Today we’d like to introduce you to Maddy Norton.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In 2018 I graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. This was a year ahead of my 4-year program, so instead of immediately career hunting, I decided to use that extra year to explore hobbies and work a few different part-time jobs. One of the hobbies I tried was cookie decorating. I made some champagne-themed cookies for a friend’s New Year’s Eve party. I remember loving it the first time I tried it and joking about “if only I could do this as a job.” I kept practicing, and I was eager to learn more. For the first time in my life, I felt I had truly found my passion because I actually loved the work it took to get better at something. I started posting photos of my cookies online and instantly had friends requesting to buy them. I couldn’t believe it! I then started Dough My Goodness Cookies, continued developing my skills, continued to post photos and network with people, and started to get a more steady stream of orders each week. Pretty soon, I had enough business to make DMG Cookies my full-time job. I’m now at the point where I have a really amazing support of clients that keep me busy year-round, and I am now thinking of different ways I can branch out from here. I have a lot of fun ideas, but I haven’t quite decided which one I’m ready to try first. I am so grateful for everyone who has supported me and gotten me to where I am today, and I am so excited to see what the future holds for DMG Cookies.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In my experience, the overall positives outweigh the negatives. However, there are definitely some challenges that I have to work through. As the owner and only “employee” at DMG Cookies, I am responsible for everything that keeps the business running. Some things I do on a daily basis are designing cookies, ordering supplies/ingredients, making dough, baking cookies, making icing, coloring icing, decorating cookies, communicating with clients, packaging cookies, advertising on social media, paying bills, etc. With all of this responsibility, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed or even burned out. Not to mention if I get sick or experience some kind of personal emergency, I still have to make sure I take care of my business too. I also want to have hobbies, spend time with my friends and family, and enjoy life! Sometimes juggling all of these things is challenging. I still have not found the perfect work/life balance, which can contribute to the “burned out” feeling and take its toll on my mental health. I want to be present in my friends and family’s lives and also be the best businessperson I can be. A lot of times, I feel I am either neglecting work or friends/family for the other. I do believe it’s possible to find a balance that works for me, though because I have already improved in this area from where I was a year ago. I think part of life is dealing with stress and challenges, and thankfully I have a fun and flexible job that makes taking on any challenge worth it.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I believe I have one of the coolest jobs because I bake and decorate cookies for a living for my own business, Dough My Goodness Cookies. I specialize in custom-decorated sugar cookies for any occasion. Every day I get to make people happy by creating delicious edible art for them. I can’t imagine anything cooler than that! I am known for my attention to detail in every aspect of the cookie-making process. It’s so important to me that the cookies are as perfect as I can make them. From taste, texture, freshness, colors, artistic details— I am not happy unless everything is done to the best of my ability. One of the things I am most proud is how I have not let the need to grow business compromise on my personal morals. I want to be a person first and a business second. Growing up, my dad has always instilled in my family, “If you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right.” I use this concept in DMG Cookies because I try to give myself and my clients a positive experience whenever we work together. For myself, I do this by learning fun decorating techniques or incorporating some of my own preferences on cookies I design. For my clients, I do this by involving them in the design process, including a handwritten note or an extra cookie in their order, and establishing an open and friendly communication. This also helps set me apart from others because there is no other me! It sounds kind of cheesy, but my personality and my creative ideas are unique to me and therefore DMG Cookies. I love connecting with people and learning more about them as I make their custom cookies, and I love to share things about myself with them too. I have met so many people that I now consider friends just through this process, which is a great perk of my job.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
I consider myself to be extremely lucky. Not in the way that I win every raffle I enter, or I find four leaf clovers anytime I look down, but because of the circumstances of who I am and how I was born. I have to acknowledge my privilege and that I have never been denied opportunities based on my skin color, sexual orientation, gender identification, religion, etc. This plays a part in my business too, because I have not had to fight institutionalized obstacles to get to a place where I could even start DMG Cookies. I am also lucky to have had a college education, to live in San Diego, where there are people willing and able to support small businesses like mine, and that I have had the opportunity to explore my passion and learn more. Finally, I am lucky because of the wonderful friends and family I have, who have supported me more than I could have ever imagined. When I first started decorating cookies for fun, I had friends and family reach out interested in purchasing cookies. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have even thought I could turn this into my job. I will say that I have put in a lot of work to develop my recipe, decorating skills, customer service, etc., and I believe anyone can be successful even if they do not have the same privileges as me. But at the same time, I recognize how that luck has been a foundation for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mycustombakes.com/dmgcookies
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmgcookies/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dmgcookies?
Image Credits
DMG Cookies
