Prologue:
Since this blog was originally published we’ve gained some fans and some readers…we thought it was worth re-visiting, especially since the Juggle for Hunger event is tomorrow at CNU. Read through to the epilogue for what’s changed since this post…;)
I lost both of my parents at a fairly young age, so I find myself very adhered to men and women I respect who are older than I. I’m not quite sure if I’m looking more for guidance or approval, but that’s okay, it might not matter.
One of the people that I have grown to respect as wiser and more worldly is my middle son’s soccer coach, Steve Shaw. He’s a soccer Guru. He can spot a player with potential and coach them into a true asset to any team.
There’s more than that to Coach Shaw, though. Steve Shaw is a believer. Not just in our youth. He’s a believer in God and His goodness. Coach Shaw believes that if we all give a bit more of ourselves than we are now, then the world as a whole will improve.
See, Coach Shaw is well-traveled. Me, not so much. I work to make a little impact nearby, but Coach Shaw has his sights set on China and places I’ll likely never see. I guess that’s where trust comes in. When someone you respect asks you for something, you have to trust them.
I know nothing about China. I have many abilities, but the dynamics of world politics, poverty issues, and how I could possibly have a role in them is not one of them.
The Challenge
It was March 15th. We were at a soccer tournament in Prince William County. Hanging out in the lobby at the Hampton Inn, and Coach Shaw asked, “Can you make a $5 cookie?”
As part of his initiative called Juggle for Hunger, Coach Shaw was hosting a Collegiate exhibition soccer game between Christopher Newport University and William & Mary. All the funds from the event were going to benefit his mission work in China. We could sell the cookies at the game.
Well, a CookieText® cookie cake retails for $25, and even a bag of CookieBites™ is $12. So a $5 cookie cake was a challenge.
To make a long story short, we came up with a $5 cookie. We call them our Emoti-Cookie®, because they are the perfect size for an emoticon. We made 250 of them for Coach Shaw and sold them at the CNU vs. William & Mary soccer game.
We gave them to Coach at cost (true cost, not labor). So every bit of money made went to his mission work. When the exhibition game ended and we had leftovers we brought them to his church the next morning so that his peers could offer donations to his cause in exchange for an Emoti-Cookie®.
When all was said and done, we almost tripled Coach’s investment. Which is great. But that is not the point.
The Result
“Can you make a $5 cookie?” That question completely altered our business.
Our desire to help someone we respected resulted in a major payoff.
We expanded our product line. We now offer the cutest little homemade, hand-delivered $5 cookie cake you will ever find. We sell them by the 6-pack to make them deliverable. They are a huge hit. They are adorable and irresistible. They are just right.
Our signature item, the CookieText® cookie cake, is the backbone of our brand. It is the foundation of the company.
But the question, “Can you make a $5 cookie cake?” resulted in the development of a product that, in keeping with the brand, offers a bang for the consumer’s buck while increasing the number of potential customers who receive our product. More people get one, more people like one, more people learn about Cookie Text, visit our website, and hopefully purchase our CookieText® cookie cake products.
So, yes. We can make a $5 cookie cake. For all the right reasons. Great product. Fair price. Thanks, Coach Shaw, for the challenge.
Epilogue:
Coach Shaw has moved on to become my youngest son’s coach and we just learned that he coach my middle son’s team again beginning in the fall.
April 14th marks CookieText’s 5th year sponsoring Juggle for Hunger. Our business has grown such we no longer ask Shaw to cover our costs. Last year we switched over to bags of CookieBites and they were a hit, so that’s what we’ve done again this year.
Come see CNU face W&M on April 14th at CNU…and have some CookieText while you’re there…this year’s proceeds benefit the purchase of water purification systems in China.
Learn more about tomorrow’s event here.
Learn more about my boys’ soccer club at www.valegacysoccer.com .
Learn more about CookieText at www.cookietext.com .