Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Anderson.
Hi Susan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My career has had a long winding path but in many ways, it is coming full circle. I started out with a “passion for fashion”. So a barely 18 years old from Wyoming set out for the big city lights of Los Angels to seek my fame and fortune. Yes, I was a bit of a cliché.
While in fashion design school and working in the industry, I started making purses out of fabric scraps donated to the school. I wanted to start my own fashion line, “Revolutionary Rags: Clothing with a Conscience”. But I was not a good fit for L.A. I went to business school as far away as possible while still getting in state tuition to Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA. There I worked as a sewing machine operator for a little company that manufactures kayaking gear and started another little business with a friend and fellow business student making greeting cards out of handmade paper using the paper shred from the admissions office.
After graduating with a BS in Business Administration and a minor in Women’s Studies I worked at a bank, a mortuary, and in safe houses for victims and survivors or intimate partner violence. With those experiences I decided to get a Master’s in Public Policy – I was not cut out for long-term direct service work. My heart couldn’t take it.
So I worked in advocacy on sexual and reproductive health and rights internationally and domestically and was exposed to grant writing and grant-making in the federal and philanthropic sectors. It occurred to me that those who controlled the funding controlled what policies passes, what work got funded. They were the ones who could have the most impact on creating a better life for everyday people.
I worked in affordable housing financing for 11 years. And then the pandemic hit and so did my burnout. I needed the time and space to pursue a creative outlet. It was also time for a change in my life. I started making decorated sugar cookies and was hooked from the start. I was on a train that I felt I had little control over. It was just full steam ahead. To start a cottage industry baking business. No matter how insane it felt to leave my career to start a baking business my heart was not hearing any logic. So The Cookie Plant ATX was born!
Taking a leap into this journey has also enabled me to pursue other passions too. I’ve always loved the idea of being able to take something no one wants and turn it into something everyone wants. I’ve also concluded that the best way to have an impact is to just build the thing you think will have the impact you want. I am currently part of the City of Austin’s [Re]verse Pitch Fellowship that is part of their Circular Economy program, working to build a worker/owner cooperative that utilizes interior decorator fabric sample books to packaging for luxury products such as jewelry, glasses, make-up bags, etc.
And there you have it. I am a forty-something woman taking a plunge into multiple pools of unknown waters while making cute and most importantly delicious cookies. Maybe it’s a mid-life crisis? Either way, I am here for it.
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?
I am just getting started though. But I think some of the struggles are building a business from scratch, and building an unconventional business model that most people don’t know about or understand.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Reclaim.Repurpose.Reimagine and The Cookie Plant ATX?
The Cookie Plant ATX: Cottage industry bakery where each cookie is baked from the heart ♥️ and filled with love. Specializing in custom and logo cookies. They aren’t just pretty; they also taste good!
Reclaim.Repurpose.Rebuild is working to reverse the low-wage, income equality disparity and a sustainable environmental impact through a worker-owned cooperative business that manufactures luxury product packaging.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I’ll take all the advice I can get! But I think it is important to just get out there and talk to people. That conversation will likely lead you to another conversation. Don’t be afraid to just cold call people either. And take advantage of resources! Chances are there is a program out there to help you do what you want to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mycustombakes.com/cookieplantatx
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reclaim.repurpose.reimagine/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecookieplantatx
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/cookieplantatx
