Beyond Baking

Cheryl’s business these days is consulting, not cookies

When Cheryl Krueger was about 6 years old, her grandmother started showing her her way around the kitchen.

By age 10, Krueger, who grew up south of Sandusky, says she knew how to bake a variety of cookies. She packed them in school lunches and enjoyed eating the leftover cookie dough.

Little did Krueger know her knack for baking would transform her into a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur – and a household name in central Ohio.

Though she found great success in Cheryl’s Cookies – now known as Cheryl & Co. – Krueger ended her tenure as president and CEO when she sold the company in 2005. The decision, she says, was completely unplanned.

“It was one of those things where we got an offer and had other investors in the company, and we thought it would be good to diversify a bit,” she says. “(1-800-Flowers) was consistent with our business goals and objectives.”

Krueger founded a consulting business, Krueger+Co. Consulting Inc. There, she assists businesses with financial improvement, creative marketing and other areas.

“There are a lot of good ideas out there from a lot of young people,” Krueger says. “What they’re lacking is the experience, or how to make their ideas a reality. Once you’ve been through it and come out the other end, you have that experience and a lot of wisdom.”

She’s also president of Life Support, which sells an all-natural hangover cure.

“We’ve taken that company up from ground zero,” Krueger says. “It’s in about 120 stores, and we’re putting it in about 100 more stores.”

While Krueger says she’s never been in the beverage business until now, she finds a lot of similarities between Life Support and Cheryl’s Cookies. But there are differences, too, such as the target demographic.

“The fundamentals are very similar,” Krueger says. “But when I had the cookie business, that was mostly targeted toward females. Life Support is (targeting) 80 percent males.”

Life Support targets an age range of 21-60, so Krueger says it’s been interesting to explore what the product means to both a younger and older audience. And, with the rise of social media’s importance in the business world, Krueger adds she’s learning quite a bit about different ways to market.  

“Social media has changed dramatically, so that’s been exciting as well,” she says. “The goal is to grow into a large company and see where it goes from there.”

The Bowling Green State University graduate started taking business classes in the 1970s, and recalls being the only woman in many of her classes. Her knack for business, she says, was never a grand realization. Rather, it came from growing up on a farm and naturally having a creative and industrious streak.

“When I was little, I would make mud pies and sell them at the end of the driveway – a penny for one,” Krueger says. “I think one of the greatest gifts I was given is that I am an eternal optimist. I think I was born this way.”

Hannah Bealer is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.