ZAKIYA ELLICK - Stirring Cush, Scaling a Brand

In this episode of Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt sits down with entrepreneur Zakiya Elick, Founder & CEO of The Cookie Dip Company, to talk food, money, mindset, and building a premium brand from a simple idea. We taste-test Zakiya’s refrigerated, all-organic cookie dip flavors—think banana cream, piña colada, and milk chocolate horchata plus we talk about the growing demand for cannabis-infused options and what it takes to scale a product line responsibly.

Then Zakiya makes her ultimate comfort meal: “cush-cush” (corn porridge) a humble cornmeal dish made with water, milk, butter, and sugar. While the pot simmers, she shares the real story behind her rise: - How a childhood craving for the “cream part” of ambrosia inspired cookie dip - The moment people at the Playboy Jazz Festival asked to *buy* her dip (and sparked the business) - How a financial coach helped her identify an affluent target customer and price with confidence - What she learned from pop-ups, selling out, and building consistent online sales - Her Sip and Dip wine + cookie dip pairing event (November 8 in Gardena) - Why she launched Dipping Into Change, a nonprofit supporting neurodivergent learners with financial literacy and entrepreneurship If you’re into small business, food entrepreneurship, product-based brands, pricing strategy, and how to turn a comfort-meal story into a scalable company, this episode is for you.

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