Meet Monek’ Smith | Cookier

We had the good fortune of connecting with Monek’ Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Monek’, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’m a stay at home mom with two elementary-age kiddos. While that’s a full time job in itself, I had been considering and searching for a “side hustle” for several years. I wanted something that would allow me to be home with and available to my kids but that might help subsidize the cost of the private school my kids attend. Meanwhile, I knew a couple of local cookiers (that’s what we call ourselves!) and was fascinated with the cookies they were making. For fun, I decided to take a beginner’s cookie class and about halfway through that class, I knew I had found exactly what I had been looking for! I started selling cookies to my friends about a month later and shortly thereafter started getting online requests from strangers. Two and a half years into my cookie biz, I’m booked 8-10 weeks out, I’m substantially contributing to my kids’ tuition, and I absolutely love what I do!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My whole life I’ve been what I would describe as “crafty.” I’m also a ridiculous perfectionist. I believe those two traits definitely contribute to my success in making custom cookies. I have a degree in Construction Science from Texas A&M, and I think even THAT helps me do what I do. My ability to be creative as well as methodical allows me to make intricate cookies that are delicious. Aesthetically, I’m confident my cookies go above and beyond, but if a cookie isn’t tasty, do aesthetics even matter?? I wanted to make sure I could give my clients beautiful cookies that taste as good as they look. Judging by the feedback I get, I know I’ve done just that.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve lived in the DFW metroplex my entire life. If someone was visiting for a week, I’d probably start with Babe’s for some finger-licking good chicken tenders. A baseball game at Globe Life Field or a football game at AT&T stadium would be fun. My hometown of Grapevine has the best Main Street in the state and we could end a day of shopping with a margarita at Esparza’s. The Perot Museum is fun for adults and kids and the Dallas Aquarium is close by, too. Bottom line is that there’s never a shortage of things to do and see around Dallas!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family are my biggest supporters! They have encouraged me from day one to pursue this passion I never knew I had.

Website: www.mscookieco.com

Instagram: @mscookieco.tx

Facebook: MS Cookie Co.