This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Maura Duggan, founder and CEO of Fancypants Baking Co. The CPG cookie business sees annual top-line sales ranging from $5 million to $10 million and is available at over 1,750 retailers, including Central Market, Gelson's and Mother's Market. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Fancypants Baking Co. Maura Duggan.
What was your day job or main occupation when you started? side hustle?
After earning my bachelor's in neuroscience and my master's in education from HarvardI worked as a researcher for an educational non-profit organization. While it was rewarding, I missed having a creative outlet where I could continue to challenge myself and learn in a different way.
When you started yours side hustleand where did you find the inspiration for it?
Baking has always been a way for me to reconnect with memories of my mother and grandmother, so when I wanted to bring some additional incomenaturally I gravitated towards the kitchen and my favorite dessert – cookies. In 2004, I started Fancypants in my tiny apartment kitchen. What started as a small venture quickly turned into something more and I soon found myself asking: Why can't I turn this into a real business?
What were some of the first steps you took to get yours side hustle from the ground?
In the evenings, I baked batch after batch of cookies and enlisted friends and family as taste testers. While refining the product, I simultaneously focused on the business side—securing a kitchen license, setting up a bank account, and obtaining insurance. Determining my price it was also critical as I wanted to use premium ingredients but needed a price point that would allow for sustainable growth. It was a balance of being approachable and making sure we could scale effectively.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Fancypants Baking Co.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during your build? side hustleand how did you navigate them?
Managing a long list of tasks was a constant challenge; it could quickly become overwhelming if I didn't break it down into smaller tasks. I was working 12-15 hour days, seven days a week, with one and then two kids, so I relied heavily on friends and family for help, whether it was handing out cookies or offering moral support.
I will be honest. Early, my FAITH may have grown without fully understanding the complexities of production. But once I saw the challenges, I drew on my education background, turning to industry experts, suppliers and shop owners for guidance. While that feedback was incredibly helpful, there were a lot of them! I realized that I also needed to build my confidence and learn to trust my instincts.
How long did it take you to see consistent monthly income? How much has he done? side hustle win?
Things picked up quickly. Just three months later, I quit my full-time job to focus on Fancypants, and within the first 10 months, we made close to $100,000. It was clear that this could be more than just a side hustle and was a sustainable business.
You've since turned your side hustle into a full-time business. What do growth and revenue look like now?
Over the years, Fancypants has evolved from a mostly wholesale model to incorporate consumer-facing products. For years, we focused on decorative chilled cookies sold in bakery departments, with high-end annual sales ranging from $5 to $10 million. This year, we launched a new line of crunchy cookies for center aisle grocery store placement, and we expect to cross $1 million in 2024 for those products alone, with projections to double or triple that over the next five years.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Fancypants Baking Co.
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
The variety keeps me engaged and fulfills my initial desire to always be learning and growing – one day, I'm working on a sales deckand the other, I'm overseeing a photo shoot or testing a new recipe. But what I like most is working with stakeholders, from customers to store buyers, and building a strong team. We are proud to make our cookies in Massachusetts and offer our production team above minimum wage and benefits like 401k and health insurance. It feels good to be a champion small business production when the industry often relies on co-packagers.
What is your advice to others hoping to get started successfully? side hustle or their full-time businesses
Find your niche and stick to it – your belief in what you're doing will inspire others. Build a network of advisors and colleagues; don't be afraid to lean on them for advice. We established a board of directors in 2022 and their guidance has been invaluable. While it's easy to get tunnel vision, investing in face-to-face relationships and connections has been one of the most rewarding parts of the journey. Networking not only brings practical benefits, but also helps reduce the isolation that often comes entrepreneurship.