Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariah Williams.
Hi Mariah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
We started Maddy Bear Bakes mostly by accident. My sister has been helping in the kitchen since she was in diapers. Maddy is neurodiverse so is not always comfortable in social situations. The kitchen is the place she has always been most comfortable. On top of that, she has a severe dairy allergy. So, her and my mom would spend lots of time in the kitchen together coming up with delicious vegan baked goods. During the first Christmas of the pandemic, when everyone was in lockdown, my sister and mom were baking a lot. Everyone was just so sad, so we decided to start delivering cookies to people. It wasn’t a business, it was just sharing with neighbors. One of our neighbors pretty much insisted that we take some cash to help cover our costs. We thought that was really nice, so we started accepting donations to help. It just sort of grew, haphazardly, from there! We Googled how to do things like get a business license and health permit. We loved the idea of being able to get delicious, high-quality, allergy-friendly baked goods out to people at a low cost. When we were young, our mom was single and we still remember what it felt like to want to buy vegan treats but not being able to afford Whole Foods or Erewhon prices. So, we just kept Googling and asking for help until we had a little business.
The next big turning point was when someone tagged us in a post on Instagram for the JLH Social Impact Fund. We didn’t know what we were doing. Very kind of off-handedly I filled out the application. I asked my mom a couple of questions but otherwise just spoke from my heart. I mean, I was an even younger kid at the time. I don’t think I did anything very business-like. I just wrote our story. The JLH people picked their first class and we weren’t in it – no big deal. But then we got an email saying we had been selected for the grant with the second class. Wow! That got us rolling on so much. We made so many connections, learned a lot, funded things like better packaging. But again, we kind of just stumbled into these amazing opportunities.
Today, we’ve stepped back from trying to scale our business. We have a lot of demand, but we are still kids. I’m trying to learn about business while also learning in all of my classes and doing extracurriculars. Maddy is constantly learning and improving her baking. So, we are at a really good place. We take some huge orders, some smaller orders, a few wholesale orders – but we do it all on our own timeline. We want to work on having the absolute best products for the absolute lowest prices. We are all about access and affordability. We want to even the playing field for people with allergies and dietary needs. We are excited to be on that journey and for all of the people who helped us along the way.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like I said, it has all been kind of us stumbling along. We work hard to perfect recipes and to keep prices low. We have been blessed by a supportive network of friends, family, and customers. This past year has been really difficult for us. We lost our Grandpa who we had just moved out here to live with us. We had been looking forward to spending lots of time with him because he was the funniest guy. But he died very quickly after arriving. Then, my mom started having health problems. That has been really scary and she is still trying to recover. It has been a very emotional year for us. We almost just quit the business. But, instead, we scaled back. We committed to fewer markets, focused more on custom orders, and allowed longer delivery timeframes. Sometimes, we just said no. But we’ve found that our network has stepped up even more to help keep us motivated during this time. For example, the women of Prosperity Market have consistently invited us to do their virtual markets even though we can’t commit to in-person. They have driven all the way to our house to pick up orders so that our mom doesn’t have to drive. It has been really touching to see how people have believed in our mission so much that they have supported us through a time that should have destroyed our business. Instead, we are flourishing!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I don’t even know where to begin with this question because I am a full-time high school student. I became the CEO of my sister’s baking company because I am the best with technology in our family. I am really just known for being the one who talks because Maddy’s personality is much more introverted. She does all the baking and I do all the talking! I am most proud of the way that my sister and I complement one another and work together. I am also really proud that we have a business that has been going for over two years now with no experience. We just have a mission to break down this niche, overpriced market. What sets us apart, I think, is that we don’t feel like we have to succeed in this. We are still in school, still figuring out life. But we know we want to make a positive impact. So, every single day, we just wake up and think about the other vegan kids or kids with allergies who feel left out at parties or whose parents think they have to pay exorbitant amounts for high-quality food. We just think of them and it motivates us to do something with our company that day. It isn’t about the money at this point. We stand apart because it is really only about the mission, which I know most people aren’t in a realistic position to be able to say.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I just want everyone to know that if we work together, our businesses can actually make the world a better place. It doesn’t have to be about grinding, accumulating, and dog-eat-dog. It can really be about being healthy, spreading kindness, and building community.
Pricing:
- $10-20
Contact Info:
- Website: www.maddybear.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddybearbakes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=maddy%20bear%20bakes
