This episode of Side Hustle Spotlight features a Q&A with Maura Duggan, Founder and CEO Fancypants Baking Co. In the CPG biscuit industry, annual retail sales range from $5 million to $10 million, is available at over 1,750 retailers, including Central Market, Gelson’s and Mother’s Market. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Fancypants Baking Co. Maura Duggan.
What was your day-to-day occupation or important occupation when you began your side hustle?
After earning a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and a master’s in education from Harvard, I worked as a researcher for an educational nonprofit. While it was rewarding, I missed a creative outlet where I could challenge myself and learn in a different way.
When did you begin doing this and where did you get the inspiration?
Baking has at all times been a way for me to reconnect with memories of my mother and grandmother, so when I desired to earn some extra money, I naturally gravitated toward the kitchen and my favorite dessert—cookies. In 2004, I began Fancypants in my tiny apartment kitchen. What began as a small enterprise quickly grew into something larger, and soon I started asking myself: Why cannot I turn this into a real business?
What were the first steps you took to start out your side hustle?
I baked batch after batch of cookies in the evenings and invited friends and family as tasters. While I used to be refining the product, I also focused on the business side—securing a kitchen license, organising a checking account, and buying insurance. Pricing was also key because I wanted to make use of premium ingredients but needed a price point that may allow for sustainable growth. It was a balance between accessibility and ensuring we could scale effectively.
Photo credit: courtesy of Fancypants Baking Co.
What were the biggest challenges you faced while building your side hustle and how did you overcome them?
Managing a long to-do list was a constant challenge; it could quickly change into overwhelming if I didn’t break it down into smaller tasks. I used to be working 12-15 hour days, seven days a week, with one, then two, children, so I relied heavily on friends and family for help, whether it was delivering cookies or offering moral support.
I’ll be honest. My confidence may have been boosted at first by not fully understanding the complexities of producing. But as I saw the challenges, I leaned on my education, searching for guidance from industry experts, suppliers, and store owners. While this feedback was incredibly helpful, it was a lot! I spotted I also needed to build my very own confidence and learn to trust my instincts.
How long did it take you to see a regular monthly income? How much did you earn from this side hustle?
Things hurried. After just three months, I quit my full-time job to focus on Fancypants, and inside the first 10 months we made near $100,000. It was clear that this could be greater than just a side hustle and that it was a sustainable business.
Since then, you’ve turned your side hustle into a full-time business. How’s the growth and revenue looking now?
Over the years, Fancypants has evolved from a primarily wholesale model to a consumer-facing product. For years, we focused on frosted decorative cookies sold in bakery aisles, with annual sales ranging from $5 million to $10 million. This year, we introduced a latest line of crispy cookies for the mall aisle and expect to exceed $1 million in 2024 for these products alone, with projections to double or triple that number over the next five years.
Photo credit: courtesy of Fancypants Baking Co.
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
The variety keeps me engaged and fulfills my original desire to continually learn and grow—one day I’m working on a sales pitch, the next I’m supervising a photo shoot or testing a latest recipe. But what I enjoy most is working with stakeholders, from customers to store shoppers, and building a strong team. We’re proud to fabricate our cookies in Massachusetts and offer our production team above minimum wage and advantages like 401k and medical insurance. It’s great to be an advocate for small-business manufacturing when the industry often relies on co-packers.
What advice would you give to others who want to start out their very own successful side hustle or full-time business?
Find your area of interest and tap into it—your belief in what you do will encourage others. Build a network of advisors and peers; don’t be afraid to lean on them for advice. We launched a board in 2022, and their guidance has been invaluable. While it’s easy to fall into tunnel vision, investing in relationships and direct connections has been one of the most rewarding parts of the journey. Networking not only has practical advantages, it also helps reduce the isolation that always accompanies entrepreneurship.