Hi there! I'm Olivia!
I'm 26-years-old, was diagnosed with Autism in 2020, was born and raised in San Diego, and own an online edible cookie dough shop called Unbaked: A Cookie Dough Bar.
I started Unbaked in 2015 after quitting what I thought was my dream job at the NFL Network. Since I was 11, football had been my special interest (not that I knew that's what it was at the time). I played football and dreamed of becoming a sports reporter.
I accomplished my dream many times which allowed me to land my so-called dream job at the NFL Network at just 18 years old and having never stepped on a college campus.
Unfortunately, I ended up hating my job at the NFL Network. I wouldn't understand the real reasons why until I was diagnosed with Autism in January of 2020 at 24-years-old.
Socializing and setting at a desk all day are something my Autistic brain is not good at. So, even though I loved football, I hated the NFL job. I had vowed to never do anything I hated, so I quit after just one season of working there.
I normally just would have moved back in with my parents (I was living in Los Angeles at the time for the job), but I had met my boyfriend (I know, such a cliche!) and didn't want to move back.
I thus needed to start making money so that I could continue to afford my (expensive) rent. I thought I would try to start a little home bakery business since I always loved baking.
But with the market for little bakeries so saturated in LA, nothing made my bakery stand out. I needed to switch gears and go back to the drawing board.
After a couple months, I finally thought of an idea: why not make a "Coldstone" type shop but with cookie dough.
All on my own (and while unknowingly Autistic), I launched Unbaked. I got all of the needed permits and licenses, tested recipes, created a website, made social media accounts, and put my little business out there.
With the support of my family and boyfriend, Alex, I was able to grow my business into a success story. I went from making a couple hundred dollars a month to tens of thousands.
And I did this mostly on my own, with the help of Alex, my sister Natalie, and my mom whenever I needed an extra hand. I even hired real employees (Erin and Jonah) to help me out. They've since moved on from Unbaked, but I couldn't have done it without them!
In my spare time since being diagnosed with Autism, I make YouTube videos to try to bring awareness to females and adults on the Spectrum. I now want to broaden my involvement in the world of Autism by helping Autistic people.
I want to help other Autistic adults become business owners so that they can support themselves and make a living.
I've taken the knowledge I've gotten from 7 years of business ownership and put it in a course so that anyone, Autistic or not, can start their own successful online edible cookie dough business, too.
Being my own boss and being able to make my own schedule has helped me keep my intense anxiety at a minimum. My hope is that my course can give you a tool to lower your anxiety, too!