Sue Kakuk is the Founder and CEO of Kakookies, a better-for-you grab-n-go cookie for your busy and active lifestyle. Sue carefully crafted her plant-based cookies after she noticed that her daughter and her cycling teammates were stopping at Dunkin Donuts before and after the races. Her simple mission was to pack the nutrition of an energy bar with the deliciousness and comfort of a cookie—which is why she calls it a cookie reimagined.
As a former YMCA camp counselor, Sue credits some of her cooking skills to summers of cooking over open campfires. She is also a two-time Pillsbury Bake-Off finalist and has participated in other contests held by Newman's Own, Post Selects, and Cooking Light, among others.
Sue talks about her inspiration for making healthy cookies and how she found the right recipes to try
How Sue created her Kakookies brand and went commercial
What is a flow wrap machine?
Sue talks about the challenges of being a different cookie brand and why she decided to sell in conventional retail stores
Where to find more information about Kakookies and how the company was impacted by COVID-19
Sue's advice for negotiating with co-manufacturers and how she got them to work with her
Kakookie’s marketing strategies and the benefits of e-commerce and sampling
How has Kakookies evolved since its founding?
Sue talks about her biggest challenge growing Kakookies—and how she handled it
Many athletes looking for a source of energy before or after practice will walk into a retail store and buy any sugar-rich snack they find to fuel their bodies. They often don't read the labels to verify the ingredients, but for those who do, finding a snack that is not only delicious but healthy can be a challenge.
When Sue Kakuk found out that her daughter, a cyclist, was eating doughnuts with her teammates before heading to races and on her way back, she did what any concerned mother would do: she baked. Sue made healthy and energy-boosting cookie recipes and gifted them to her daughter, who shared them with her friends. The cookies were a hit, sparking a business idea for Sue.
In this week's episode of the NexxtLevel Podcast, Sue Kakuk joins G. Steven Cleere to talk about the story behind Kakookies and how she grew the business to serve not just athletes but anyone interested in healthy eating. She talks about the different ingredients she uses in her cookies, the benefits of running an e-commerce business, and her advice for finding and working with co-manufacturers.
