How Gen Z is Turning Creativity into a Career

[00:00:06] This is #GenZ, a podcast that explores Generation Z, who they are, how they're different from other generations, while also being an incredible blend of those who came before them. We explore what they think is cool, what moves them, and why they do what they do. I'm your host, Megan Grace. In my opinion, Gen Z is a pretty good reputation for being entrepreneurial. And the research backs this one up, too.

[00:00:28] A 2026 QuickBooks study found that 43% of Gen Z respondents plan to start a business this year, and more than half of Gen Z reported earning money from a side hustle in the past year. What I find particularly interesting is more about why younger generations are approaching work differently. Research from Deloitte continues to show that Gen Z isn't thinking about career success through one lens. They're looking for some combination of money, meaning, growth, and well-being.

[00:00:55] And they're willing to create their own version of a career to find that. Social media is completely changing what's possible for someone trying to do that. For Gen Z especially, these platforms aren't just places to consume content anymore. Social media can be portfolios, marketing channels, communities, and even businesses. Deloitte's research has found that Gen Z spends significantly more time than average on social media platforms and user-generated content compared to other generations.

[00:01:24] And younger consumers feel more personally connected to the creators they follow. This episode's guest, Emily Henniger, is a fun example of what it can look like in practice. Emily is as the cookie artist, content creator, and entrepreneur behind the account Cookie in the Kitchen. She's actually been an entrepreneur since age 11.

[00:01:43] What started with selling cookies around her Atlanta neighborhood has grown into a career spanning custom cookie artistry, content creation, brand partnerships, and a pretty incredible niche, creating cookies for musicians and celebrities. Along the way, she studied entrepreneurship and graphic design at Belmont University and built a business that allows her to be both an artist and an entrepreneur. And that's really what I wanted to talk with Emily about.

[00:02:08] What happens when you stop assuming that creativity and business have to exist on opposite sides of the room, or entirely separate rooms. We talk about turning a creative skill into an actual career, learning the business side of your craft, using social media to create opportunities and community, and knowing when to bring other people into your business and building something that's financially sustainable without losing part of the work that made you love it in the first place.

[00:02:33] And yes, we also get to talk about the cookie she's created for artists like Harry Styles, Chaparron, and Sabrina Carpenter. Because obviously, I needed to know about that too. So, whether you've got a creative side hustle, a business idea you've been sitting on, or you're just simply interested in how Gen Z is redefining what a career can look like, I think you're really going to enjoy this conversation. So, let's get into it. All right, y'all.

[00:03:03] Every episode, I get to make a new friend and introduce you to a new friend, and that is exactly what we're doing today. We've got Emily here, and I can tell you right now, Emily is probably one of my favorite accounts to follow on social media, because it's both calming and cute and precious, and also what you do is incredible. I also get to introduce you to a fellow Nashvillian, which is one of, you know, I'm biased. I love my neighbors in Nashville. But Emily, it's so good to have you here. It's so good to be here.

[00:03:32] I am already, like, buzzing about this conversation, and we haven't even really gotten into it. So, this is great. And I always have a chat with an fellow Nashvillian as well. I know. There's something in the water in Nashville I really think that we're the best. No, maybe. It's just, we also welcome people in that are not originally from Nashville. And I think, as a city, we're really good about being like, this is what we're about. You're going to be nice, you're going to be friendly, and you're going to take care of each other. And I love that about Nashville, but we're not here to promote Nashville.

[00:04:00] We don't actually, I don't think we want any more people moving here. It's just a fun connection we both have. But Emily, you do some really awesome work, and we're going to get into that. But tell me a little bit about your story. Because I know a little bit about your story, but I know listeners are probably interested in it. Walk me through, what are you doing? Who are you? And how did you get there? Because I love your work, and I'm excited to share about it. But you didn't just show up on this earth today.

[00:04:26] So I am a cookie artist, content creator, entrepreneur, all of the above, and many different facets. And I have been living in those roles since I was 11 years old. 15 years ago, I started my business, Cookie in the Kitchen. I was a little 11-year-old, and I just really liked baking. I thought it would be fine. My sister had a business. I'm like, it's not that hard. I could do that, right? I've always been a very fighty and passionate and driven person where I'm like, I'm going to make stuff happen.

[00:04:55] And I don't really care if there are barriers in my way, because I will figure it out. So that has always been the case from being very young. And I love that that's a part of my story that I get to really tap into my inner child so much in my business and my life these days. But that functionally has looked a little bit different throughout the years as I've grown up. So when I first started, it was pretty simple cookies. I started just selling to neighbors and friends at church. And I'm dramatically an asset.

[00:05:24] Sorry, I'm not actually a local Nashvilleian either. I did move here, but I feel like I claim it. I claim it. Yeah, you do. And then I started getting into more of the decorated cookie side of things and baking. And really just that lane exploded for me in terms of the artistry and the market and the way that my skill set really is well aligned with that and also with graphic design.

[00:05:51] And throughout my time in school, I had always wanted to have a bakery. That was the big dream. And I still do. But like, how the heck do you take a tiny small business as an 18 year old or as a 15 year old or now at 26? Like, how do you take that from one person into a full space? And also just even if that isn't something that I want to do. Well, one, is that something I want to do in practice? Not just in the idea of that.

[00:06:19] Or even if I want to keep it just small and as myself. How do you do that? Well, and I had a couple mentors and I that encouraged me. Hey, go to business school, like learn how to actually run this. Learn if you like this part of your craft or if you just want to be in the kitchen, you can do that. But you'll probably want to work for someone else. And I moved to Nashville, studied entrepreneurship and graphic design at Belmont University. And that was so wonderful. Learned so much.

[00:06:47] I'm sure it's going to come up a lot in our conversation. And then since then, I graduated four years ago. And it's really just been a lot of explosive growth of figuring out new avenues, particularly with social media and content creation, both in marketing my business and then also doing brand deals and things on social media. And I also kind of have a niche in the celebrity cookie world and the music world, which I started in high school as well, baking cookies for musicians.

[00:07:17] And bringing them to concerts just for fun. And then a couple of years down the line in Nashville, I started getting commissioned to make them for artists for their green rooms or for content. And that's just been a really fun world to live in. So I do kind of a mix of a lot of different things in my business. I wear a lot of hats, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I think I would be really bored if I was just doing one thing. So always nice to have a mix of clients and do things locally as well.

[00:07:45] So I love building a big business, but also how can I keep it small? Which I mean, Nashville is a great place to do that. Famously, a small town feel in a big city. So I love getting to capture that feel and what I create. You make beautiful, beautiful creations. I will say that. It's just an admirer of your work, right? Because one, I love a sweet little treat. But to also have like a beautiful, sweet little treat, like I would, yeah, you knock it out of the park. But I love that you said that you're wearing a few different hats.

[00:08:15] And as a girl that loves an accessory, hats are actually my favorite accessory. So rock them, wear them, do whatever you need to. But what I love about this is, again, I'm not going to be like, wow, you're just such a perfect picture of Gen Z. But there is this, as we've been studying Gen Z, they don't want to pick a lane. And that's completely fine because real life, you don't have to pick a lane. And I've kind of been saying this from the very beginning of like, we can't unbraid Gen Z's DNA of wanting to be entrepreneurial. Like it's just been a role model for you in so many spaces.

[00:08:44] And you talk about your sister. And I really appreciate that your mentors were like, maybe go study entrepreneurship, even a class or two. I mean, you did the whole thing. But there is such benefit in understanding that because I think in our world where we're at, we're kind of, in some cases, required to be able to monetize or think entrepreneurially in our work, even if we don't start the business ourselves.

[00:09:07] And I'm just glad that you as a creative got that mentoring because I've seen it happen where people are, I would say like an incredible dancer who then wants to go on and teach that craft to others, but has no idea how to run that business. And the reality is that incredible dancer also still needs to pay bills. So we do need to be able to run the business, right? Like you make incredible things. You create incredible things. And you still also deserve to be able to pay your bills.

[00:09:30] So I'm glad that you are a good example of that happening with Gen Z of where you can be creative, but you can also be a hustler in a good way. But let's go back to little you. I love that when you were 11, you're like, I'm about this life. What was the moment when you started to realize that you really enjoyed the business side of this? Because I think, again, society likes to box us in of like you create or you make money. But when did you kind of wake up and you're like, hmm, this could be a thing where I get to do both? Yeah.

[00:09:59] Well, it's really interesting. And I think this goes back to my personality is that there was very little overlap in me developing a skill in the kitchen and then me actually starting a business. They were pretty one-to-one. Like maybe, I mean, I'd always liked speaking in general just as a kid does. But I think that is something I really appreciate both about my age at that time and also Gen Z in general is that we're kind of like, let's just start it.

[00:10:23] I don't even really have that much experience in it, but I had this interest or this skill or this style or I should know what is interesting. And that gave me just a bit more confidence to frame this from the beginning as a business. So when you think about like you had this love for baking, which you're right, kids do love to bake, but not everybody can bake like you. Like I like to bake, but they don't come out as pretty as yours.

[00:10:48] When was that moment for you, whether like did someone commission something for you when you were younger where you're like, oh man, I could get paid for this? Yeah. All right. I mean, I was really getting paid from the junk by initial like bout of starting my business. I walked out in my neighborhood and I handed out samples of my cookies and I had a little clipboard for people to sign up with for more orders. And I had 19 dozen orders by the end of like one street. And I first used a photo on my mom's Instagram.

[00:11:15] I need to find this where I'm holding a bunch of like $100 bills or maybe it's $10 bills or something. And she's like 11 year old. And I even I had a WordPress log at the time that I would write reflections on and my mom and I would be shopping in Kroger together. And she put the little barrier up for me to buy my own ingredients. And she's probably like, what the heck are these Kroger employees thinking about making each other buy her own groceries? But I really was starting to think about those things pretty early on.

[00:11:43] And I think my parents gave me and my sister a lot of like responsibility that was appropriate for our age that kind of helped us scale into that. So it wasn't something that I got to college and I'm like, oh, crap, I got to figure all of these things out. I've never dealt with my own finances. I mean, I've had a debit card since I was 11. Like it was just always something that I had been cognizant of. So and really, I think that when I went to school, I wasn't sure if I was going to like entrepreneurship.

[00:12:10] And I almost thought about flipping my major and minor and majoring in graphic design and minoring in entrepreneurship because I'm like, I am so creative that it's such an obvious part about who I am. But like the business, like I kind of do what I can to get by, but I don't really know. But I think actually getting into my schooling made me realize why I know a lot more than I think I do. And I like it a lot more than I do. But also that there is these have been in the water since the beginning.

[00:12:36] And it isn't something that I'm just kind of tacking on to this, but really has been a way that I've been thinking about my craft in connection to my customer or into this being a genuinely viable career path for me. I think what you are sharing about like kind of the nurturing of that skill among your parents, like that's fantastic to have. And I think we're seeing that more and more with Gen Z of like parents that are kind of saying, you have an interesting hobby that maybe someone would pay you for.

[00:13:06] And I love that you were an 11 year old hustler. I think I also just have a soft spot in my heart for young women selling cookies because when it's Girl Scout season, I'm like, take all my money, right? Like young girls selling cookies. I am your target audience is what it is. But I really think when you talk about you in college, right? Like you're such a different person when you're in college, but your contention of having to balance your creative pursuit and your entrepreneurship and thinking like which one has to be more me.

[00:13:32] I think so many people that are in creative entrepreneurship feel like they have to figure out which is more them. How did you go about finding that right balance and figuring out how you were going to craft that career and kind of building work that makes room for both of those things to shine? Absolutely.

[00:13:50] That was really a big question throughout my schooling and all of my professors really picked up on that from the jump of this is such an intricate, custom, artistry driven craft. How can you scale that and how can you mirror and meld both sides of this business to actually make this worth your while?

[00:14:11] And thankfully, Nashville is such a beautiful location for this to happen in because it is very much in the intersection between entrepreneurship and artistry and business and artistry. I think the music business is such an epitome of that and people that are skilled in both. And they're like, I mean, you can take the music industry as an example where there are musicians where they're like, all I want to do is write songs or all I want to do is perform. I don't want to be involved in anything else. I want to offload all of that. And you are able to blaze that trail and make that a priority.

[00:14:41] But then also you have people too, they're like, I don't want to let go of that creative control. And you have, I mean, I think it's even Taylor Swift is someone who's like, she is such a business mogul as much as she is a stellar songwriter and musician and artist. And so I think there are more models in our generation now that have shown that it is possible to do both and that you just have it. It's different tradeoffs.

[00:15:06] So like you're going to be spread more thin if you're going to do a lot more, but you're also going to have more control. So I think for me, that has looked like really paying attention to those tradeoffs and sustainable, but also for a business, but also make this sustainable for my life. And that is going to be doing things that creatively pour into me or emotionally pour into me, because otherwise I feel like I'm just going to be pandering to what's making me the most money. And that feels very not true to why I'm doing this in the first place.

[00:15:36] And I think really, it feels like a pull between both business and artistry almost always with me and my business, because there are decisions that would put me pretty solidly in one camp or the other. And even I think I really saw that in school that there's like, either I could take the kind of clear artist track of outsource everything on the business, just do your craft and keep it very, very small and raise your prices to no end.

[00:16:05] Or you scale it to no end. I'm never in the kitchen. I'm just training and offloading everything on the cookie side. And I'm just getting cheaper and cheaper and making more and more cookies. I'm like, why don't we hate both of those questions? Neither of them sound great. And so for me, it was really an intentional commitment to being in tension between those two things.

[00:16:29] And that does not make my decisions as obvious and requires a lot more thoughtfulness and being in touch with myself to know what I want and a lot of other people that can help me see that too. But that felt like a much more in line decision with who I am than just kind of doing what already made sense. And I think there's, yeah, again, just a lot more examples recently or advisors and people that coach me or friends that were like, heck yeah, like you can do it.

[00:16:58] Because you kind of, you do need those cheerleaders and those people in the weeds with you to be like, yes, it is possible. Because I have the gut reaction where I'm like, yeah, what the heck, I'm going to figure it out. I don't care. But to know like, okay, but functionally, how do I actually make that happen? You do really need the support and the skill and those different areas. I'm so glad that you have that support because you do have a gift.

[00:17:21] And I think that sometimes when people are creatives, they get, as you pointed out, like they get bogged down into the business and their creativity and their craft goes away. But I think that's a larger symptom of society. And I don't want to get like too philosophical into it. But I feel like Gen Z is really telling a lot of the rest of society of like, we've created these really rigid boxes that we feel like people need to sit in. And I love that you've pushed back in your own way to say like, I'm going to create something that's high quality.

[00:17:47] But I'm also going to operate a business that allows me to live my life in a way that is sustainable, that I can pay my bills. I don't have to be the starving artist. You're probably the opposite of a starving artist. But it's one of those things where I think that Gen Z is always consistently telling us like, we don't have to be just one thing. And we can be both of those things. And it's okay to push back on the boundaries of the box that society is really trying to lump people into. So commend you for that. I'm sure at times it's felt scary.

[00:18:14] But you have probably the coolest job because you could have just, you have an outlet that other people turn to when they're stressed out, right? You're like, I'm going to make some cookies just for me. I would probably, if I was in your space and I was getting stressed out, I'd make some like angry cookies to really take my frustration out. But I think another thing of like, you got spit into this world at a really good and unique time. Because social media plays a part of what you do.

[00:18:36] And we know there's so many people in your generation that are using social media to advance their business pursuits, their careers, their work, their personal brand. I think it's given creatives an entirely new way to share and build audiences. I mean, I know I'm one of those people like, I think you just popped up on my feed one day and I was like, oh, I could watch these videos for about three hours. And so I think it allows people to connect in different ways and turn these niche interests into real businesses.

[00:19:05] So walk me through how social media has really kind of expanded what you thought was possible for your work in cooking the kitchen. Absolutely. It's something that I could talk for so long, like probably a whole podcast about what I've just been paying attention to over the years from when I started my business with bloggers were really like the main focus of where people were sharing and sharing content and creating content.

[00:19:31] And then social media came more into the mix with Instagram and photos and then brands getting on and businesses on that side of things. And then TikTok coming in and artists and like more influencers becoming a thing and brand deals being a possibility. It's just there's so I mean, the industry changes so rapidly and there's always a lot of different avenues of that that I find so interesting. But it absolutely has been a big part of my story, particularly in recent years.

[00:20:01] When I first started, I wasn't really doing a whole lot other than like my blog, which had my grandmother and my mom and like my best friend commenting. So didn't do anything crazy. And for me, really, social media became a big part of the mix. When I was in college, my senior year at Belmont, I had an Instagram and like that with my cookies I was making for musicians. That was definitely something I was always sharing photos of, but I hadn't really gone past that.

[00:20:29] And it wasn't I wasn't showing more of my life outside of that. It was just kind of here's a portfolio of my work. And one of the trends that I've seen as TikTok has shaped social media really has given an avenue for people to share a lot more of the behind the scenes and share more of themselves. And that being a reason why people are following because they're interested in you and in your personality and your particular experience.

[00:20:53] And so that alongside like it's just fun to see the cool stuff people are doing that you would have never otherwise known about. So I was making cookies for Harry Styles, my fall of my senior year. And I asked a friend for some advice who had done well on TikTok. I was like, what do we do? This is like I need this to have its moment because I know that there are people out there that this will connect to. And not just like I need to go viral for this.

[00:21:18] But truly, like I want to build that connection with the people that are also going to get as equally excited about every single detail as I am or as the artist will be. And I also need their help at that point, too. I like I didn't really know much about Harry Styles other than just the general zeitgeist. So I asked social media, like, what should I put on his cookies? And I got so many different responses. It was so fun to have my cookies be such a collaboration with people.

[00:21:45] And a lot of that investment of people would be like, oh, my gosh, I saw her first video and I commented this design and she put it on his cookies. So that really just exploded things for me, both in terms of I'm in my following on TikTok shot up overnight, essentially. And then I had maybe within a month, I had five different brands in my inbox asking to work with me. Also during final season, which was crazy.

[00:22:09] So I figured out kind of how to make that work and felt very much like just jumped into the deep end with I've been building this whole business around selling cookies. And I know that market, that audience, that value, that pricing. How the heck do I reorient this towards an entirely new different product and customer? And also just asked a lot of questions on a manager is such a big help in navigating that world.

[00:22:37] And that has very much shaped my business, not just in I think in probably three big ways. One is just connecting me to the people that I love and inspired by or inspired by me, which would be a lot of cello sand girls or artists or people that love cookies and that just can get excited about the works that I'm doing and can be a part of it with me.

[00:23:01] And then it also gave me an opportunity for just marketing for my business in terms of getting noticed. And I mean, the number of times I have heard, I mean, even yourself saying I heard about you from social media that so many opportunities in my business have come just from people encountering my work online. And then the biggest chunk that I think has shaped my business the most has been being able to do cookies for content and brand partnerships.

[00:23:30] And that really what back to the recommendations for my professors and college, they were always kind of trying to get me to think about like, how can you scale this business sustainably? And what are the opportunities there that could give you more bang for your buck? Because at the end of the day, if you're doing these incredibly detailed cookies, there's only so much that you can charge and you are going to break your back, like trying to make this a profitable business.

[00:23:55] And they're, they kind of push me more into the business side of scale it, make a bunch of cookies, how can you get your costs low and your prices low and economies of scale? Like that just doesn't feel like me. I don't want to sit there like decorating 500 cookies. That's not fun for me. And so what brand partnerships were able to do for me is it's almost the opposite.

[00:24:16] We're now I'm making like three cookies that are incredibly detailed, but I really get to showcase all of my artistry and I get to showcase my artistry in the content and in the video editing and my understanding of social media. And then do that as a way to help my business run sustainably financially. So I'm not having to slave over a bajillion cookies in the kitchen every week. So it's been a lot for me and for other people.

[00:24:40] And I mean, I'm so interested to see where things will go next, but I had someone in the social media kind of world describe a summary once to me. Well, as it is opportunity generating and community building. And I has absolutely seen both of those things feature. Yeah. I just love that Harry Styles was like your, that all like it was Harry Styles and finals week and you're getting these brand collaborations. And I'm like, if I was your professor and you came to me, you're like, Hey, professor, I'm a little busy.

[00:25:09] I just made cookies for Harry Styles and I have five brand deals. I'm like, I think you passed your final girl. Like carry on. Like, but that's me. I would say that I used to be like a cool professor, cool faculty member where I'd be like, I think that you've achieved the outcomes of this course on entrepreneurship. I think you're doing great. I did one of my entrepreneurship classes in order to make cookies for him. And my entrepreneurship professor is also my advisor from freshman year was like, I can't believe he did to me for Harry Styles.

[00:25:39] And I'm like, and I would do it again. And I would do it tomorrow, lady or man or whoever that was. Yes, I love that. And of all the artists to say, this is the thing that like, what a good one to pick. Like, there's bad ones out there, but like, what a sweetie head. I'm such a kid out there. There are some problematic ones, but I don't think he's a problematic one. So I love that, you know, you're, you always remember your first, right? And so. Right, right. Glad it was Harry. Okay. We're not here to talk about Harry.

[00:26:09] I mean, we could, but so I think I just love that your reflective journey has been so deep in the, I don't want to diminish the craft and pushing back on that. And figuring out how you can use the tools afforded to you to go from like 11 year old shopping through debit card and your mom at Kroger to these huge brand partnerships. And it's amazing. Like, I love to see the success of a young person in 15 years.

[00:26:33] Like, you've spent more of your life doing this business than you have not, which is wild to think about. And I'm sure that's inspiring to a lot of people. And we have some great Gen Z listeners and they're probably years are perking up right now. So what would you, what do you think is necessary for people that have this creative skill or an idea, but isn't really sure how it can become a real career? What do you think people need to know about turning a creative creativity into a business?

[00:27:03] Absolutely. I think one of the things I will say is that it seems really scary at first because it feels like it's in opposition. The business, the actual like money side of things as well from a creative act. But I think there's actually this beautiful mix of them that for me, the, my business brain like helps my creative brain and my creative brain helps my business brain.

[00:27:27] One, because when you're building a business, all of it is creative because you are designing it. So that's not a scary thing. That's an opportunity to express your creativity in a completely different way. Like I get to express my creativity, obviously on cookies, but I also get to do that in my customer experience and my communications and my website and my packaging. There's so many places where I get to draft a brand and experience that is embedded with my personality and my creativity.

[00:27:58] And that's, it's so fun. It's like really, yes, it can be daunting, but I mean, even a lot of what I was learning in school was kind of geared towards larger businesses. And I'm like, you can keep it small and that can be wonderful. And it can be, it can sit around your life and your goals. And it actually should, it should have that flexibility and that desire to fit well in your life because you're the one that's going to be living it, not these other people.

[00:28:23] And then I also really think too, like, it is, it's kind of a non-negotiable in my mind of if you are an artist and you want to grow. Now, if you are an artist and you like want to just do your craft, like, yeah, there are lanes for that, as I've said. But it just, the, where you'll be able to take that is going to look a little bit different.

[00:28:44] Like my sister is a very talented, traditional artist, drawing, painting, and has recently been considering doing more artistry and selling it. And she has been, she has less of the business brain than I do. And that would really distress her out and not be as helpful for her. And so it's like, yeah, like do that as like more of a fine artist track or more currently as more as like a side hustle.

[00:29:10] Like don't put yourself in the situations where you're having to like go to markets and sell prints and sell stickers and post on social media. Like you are going to hate that life for you. It's like, you don't have to do that. There are paths for growth, even in just that. But really what you, there will be some trade-offs there about the, where you are able to take that to.

[00:29:31] And for the people, I would say they're a little bit more aligned with, I think, where I'm at and what it sounds like your listeners are too. And just finding, really interested in that intersection. I would say like, you kind of have to swallow the pill though of in order to do the thing that you love, you're going to have to do things you don't like. And you're probably going to have to do things you hate. And that, the great thing about that is that as you grow, you can continue to offload those things that you don't want to do.

[00:29:59] But it is still helpful to me to learn. Like I spent, my emails are my worst nightmare. It just, it's so much decision making and like, it takes me so long. I would rather not do it. And I have been doing this for 15 years and I just hired someone to help me with that. Because I'm like, I need to understand this business. I need to know why I'm hiring or who I'm hiring and what their value they're going to be adding. Or what to tell them to do in order to keep that brand voice and experience consistent.

[00:30:28] And so, or my bookkeeping. Like I have some wonderful bookkeepers. I don't have to think about it anymore. But the first two years of my business, I'm like, I don't want to just drop that money not knowing if I could do it myself. Turns out I could not. But so that actually made a lot more sense. But also on the financial side of things as well. One of the biggest mentors for me when I was considering going to school is a bakery owner in Atlanta. And she told me, she was like very much championed me as a female entrepreneur. Like go to business school.

[00:30:58] I highly recommend it. Because if you don't know your numbers, someone else will run your business. Because it's your money. Like you need to know your money. Like that is what you're doing. And it's yours. And so even if you are offloading some things on the peripheral, like you need to see how all of the pieces fit together. And see if it's worthwhile and like build those skills to find the connection points between them. And that can sound really daunting. But I think I have just gone about it.

[00:31:26] And like you have so much time to scale into that and figure it out as you go. You don't have to do all of it at once. Like that's why I kind of thought maybe I'd be in a bakery a little bit sooner. But then the last four years, I'm like, I just feel like I've been just cleaning up and understanding how this works by just being really in the weeds with it. And so don't be afraid to take it slow and to learn things as you go. And to ask for help for the things that you're really stuck on.

[00:31:51] Because even if you are a solo entrepreneur, you're not doing it alone by any stretch of the imagination. And I feel like I just got a master class. Like I feel like you just gave me the pep talk. So thank you. No, but I work with a lot of people that are in entrepreneurship or they're small business owners. And like what you just said of like to do the thing you got to love, you got to do some stuff you don't like. Like that is so true. Like no, I do not like doing my taxes. But I, to your point, I want to know exactly where my expenses went. And so like I personally don't want to give that away yet.

[00:32:21] I also love organizing things. So maybe I actually don't hate doing my taxes as much as I say that I do. I don't like paying my taxes. That's what I actually don't like doing. Who does? But I just so grounded. And I think, first of all, if you did have a walk-in bakery, Emily, I would be there like every day. And I don't think my budget nor should my diet consist that many cookies. So wait a second to build that bakery. But then I will be there. I'll be there. You'll be like, she's back. She's back. The order's ready. One day you'll get there.

[00:32:51] And I think that you have been so – I mean, yeah, you're going to be booming. You're going to be busting at that point. You're already slinging cookies. You're going to be slinging cookies left and right. But I think it's because you're absolutely right. Social media and the way you've approached your business and the way you've approached your creativity and your craft, people are along for being a part of your community. And I love that you have that community behind you of people that love what you're doing, that think what you're doing is different and important and special because it is.

[00:33:18] And you've been so complimentary throughout our conversation around the people that have supported you. I love that you have mentors that were kind of kicking your butt and saying, go do that. You've had creative parents that – supportive parents of your creativity. And I think that sometimes people of the younger generation that might have a little bit of a wild idea, they need that community behind them to go do a little bit of that wild idea.

[00:33:41] So from your perspective, what does meaningful support for creative entrepreneurs look like from parents and professors and managers and mentors? What can that look like for people to support the Gen Z in their life or the young people in their life that might want to merge their creative passion with a profitable business, which I think both can happen, right? So how can other generations or people in our lives support our creatives? Yeah.

[00:34:07] I feel like I have a couple different roles of people in my life that all support me in different ways. And as my business has grown, I have needed more and more and more in different ways. So I feel like really for me in the beginning, what I needed a lot of was – I mean, especially for my parents, it was like, how can they help me to do what I want to do that is appropriate for my age and for my capacity?

[00:34:35] And they weren't minimizing what I was doing and being like, you're just a kid. What do you mean you can't really do these things? But they also weren't like total, like, momager, I'm going to blow this business out of the water because you're a child prodigy and we need to put you in front of all of these things. Like, they were very cognizant of helping give me the tools that I needed at that time. And also, especially for a kid, it was kind of like, this might be something that sticks around, but it also might not be.

[00:34:59] So how can we manage those expectations well and help set you up for success if that's going to happen? But also, like, again, not put this expectation that you have to do this thing if that ends up not being what you want to continue with. And for me, it was kind of like, I didn't know. I mean, I knew I wanted to have a bakery, but I didn't know if that was going to pan out. So I'm glad that it has and has stuck around.

[00:35:20] And then I think since then, like, in more in my, like, college time when I was really just kind of seeing all of the pieces, learning more about the business, really, I feel like I needed a lot of cheerleaders and a lot of, yeah, just advisors. I'd say the cheerleader front is just, like, people that are championing you and that are invested in what's happening. And I mean, that's like, from day one, that has been the case in my business. I just celebrated 15 years and I had a party in Nashville and another one in Atlanta.

[00:35:50] And I gave a speech to both of them just celebrating the people that were there because I'm like, yeah, I could go through and, like, talk about all the things that I've done throughout the years. But, like, none of it would be possible without your support in all of these different ways. And it literally kind of, like, bring me to tears the ways that it, my business on the surface looks like something that is so solo and puts me at the center or me at the forefront.

[00:36:14] But when you really look at it, there are so many people that make it possible in whatever way. So cheerleaders are absolutely, like, you need those, especially when you are feeling like you don't know what you're doing or why you're doing it or if it's going to work. And then on the advisor side, I think I needed, sometimes you need idea generators and sometimes you need idea sisters. And I feel like in college, I needed more of the generators where I'm like, I don't even, like, what's a 1099?

[00:36:43] What, like, what things do I need to be doing? Like, how can I use a spreadsheet? And that was a lot more of the advice that I needed. Or, like, I'm doing social media. Like, what does that even industry look like? And just making connections with people and just asking them what might feel like more of a basic question. And now I'm at the point in my business where, like, I don't necessarily need a lot of new ideas because I already am pretty clear on that. And that's already personally, like, kind of my, by the, I've already got a lot going on up here.

[00:37:12] So I don't really need a whole bunch else added. So I really need people that are able to discern with me, like, of the ideas that you have, which are the ones worth pursuing, and how can you use your resources well. I've been working with a small business strategist for the last year, local in Nashville. And she is such an epitome of, like, someone who very, she rides the line and the tension in her business, I'd say, is, like, this investment in your life and your business.

[00:37:40] And then also this, like, I'm outside of it as a consultant. And done that so beautifully in a way that, like, I think she's wonderful. I just, her brain is amazing. And she's so smart. And I learned so much from her, not just because of her experience, but also because she is familiar with me and my business. And really now, I think a lot of the support I'm looking to get, like, my girl Hillary, who's going to be in my emails now,

[00:38:06] she and other folk, it's more like, okay, I need people that are actually in the weeds with it. Because I'm bleeding out into asking, like, my boyfriend and my roommates for help and my mom on, like, what I should be doing. And, like, that's not their job. So I need someone that is their job to be in those details because I just can only do so much. It's just me. So there are different kinds of support you need at different times. And sometimes you don't know what you need. And actually, most times you don't know what you need.

[00:38:33] But people are more than willing to help figure out if they are that person for you or if they are not and you need someone else. So just start asking. I'm like a 15-year vet. I love that. You are 15 years veteran into business. Can barely rent a rental car. But, you know, only one year of rental car eligibility, 15 years of business. I love that. But also, shout out to Hillary.

[00:38:58] We all need that person that, like, they live and thrive in some of the weeds and keeping us, keeping our heads on straight. Mine's Callie, who you emailed with, right? Like, my head would be backwards. I would be going the opposite direction. Because when you have a lot of ideas, sometimes when you're, like, doing business, you get distracted a lot of different ways. And there's times when I look up and I'm like, it's 3 p.m. on a Friday. I don't need to be sorting this out. Like, I need to be doing something else and following my energy in a different way. And so it is.

[00:39:25] When you get to that point where you get to expand and bring the people in to help you do your job more, I think there's, like, this sigh of relief where you're like, oh, I get to do the thing like that I love to do. Because as you mentioned earlier, sometimes you have to do the stuff you don't like to do to get to the stuff you do love to do. And I love that you're at that point. And you've been there. And all the people along the way have helped you. And you shout them out so, so humbly and graciously. And that's delightful. Yeah. And what's great about it, too, that's so exciting as you grow.

[00:39:55] It's, like, the thing that you hate is the thing that somebody else loves. And you get to, like, be a part of this, like, generative gift economy where when you have a need, it creates an opportunity for someone else. And I just think that's so special. And it's really fun to get to build a world that people can be a part of. Absolutely. It truly is. It's, like, your least favorite task is someone's absolute favorite thing to do. You're like, come on down. Boy, do I have a task for you.

[00:40:25] Okay. So before we get to my – I always like to end on really fun notes. Normally, I always ask, like, what's your favorite thing about your Gen Z peers? We're going to get to that in a second. Because you have such an interesting portfolio of work. And we've talked about gender styles. And I'm sure you could ask this a lot. Who's your favorite person, like, famous person you've got to design a cookie for? Oh, gosh. I think I'm going to have to go with my – Okay. Okay. Because I know you've designed a lot.

[00:40:51] Favorite aesthetic, like, that you – like, the creation and then just overall favorite human that you've got to design for? Oh, man. I have baked for over 100 artists and probably over hundreds of people and friends. So it is a tough question. But my go-to aesthetically – and she's right above me, as you're able to see this on video – is Chapel Rowne.

[00:41:16] She is, I think, just so inspiring in how much she expands her world and artistry into so many – with so many people being a part of it. And just always is making such interesting work. And I got to create her outfits on cookies. And that was really just so special because they're all so wildly different. I really had my time to craft them and get all up in the details. And that is just so fun for me. So I just think very fondly of those cookies.

[00:41:45] And I don't often get to meet big artists that I make cookies for, but I did get the opportunity to meet her just by the circumstances. So that was also just really special. She was very thoughtful and engaged. And, I mean, we have like five minutes just like chatting in a room, like looking over and like studying my art, which is her art, together. It was such a dream. And this is maybe like a combo of both. But also on my wall is Sabrina Carpenter. And I'm just so obsessed with her. I think she's so fun.

[00:42:15] So cute. And she's just so girly-pugged and so silly and takes herself not that seriously. But also is like very serious about her craft. And I just think she's so fun. I think we'd have a blast if I met her. Yeah. And lots, I mean, any of the indie artists that I make cookies for a national to that just like, they warm my heart so much. It feels like returning home since that's a lot of how I got started.

[00:42:40] And they are just such dear people to also really be in the, like, state of being appreciative of each other's art form. I mean, it's my favorite, like, kismet to be talking with an artist and connecting over something that captures both me and them and their fans and so many layers of their story and personality. So, yeah, I could talk about it a while. But we're wrapping up. So, like sitting. No, no. I could talk about this forever.

[00:43:09] I'm just sitting here like proud big sister because you're gushing and it's so cute. But I'm, like, imagining you in chapel. Like, no, girl. Like, your artistry was great. No, yours was. No, yours was. Like, it was probably just compliment bombing each other back and forth. Yes. And to be a fly on the wall of, like, how cute that moment probably was. But I love that other artists really do. They're like, that's some good stuff right there. Emily made that. Because it's a moment of appreciation, right?

[00:43:35] Like, they put a lot of energy and effort into creating something for all of us. As someone who's not musically inclined besides buying the ticket and going to the concert, I'm fascinated by musicians. And I'm really fascinated by creatives that build amazing things. Like, that's why I'm like, I look at your stuff. I'm like, how? How did you put all that on a cookie? And I think it's just so cool that you get, you understand that craft piece of it. To build something like that and then be able to honor somebody else that does that. Like, that's got to be one of the coolest things. Oh, my gosh.

[00:44:04] You do a lot of cool stuff. But thank you. I mean, it truly is, like, it feels like such the pinnacle of my mission and what I love to do. And it really is my way of, like, creating beauty in the world and being able to see people and, like, say, hey, yeah, I see these details. I see what you're doing. I see your story at me in something. Especially as artists, when you just put things out into the world and you don't know how it's going to be received.

[00:44:32] It's a gift to be able to create something that says, hey, yeah, I saw this. I received that. And whether it's, I mean, I like to say for my local clients, like, I could probably, I'll probably be the one that spends the most time and pays the most attention to all of the details of, like, your son's fourth birthday party. Because I'm, like, I'm up in that, like, evite and the decor you set and matching the colors and looking through the 17 photos you sent me of him on the playground. And I love it.

[00:45:02] It's, like, my favorite thing to get to just be invested in the details of people's lives and create something that captures that investment. I always say details matter to the people they matter to them. So, like, when you, like, when you notice something, like, about someone and they really care about that detail, like, that four-year-old's birthday party, like, that mom probably was, like, I did notice the dimple in his little cheek. And, like, you caught that on the cookie. And, like, that's the little detail probably that makes what you do so special.

[00:45:32] So, thank you for bringing some beauty and joy into the world in a very creative way. But we're going to wrap up with my favorite question. You are Gen Z. You're around Gen Z. You went to school with them. You also probably make a lot of cookies for Gen Z artists. So, I feel like you're a great person to ask this question. What's one of your favorite things about your Gen Z peers? Absolutely. I'd say the word that comes to mind is just vibrancy.

[00:45:55] Like, even just in aesthetics, I think that's such an obvious thing about Gen Z is, like, the bold colors and bright colors and bold fonts. And, like, that aesthetically is so notable. But I just think there's also a vibrancy of personality of, like, I'm going to embed my story and who I am into my career, into my relationships, into my social media.

[00:46:20] So, there's so much just of, like, I love just people getting to thrive and shine and show so much of who they are and really live into that. And I think it is inspiring to me. I had a friend once say, when she saw me, she was at my house when I had a cookie pickup. And she said, seeing you do the thing that you love makes me want to do the thing that I love. And I am so glad that I get to be a person that inspires people to do that.

[00:46:46] And I'm so glad that I get to be inspired by my peers that get helping me do the thing that I love even more. Emily, you are sweet as cookies. And I've been sitting on that one all the time because that is so true. Like, that is, I can, you radiate that, that vibrancy yourself of leaning into the person that you are. But I also love that about Gen Z. They're like, I'm just going to do me if that's okay. And I'm like, rock on, do it. By all means, like, let me know how I can support you.

[00:47:13] Well, Emily, it has been so much fun to talk about all of these amazing things that you're doing. You really hit on a lot of my favorite things, entrepreneurship, creativity, cookies, and music. And our dear sweet city, Nashville. But if people want to follow along with you, what are some of the best ways that they can stay up to date with your work? Absolutely. I'd say Instagram is my biggest platform where I show most of my things. So you can find me at Cookie in the Kitchen there and on TikTok as well.

[00:47:38] I also have a little sub snack for my local Nashville people where I take orders and just share reflections on my business. So fun. 12 out of 10 recommend if you just need a nice, the opposite of a doom scroll, go follow Emily. Because it's more like I need to just put dopamine into my brain via these cookies. So, Emily, thank you for being here and sharing your wisdom. Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much, Megan, for your thoughtful questions. This has been a delightful conversation. I'm going to be buzzing the rest of my weekend from this. So thank you.

[00:48:14] There were so many great takeaways from my conversation with Emily. But a few made me think differently. First, Emily talked about how her creative brain actually makes her better at business and vice versa. Building a business is creative in itself. You're designing the experience, the brand, the communication, and ultimately what you want your work and your life to look like. So if you have a creative skill, you want to turn into something more, don't assume learning the business side will take you away from your creativity.

[00:48:41] It might actually give you more freedom to keep doing it. Second, build the business around the life you want, not just around what can make the most money. One of my favorite things that Emily shared was the idea of asking, how can I scale this but also stay small? Growth doesn't always have to mean doing more, selling more, or being the biggest possible company. Think about what you actually want your day-to-day life to look like and let that help define your success and what that means for you.

[00:49:12] Third, if you want to do things you love, you're probably going to have to do some things you don't love. Not every part of entrepreneurship is going to be exciting. Sometimes it's emails, bookkeeping, or learning your numbers. Emily's advice is to learn enough to understand how the pieces of your business work, and then, as you're able to, bring in people who are great at the things that drain you, but who also love doing those things. And finally, don't underestimate the people around you.

[00:49:39] Emily's been building her business for 15 years, but one of the things she made very clear is that she didn't build it alone. At different stages, she needed cheerleaders, mentors, advisors, strategists, and people willing to get into the weeds with her. You may not always know exactly what kind of help you need, but you can start by asking. There's so much more to learn from Emily and so much great cookie artistry that you can keep up with,

[00:50:05] so please follow along Emily's work at cookieinthekitchen.com and on Instagram and TikTok at cookieinthekitchen. Now, we'd love to hear from you. What are you sitting with after this episode, and what are you going to keep coming back to? You can share about it on Spotify in the listener comment section, or you can rate, review, and follow wherever you get your podcasts. This really does help more people find these conversations and learn along with us.

[00:50:32] With only a few more episodes left in this season, we're on the hunt for next season's topics and guests. If you have a suggestion, feel free to share that using the form on the website, strategieswithgrace.com podcast. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram at Megan M. Grace to keep the conversation going. I couldn't do this without the Gen Z team who brings this episode to life. This episode was produced and edited by Callie Waters. Thank you again for stopping by. Let's continue this conversation, and we'll chat soon.