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

Hi Mackenzie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Honestly, it was a whirlwind! I’ve always admired watching videos of other people making cookies. And obviously I loved eating them. When I saw a local cookie artist advertise a cookie decorating class, I jumped at the chance. It was just a basic 1.5 hour class to teach you how to decorate 6 simple cookies. I was 4 months postpartum and thought it would be a fun way to have some me time. I had the absolute best time and I was pretty decent for my first try. The next week I made around 5 dozen cookies to ship to our friends and family as Christmas presents. Everyone immediately told me I should sell them. I just laughed since I was brand new to this. However, by the third set I made just weeks later, I knew this was something different. They were portrait cookies of my dog and they were the most incredible cookies I’d ever seen. I had shocked even myself with what I was able to do. The minute I completed the set, I dove in head first to entrepreneurship. I think I had an Instagram, website domain, and started filing my paperwork with the city for my cottage bakery permit by midnight the same night. I had figured maybe I’d sell a few dozen a month. I had no idea this business would grow to what it is. I was able to fill my schedule completely within a few months of opening and am in the process of updating my business plan to grow. I am at max capacity for orders for 4-6 weeks at a time. It feels silly saying out loud that cookies are my calling, but here we are.

It has been 11 months since that first cookie and it has changed my life. I sometimes do up to 20 dozen cookies in a week and it never feels like work. It is my happy place and I get lost in it. I feel a great sense of purpose and value in being able to share my talent with the world. It continues to be an incredible adventure and success. I am continually grateful for and proud of this journey. Starting this business wasn’t as much of a choice as it was a need. It is like a fire that I can’t and don’t want to put out.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Custom cookies are an interesting combination of business and art. On the business side, I love making cookies that people enjoy. Decorated cookies get a bad reputation for being hard, overly sweet, or chalky. It is a personal goal of mine to get as many people as possible to try a RueBea’s cookie because they taste GOOD! The cookies are buttery vanilla and have a softer bite for both the cookie itself and the royal icing. I don’t want these cookies to only sit on a table looking pretty, I want people to enjoy them!

On the artistic side, it is incredibly customized. I hear often from people that my cookies are edible art. I completely agree! This comes through my work because I am thinking of the customer every step of the way and, “How can I make this great for them?” I value outstanding customer service and experience. I want the customer to know how important each and every order is to me. It impacts every step of the process from ordering to making the cookies to delivering the final product. I love the trust people put into me making something so special.

When you own a small business, every email and every order is important. It isn’t something I realized prior to owning my own. I just assumed when I purchased from a small business I was one of many. But, I’ve made thousands of cookies this year and I remember every single one and who they were for. Every order is important and special. Typically customers are ordering for an event and they’re counting on your product to help make it magical. That’s a big responsibility and also a big honor, one I love being part of.

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.
If a friend was visiting, I’d split our time between Santa Clarita and Los Angeles. In LA, I think the ultimate day is centered around incredible food. My favorite is any type of festival or street fair. If I couldn’t find one of those, I’d hit Grand Central Market or the Fairfax & 3rd Street Farmers Market for lunch. Another personal favorite is omusubi from Gam Tu Bop or Sunny Blue. The perfect evening would be dressing up and going to Magic Castle for a show, dinner, and drinks. You can’t beat it.

In Santa Clarita, I love spending time on Main Street in Newhall. On a Saturday morning you can catch the Old Town Newhall Farmer’s Market and then go shopping on Main Street. There are incredible shops like FORM + CONTENT, Earthbaby Boutique, Maison on Main, Brixton Phoenix, Care Tucker Style House, or Mascot Aesthetic. There are a few wine bars and breweries. Brewery Draconium has a great beer garden you can sit outside at and drinks on tap. End the morning with churros and horchata coffee from XRO or a latte from WE Lounge.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So much of my success in this business is due to the unconditional support of my husband, Jordan. He works in animation and is a full time artist. In terms of cookies, I can come to him when I am stuck on a design or know what I want, but can’t nail it down. He will mock-up some ideas, colors, and visuals. It is amazing to have someone with an art degree be able to swoop in when I’m frustrated getting a color of icing mixed just right. He’s my secret weapon.

From a partner standpoint, we run a household of 4 together. Jordan helps keep things running smoothly and is never short on love or time for me or our girls. He is the first to celebrate my wins or work. He’s also the first to remind me to eat or sleep when I get swept away in the excitement of running a small business. He is the absolute best teammate I could imagine or ask for.

Website: www.ruebeas.com

Instagram: instagram.com/rue.beas

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ruebeas.treats

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ruebea-s-santa-clarita

Image Credits
@airn.media @izabelcortezphoto_

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.