball town, bleeds Cardinal Red, and stands by their team through thick and thin. But in reality, it's not just about a team or a game, it's about an organization and game that actually unites us as a community.

When I was growing up, I was lucky enough to get to live with both my parents AND grandparents. Grandma was a huge baseball fan. She had two favorite stories. One was the time she played hooky from work to watch a day game between the Browns and the Cardinals during the 1944 World Series. The next day she was caught by her boss when she showed up with a sunburn.

Officially Open for Business

Well, as many of you may have seen, based on my emails last evening, Silver Lining Cookies is now officially open for business! I'm a ball of nerves and quite honestly alternating between two fearsome scenarios.

Scenario A, no one orders any cookies. After all the website building, cookie baking, recipe tweaking and sample shipments, no one wants to order anything from Silver Lining Cookies. We just fade quietly into the night...

Scenario B: everyone orders cookies and I run out of hours of the day/night to bake and fill orders. Then everyone gets angry that it takes too long to get their cookies, talks about what a terrible company Silver Lining Cookies is, and no one ever orders from us again...

Regardless, as of right now, can only deal in what ifs and maybes. Only time will tell what really happens! As we move forward, I promise to keep you updated on how things are progressing!

The Birth of Silver Lining Cookies

Starting a business and preparing for the birth of a child share many similarities. There seems to be a list of to-dos that have to be completed before either can happen:

Birth: Nursery in place? Check! Baby Clothes in the closet? Check! Diapers on hand? Check! Doctor visits? Check!

Starting a Business: Website up? Check! Paypal working? Check! Ingredients on hand? Check! Shipping logistics figured out? Check!

As with expectant parents, we're rapidly crossing things off the to-do list before the official opening of Silver Lining Cookies this weekend! To be honest, some times I can't believe that this business is really going to come into being...and it all started with one little question, the eternal question, What Do You Want to Do With Your Life? It's one of those questions that can be both liberating and frustrating at the same time. For some reason, it's ascribed to that period in your life between the ages of 14 and 18 and then bam! you enter University and you're supposed to have the answer and be on the "path". Well, here I am, approaching 30 and just NOW beginning to understand the validity, weight and importance of actually ADDRESSING that question, rather than AVOIDING it at all costs!

So how did I figure out that opening a cookie business was part of my life's purpose? As with all things, there's no clear cut answer. However, there were a few hints over time that lead me to be where I am today.