In this episode of Mom to MORE™, host Sharon Macey is joined by Maryfran Klein, former stay-at-home-mom and Founder of MF Kookies™.

Maryfran hung up her high heels after a 20+ year career with Elite Models to raise her 3 children.

As in any moms life, unexpected challenges always present themselves and Maryfran was no different, with 2 of her children requiring medical interventions.   She was grateful to be able to be with her kids during these challenging times.

She started baking her own chocolate chip cookies as a sweet treat for her family, and overtime everyone became convinced that she had perfected the best cookie out there.

When their youngest daughter started her sophomore year in college in 2019, Maryfran decided to take that entrepreneurial leap to realize her dream of a cookie business and MF Kookies™ was born. (Needless to say, she was blessed with some kick-a** initials!) She found a niche for her cookies that didn’t exist before and baked her way into freezer sections in the Chicago area and also created a successful direct-to-consumer business.  Maryfran’s message to moms: Creating a business in your 50’s is hard work and absolutely possible.

Join Sharon and Maryfran as they discuss advocating for children's health, the empowerment of mothers, the importance of having a vision, and believing in oneself.

Despite facing the daunting challenge of her child's medical condition and her own initial self-doubt, Maryfran harnessed the skills honed through parenting—such as multitasking and time management—to build a successful cookie empire.

Her experience serves as an empowering example to other mothers and aspiring entrepreneurs that it is possible to reinvent oneself and achieve sweet success, proving that with vision, passion, and the willingness to learn and grow, dreams can be transformed into reality, no matter the stage of life.

[00:00] Introduction [02:14] Maryfran’s background [06:50] Insights on raising healthy, successful children while balancing personal aspirations [08:31] Exploration of the journey from motherhood to entrepreneurship, the rediscovery of passions, and the importance of having a vision. [11:20] The transferable skills from parenting to business [13:20] Lessons in chemistry role of experimentation in product development [17:50] Starting a business with passion and determination [20:40] The surprise success of MF Kookies™ at the very first trade show despite an initial setback [20:56] The importance of family support in pursuing new ventures [25:09] Reflections on growth through entrepreneurship and aspirations [28:25] The vision for the future of MF Kookies™ and Maryfran's “MORE” [32:08] Where to find MaryFran online

Learn more about MaryFran and MF Kookies:

MFKookies.com (order direct and shipped fresh)

Instagram: @mfkookies

Facebook: @mfkookies

MF Kookies™ design firm, Design Womb: https://designwomb.com/

Instagram: @designwomb

Looking for MORE? Follow @momtomore on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.  @Sharon Macey on LinkedIn. Keep an eye out for episode #16 of the Mom to MORE™ podcast where Sharon is joined by Zibby Owens: Mom, podcaster, best-selling author, and publisher who has been called the “Literary Fairy Godmother” of the book world. Coming soon - you won’t want to miss it ♥