I fully believe that some people come into your life at times when you least expect it for reasons unknown to you… and sometimes, those people… they bring cookies. Ukrainian cookies!
A few months ago, I came across a post on Facebook from a Ukrainian mom advertising her home-made cookies, custom-made and hand-decorated for special occasions and events, shipping from her very own Winnipeg kitchen throughout North America. They were BEAUTIFUL. There were pairs of red dancing boots, Ukrainian Easter egg cookies, and gorgeous poppies and daisies!
I immediately ordered a variety of cookies for all my son’s teachers. Confession: I ordered twice as many as I needed because I wanted them all for myself. There – my conscience is clear. They arrived quickly and in perfect condition by Canada Post, carefully packaged and individually wrapped in food-grade packaging and tied with ribbon. They immediately made my house smell like heaven. And they were BEAUTIFUL. Almost too beautiful to eat and yet… I wanted to eat them all.
I tasted one. And then another. They weren’t just beautiful. They were delicious too. I had one more… and got to thinking: These are amazing… They have real business potential… hmmm….
Even more amazing was the woman behind the cookies. Krys is a single mom of three kids, turning a passionate hobby into a lucrative business in a niche market: Ukrainian-themed cookies. All from her own kitchen. This is a mom (just like me), working from home so her kids can still be her top priority (just like me), doing something she is passionate about (just like me), determined to deliver a quality artisanal product at the highest standard (hmmm… sounds familiar). She’s a business person and colleague I can both relate to and respect. As we got chatting through Facebook, her creative energy inspired me and long story short… the kUkiez by Krys logo was born.
Krys had long ago settled on a great business name, merging her first initial with “Ukie” (North American slang for “Ukrainian”) making it the perfect name for a Ukrainian cookie company. Her vivacious personality and New Jersey roots led to the tagline “Cookies with a whole lotta Ukie!”, keeping the feel of the business casual, fun, and reminiscent of down-home goodness. Since Krys uses Facebook primarily to advertise her product, a bright and cheerful logo was the way to go. It was my job to make it look as delicious as her actual cookies and make her customers want to lick their computer screens.
I couldn’t be more proud of this logo… and the new friendship that came out of it. If you want to check out more of Krys’s cookies, pour yourself a glass of milk and prepare to drool over www.facebook.com/kukiezbykrys. And although Ukrainian-themed cookies are her specialty, she’s by no means limited to them… her baptism crosses and other designs are equally amazing and I have no doubt her talent could fill anyone’s wildest cookie dreams! Now stop licking your screen and go check out her Facebook page!
Tanya Mykytiuk 