Die Keksbäckerin

Earlier in the month my host was experiencing a dry spell in his business. Cabin fever coupled with a lack of things to do was turning him into a mess. Often I came home to half-eaten meals and keys left in the key slot. He needed some guidance and turned to an unusual source, the cookie lady.

The cookie lady is hybrid of east and west, a former GDR super-athlete turned serial entrepreneur. Early in her working life she realized that the baked goods at corporate gatherings tasted like dirt, so she decided to exploit the shortcoming. Within a few years she was the leading supplier of chocolate and sugared delights to corporate retreats and team-building events all over Germany. She then decided to open her own bakery in central Berlin tucked in one of the many courtyards that weave through the Mitte district. Never one to settle on simply being the best cookie lady in Germany, she decided to open up a mini-consulting business where she helps other entrepreneurs and those seeking work realize their dreams. Entrepreneurs looking for guidance need only show up at the bakery, order a cookie and ask for help. For those very deep in the red and unable to pay her fees, they are given the opportunity to work off their debt in the bakery.

My host, out of ideas and short on contracts decided to make the walk down to the cookie lady business consultant for some inspiration. He spent the morning dissecting his business plan and had an afternoon of sweat and toil in the bakery. To everyones benefit, he came home with a head full of ideas and a bag of fresh baked sugar cookies.