Life-Changing Cookies

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Derek Jaeger, founder of Last Crumb, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Last Crumb has become the internet's most exclusive & innovative luxury cookie brand. We strove to reimagine the dessert industry and approach consumers via inspired practices from popular streetwear brands. Each week, our coveted 12-cookie collection is hand-baked in Los Angeles and presented to the consumers through weekly "drops." Our Core Collection features 12 flavors (with more in the works!) that I spent years crafting to perfection, including:

The James Dean (Oreo Milkshake), Netflix & Crunch (Cinnamon Toast Crunch), S'mores Sans Campfire (S'Mores), Macadamia (Salted Caramel Macadamia), and Donkey Kong (Banana Cream Pie), among others.

Our consumers are the same demographic as those who would wait for hours in line for a Supreme drop or set alarms to ensure success at a designer "drop" sale. They are dedicated, cookie-loving, luxury-appreciating consumers who aren't afraid to spend for quality.

Tell us about yourself

I love food. Everything about food fascinates me, and ultimately, I fell in love with the science of food, what makes the mouth feel chemical interactions, flavor complements, and everything in between. This passion never faded, and when I went on to launch my marketing company, I felt I had lost touch with what truly made me happy. But by combining my new work and my forever passion is how Last Crumb was conceptualized. What motivates me is that I believe Last Crumb is a global brand, and anything short of that is a failure.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Building this on my terms. This concept was fully against the grain, with nothing really to go off of except this feeling that we could build something that people would really love. But I was completely unwavering in what I wanted to build, and if it failed, I was ok with it failing. Being able to self-fund the entire first year, building the brand front to back, taking the leap of hiring a CEO before selling one cookie, and not taking any shortcuts along the way to start Last Crumb is my biggest accomplishment as a business owner to date.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Responsibility. I feel no pressure from colleagues, investors, or any expectations of the brand. But knowing that I have a team that believes what I believe, gives their time, effort, and life to help me build what now is OUR dream, I feel an incredible amount of responsibility to make sure they are living a happy life inside and outside of our building. Ensuring that the community and team are happy, feel supported and collaborate successfully is a priority and can be put at risk if too much focus is placed on the financial growth. While on the flip side, it is essential to focus on the responsible management, allocation, and support given to the financial needs without getting too caught up in the excitement of taking off.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

The product above everything else. Too many companies out there are trying to sell their crappy products with genius marketing strategies yet end up getting caught in the cycle of paid customer acquisition and scrapping for every last cent of lifetime value. If you have to shove your product in someone's face to buy it, it's not good enough.
Start with capital, whether it's your own, a seed round, friends and family, whatever. Start with a nest. Start with more than you think. You want to be cash conscious, but you don't want every decision you make to have financial constraints.
Work with similar-minded people to start. You have to be around these people all the time. The initial 6-12 months is going to belong, usually underpaid, and the most innovative time of the company. Grinding it out with people you enjoy and see eye-to-eye with is incredibly underrated.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://lastcrumb.com/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/lastcrumb/
https://www.instagram.com/djaeger15/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.