When we are kids, we are told to dream big. We are told that anything is possible. But with age, we can lose sight of those childhood dreams and passions as the obstacles of the real world start to stand in our way. But for Kristen Tomlan her persistence and creativity fueled her to turn her childhood passion into a blossoming company that sells cookie dough by the scoop.
The idea for Cookie DŌ was brought to fruition when Kristen Tomlan and her girlfriends were sitting in the backseat of a car and passing around a tub of cookie dough. “Why isn’t this a thing?” Tomlan wondered, thus bringing about an eggless edible cookie dough company that has taken the New York City dessert scene by storm and generated national acclaim.
One of the key factors in Cookie DŌ’s rapid success is their strong marketing strategy and colorful Instagram presence. “Since opening our store, we’ve used Instagram as a primary communication platform,” Tomlan said.
The account @cookiedonyc boasts 107k followers and features mouth-watering photos with captions that often includes catchy “DŌ” puns. Additionally, a factor in creating the physical store was the idea of creating an Instagrammable space, featuring bright neon signs that say “dreams dough come true,” colorful polkadots and of course the cookie dough itself is the star of the show.
Since its debut in January, there have been thousands of mouthwatering posts featuring their signature cookie dough, just adding to the hype and popularity of the company. When I discovered the brand two years ago, it was through their colorful display that appeared on my Instagram “discover” page. Since then, I have become obsessed and have followed the company’s journey over the past two years, inspired by Tomlan’s perseverance and creativity. We can all learn from the story behind the cookie dough and how Tomlan made her dream into a reality.
In the process of creating Cookie DŌ, Tomlan was not afraid of trying new things. She sought to create a product that people would genuinely enjoy and that would speak for itself. With this determined mindset, Tomlan spent hours in the kitchen experimenting with different mix-ins and discovering the perfect combination of ingredients to develop each flavor. Now with 25 flavors on the menu, she has perfected her craft. For the month of March, she developed three special flavors including Pot of DŌ (sugar cookie + lucky rainbow marshmallow bits), Coconut Caramel Delight ( signature + coconut caramel fudge cookies) and traditional Cake Batter with green and yellow sprinkles (cake batter + white chips + chocolate chips + sprinkles). Tomlan’s personal favorite flavor (and mine too!) is called Heavenly. Let me tell you, it definitely lives up to the name. Its base is the classic sugar cookie dough layered with Nutella, sea salt, caramel bits and chocolate chips. The store also offers other products including the “ice cream SanDŌwich,” cookie DŌ milkshakes and other treats such as cookie dough cupcakes and brownies.
If you live in New York City, you’ve probably seen the lines that stretch down the entire block of La Guardia Place. If people are waiting upwards of three hours in the 20 degree New York weather, you know the product is good. It’s hard to believe that the company began from Tolman and her husband’s Brooklyn Heights apartment. Now, the shop sells 1,200 lbs of cookie dough a day and is so popular that their online store is temporarily witholding online orders due to overwhelming demand. In lieu of International Women’s Day, we can draw inspiration from Tomlan’s grit, work ethic, persistence and creativity in creating a national phenomenon from her childhood love.
For young women entrepreneurs, Tomlan advises: “Follow your passion. It is that simple. Go after your dreams, follow your gut and be prepared to work harder than anyone else.”
No matter what your dream is, go after it and like Tomlan, let’s make the world a sweeter place.