We recently had the chance to connect with Kaitlin Lankford and have shared our conversation below.
Kaitlin, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
The most misunderstood part about my business is the time and cost to produce custom decorated cookies. It takes me around 10 hours, give or take, to produce two dozen custom cookies. It takes the custom ingredients, cookie cutters, piping bags, food coloring, packaging and many other tools to bake and decorate the cookies. The sticker shock of custom cookies can be intense, but most custom cookie makers are in the business for the love of the art because it is very difficult to charge what our time is worth.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Kaitlin Lankford, and my hobby of decorating sugar cookies during Covid accidentally turned into a business within a couple of months in 2020! Kate’s Cookie Co. was built in my home kitchen from kind friends and family asking me to decorate cookies for their special events, and when the words started to spread, I was shocked and so thrilled to be able to create edible works of art for all kinds of occasions! I have been a stay at home mom since 2014, and it felt so good to be able to have a creative outlet that could bless my family as as well as so many others. I’ve learned a lot in these past five years. Not only with baking and decorating, but also in how to balance work and home. I actually shut down my business for a little while because the joy was gone. I was working long hours into the night, and wasn’t the mom that I wanted to be for my kids or the wife I wanted to be for my husband, so I took a step back while I re-prioritized my life. I’m so thankful to be back in it and enjoying the process again! I’ve been able to create custom cookies for weddings, baby showers, birthdays, surgeries, holidays, funerals, retirements, and so many cookies “just because”!
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
My dad is the hardest worker that I know. He was a Chick-fil-A operator for over 35 years, and I saw how he not only worked in his business, but how he impacted people through his work. He developed leaders, he was generous with his time and talents, he impacted the community, he had integrity in everything he did, he was humble in fixing mistakes and misunderstandings, and he was joyful in working hard. The other thing that he taught me in work was that our family came first. He could have a horrible day at work and come home and give us the biggest hugs and be happy to see us kids and play with us and ask about school. He was at every concert, game, and special event for us, and we always knew that our family came first. I’m so thankful that I have his example in my life!
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Definitely the fear of failure. There have been many things in my life that I haven’t even attempted because I’m so afraid that I will fail at them. Since turning 40, that fear is slowly fading and I am finding some more courage, but I definitely still struggle with that more than any other fear.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
I would say that the public version of myself is the real me for the most part. My values, my compassion, my interest in others, my love for family, and the things that matter most are the real me in public and private. I have always been a very open person and a chronic oversharer, so most people, even if they’ve only met me for a few minutes, know the true version of myself. The main thing that is different is that I am more confident in public than I actually feel. I second-guess myself and I’m very hard on myself when I am alone.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I think about this probably more than I should. I hope that people tell about my love for God and how that radiated to my love for others. I hope that I’m remembered for being kind, empathetic, generous, a good friend, and I especially hope that my children and my husband remember me as being a good wife and mother. I hope that my story is about how I impacted people for the glory of God.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @kates.cookie.co
- Facebook: @kates.cookie.co
