Most mothers know the way to people's hearts is through
their stomachs. So it's no surprise that avid baker Lynn Berman, Washington, and her daughter, Sara
Berman Popek, Texas, mother of
5-year-old twin boys, have decided to turn what began as treats for family and
friends into a creative business venture.
This past August, Lynn and Sara launched Nothinglikeit.com,
a unique online baked goods ordering service.
The website makes it easy for
customers to have a batch of homemade treats—cookies, cakes and breads—delivered
to friends, family or colleagues with just the click of a mouse.
Not only are these sweets tasty, but the special care that
Lynn and Sara put into their presentation makes the gifts that much more
special. One of the most unique draws of Nothing
Like It is the packaging. The mother-daughter team had seen dozens of
okay-tasting cookies that came in generic white boxes with the cookies often
stuck together in between layers of tissue paper. "Cookies as a gift are always
thoughtful, but a presentation like that just counteracts all those nice
sentiments. As entrepreneurs, cookie-addicts and mothers, we knew we could do
better," says Sara. They want customers to be able to order cookies as gifts
and have them actually look like
gifts with quality packaging, luxurious bows and note cards. Lynn and Sara will
even work directly with clients to create custom ribbons and wrapping.
As for the desserts inside the boxes, cookie-cravers can choose from an array of flavors. Great-tasting signature cookies include rapadoodle (in the family of a snickerdoodle and named after Sara's son, Reese, who initials are R.A.P.), oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip and peanut butter. For all those nut lovers, most of the cookies can be ordered with pecans, and when a customer really wants to make a sweet impression, Nothing Like It also specializes in cakes and breads like frosted strawberry and chocolate cakes, glazed banana bread and pound cake dusted with powdered sugar.
Like with most famous recipes, a lot of thought and tinkering occurs in pursuit of the perfect bite, and Lynn's oatmeal cookie is a great example: imported vanilla, old-fashioned oats and a few other ingredients which will forever remain secrets.
However, the secret to their business success is no secret at all. Both credit their Tri Delta background as the basis for their entrepreneurial ability.
"Tri Delta helped shape this business venture by showing us what teamwork is all about," Sara says. "My mom and I are able to play off each other's strengths and weaknesses to ultimately make our business the best it can be.
The endless network of Tri Delta sisters is another advantage which has helped boost the business.
"We've been able to rely on our fellow sisters to help get our business off the ground," says Sara. "Word of mouth travels quickly, and sharing Nothing Like It with alumnae all over the country helped us to get where we are today."
