As a kid growing up in a very small town in South Africa all I ever dreamt about was moving to New York- the magical place they filmed Friends. Surrounded by extreme poverty I knew that if my dreams came true, whether it be through fortune, luck or hard work, I would always do my bit to give back to those less fortunate.
Fast forward a lot of years later to July 2015, I arrived to live in New York. (Ok, so I settled in the beautiful small town of Hoboken, New Jersey but it is just a stone throw away from the city, quieter and back then a little cheaper!) It still wasn't an easy adjustment. No one warned me how expensive everything is!! and with two kids to feed (as a single mom) and rent to pay, I found myself spending every last cent I earned, moving over time from one corporate job to the next, feeling frustrated and under-valued. I knew I had to do something. Change something. Mommy crying every night after work had to stop.
When I wasn't working I was always creating 'something'. I studied Fine Art and Illustration at college so it came as no surprise to anyone that I longed for a career more artsy than the one I had chosen, or more so, fallen into.
On March 5th, 2020, I quit my job hoping to follow my passion for creativity and start a cookie company. I knew this was crazy idea and a huge risk, but I had this optimistic, somewhat delusional confidence that I could do it.
Little did I know that 10 days later the country would go into lock-down and I’d be forced to put my immediate plans on hold. My whole world turned upside down- but I refused to let this define who I was or what I wanted to achieve. After all, I was healthy.
So, when I wasn't homeschooling I was baking for first responders and other front-line workers. I gave every free minute I had – which then was quite a lot of minutes- to helping those who needed it most in a way I could.
What began as a complimentary dozen here and there for local hospitals quickly turned into donations of over 5000 cookies a week. I became known as ‘Caroline the Cookie Girl’ and I spent much of 2020 and 2021 in hospitals and old-age care facilities handing out cookies or donating money I had raised to organizations helping those affected by Covid-19.
Then donations started turning into actual orders and it wasn’t long before I started taking on clients as a legitimate business, and For Cup Sakes was born.
Since my inception, I’ve had the privilege of baking for some amazing clients including Booking.com, NFL, I Heart Radio, Netflix, and Nike, but regardless of client status or size of the order, I take great pride in baking a delicious cookie that is also a work of art, with a goal of giving back.
My business has afforded me the opportunity to do what I love. It has allowed me to financially provide for my two kids, who are my motivation every single day, and it has given a platform to try help make a positive impact in the lives of others. Everyday I get up with the goal to be a good mom, make positive change and bake the world a better place.