Meet Danielle Helmkamp | Owner & Cookie Artist

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

Hi Danielle, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Work Life balance has always been a struggle for me. Between being a mom, having a social life (when I can anyway), and my cookie business, there’s never enough time in the day. So I have to make sure I’ve got my days scheduled out. I want to make sure I can be 100% in every aspect of my life, so I can be balanced as much as possible

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve always had a love for baking, ever since I was a little girl. I used to take chocolate chip cookies to my friends in high school, just because of the way they were so happy every single time. So why not continue to do that as an adult? Except now, I decorate them! I got into those cookies shows on Food Network and said, I’m gonna give this a shot. Found some YouTube videos and taught myself how to do the basics. After giving them as Christmas gifts, I heard from several people I should start a business. And that really got me thinking…I should do that. So I did! It wasn’t easy building up my social media posts to get followers, or trying to get my name out there in general. I hustled and worked farmers markets, gave out free samples, spent so much money on marketing, etc. anything I could to get started. As much I thought about giving up, I pushed through and kept going. It was the hardest, most draining thing over ever gone through. But it finally worked. And now, I’m booking dates several months in advance. I’m getting repeat customers. I’m getting referrals. It’s working! And I am so happy I kept going. I love what I do!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There’s SO many places in OC! There’s your typical places like Disneyland or Knotts Berry Farm that you can always go to. But my favorites are a little more indigenous to Orange County. If you’re here during the summer, Sawdust Festival is a must! Great for seeing local artisans. Then you can hop on over to Laguna Beach for some beach waves and fun. Some of the restaurants over there are great too! Like Nicks or Mozambique Steakhouse with a rooftop seating area. Beautiful when you get there and eat during sunset! You can’t go wrong with anything near the ocean. That’s part of the reason so many people come to Orange County!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have so many people I want to give a shout-out too. My parents- for pushing me to give it all I’ve got and always supporting me. Whether it be to watch my kiddos so I can get some work done, to helping me package my larger orders with the ribbons. I also owe a huge part of my success to my amazing husband- he’s the one who said to go for it 2 years ago. He’s the one who encourages me to do whatever I need to be successful. Even if it means I “have” to buy every cookie cutter imaginable. He’s right there by my side, right there along this incredible journey I’m on.

No matter what, these people are a huge part of my life. I couldn’t do life without them, regardless of owning a cookie business. I owe them so much and can’t thank them enough for the support, love, and encouragement.

Website: www.thesunflourcookieco.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sunflour.cookie.co

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunflour.cookie.co.LLC