Cory Nieves, Cookie Mogul
Cory Nieves grew up in New Jersey. At six years old, he began selling hot cocoa to save money so that his mother could buy a car—but his business quickly expanded to include lemonade and, ultimately, cookies. “Mr. Cory,” as he is now known, worked with his mother Lisa to develop and perfect homemade recipes, and Lisa taught him the basics of business along the way. Mr. Cory learned about brand and money management, customer service, and more, all while keeping up with his schoolwork. He streamlined his business to focus on cookies, moving to a commercial-grade kitchen to meet food safety standards. Since then, Mr. Cory’s Cookies have seen success after success. Mr. Cory has partnered with Aetna, Barney’s, Bloomingdales, Citibank, J. Crew, Macy’s, Mercedes-Benz, Pottery Barn, Ralph Lauren, TOMS, Viacom, Whole Foods, Williams-Sonoma, and more to bring Mr. Cory’s Cookies to cookie-lovers across the country.
Today, at 22, Mr. Cory is the CEO of a multi-million-dollar national cookie company; his non-profit, Mr. Cory’s Cares, focuses on giving back to the community. What began with a six-year-old selling hot cocoa became a national success story. This story teaches a couple of important lessons: primarily, don’t be afraid to start! When Cory Nieves was six years old, he likely did not foresee the success his cookie business would have. But, undaunted by his circumstances, he began with what he had, addressed the market right in front of him, and expanded from there. Secondly, Mr. Cory has an exemplary perspective when it comes to his mission. He continues to maintain his original vision, saying, “I still want to help people. It’s not just about the cookies—it’s about making the world a better place, one cookie at a time.” This customer-focused outlook sets Mr. Cory apart from others and serves as an example for entrepreneurs, young and old alike.
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This is an incredible story! Not only is he performing a kind act for his community through his company, but he is also actively widening his market for his product. Cory is appealing to cookie lovers, but also to those who care about giving back to the community! It is a great marketing strategy!
This is incredible! The fact that a six year old’s idea branched into this huge successful business is amazing! I also love the fact that Nieves is giving back to the community through a non-profit. It goes to show that even large successful business’s are willing to and want to give back to the community in any way that they can.
I love how the whole thing started with him trying to save enough money to get a car for his mom. It really shows both the ‘I can do anything’ spirit of children, a spirit that I think we all would do well to apply at least a little to our lives. I also appreciate the desire to help that many children have, and I love how Cory carried on his desire to help and give back with the charity.
One aspect of this story that I think everyone should appreciate more is that it is a very good example of the slow hunch theory. Unlike a flash-in-the-pan business, Cory pursued his market over the course of eighteen years, and got to see increasing interest in his niche.