Loren Castle started baking cookies after surviving cancer in her early twenties. Five years later, Sweet Loren’s refrigerated cookie dough was generating just $350,000 a year. But instead of giving up, she listened to customers, and reinvented the dough without gluten, dairy, eggs or nuts. That transformation turned a small regional business into a national brand sold in more than 30,000 stores.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
TIMESTAMPS:
8:40 – After her mother's leukemia diagnosis, Loren is diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at 22.
13:12 – Watching people line up for cookies at Levain Bakery: “I think this is America’s favorite food.”
14:54 – Selling baked goods at Smorgasburg: customers ask if they can just buy the dough
26:52 – Just as Whole Foods agrees to carry her cookie dough, Loren loses her mom
37:41 – What happens after Sweet Loren’s gets on The Today Show: “The whole country is excited by this.”
50:19 – Loren reconsiders her recipes after customers ask for dough without gluten, dairy, eggs.
56:24 – Loren takes the leap: discontinuing her original product line and going allergen-free for all.
1:05:41 – From one Whole Foods to 30,000 stores–the company expands nationally.
1:07:46 – After years of struggle, Loren explains why she wants to keep building the company instead of pursuing an exit.
This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.
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