Caroline McGinley, owner of La Gringuita, never pictured herself owning a business. After college, she did know that she wanted to live in another country so she moved to Uruguay. Increasing the Dough, one cookie at a time begins there. Caroline got a little taste of the entrepreneurial fire and she was hooked! When the pandemic hit and she reluctantly returned to the United States, she continued to perfect her cookie recipes and started selling them at Farmers Markets before eventually getting into local gourmet stores. Today her journey continues as she builds her brand and expands her business. If you are local to South Florida, definitely check her out at the West Palm GreenMarket and The Gardens GreenMarket.
Host Bio: Allison Turner owns both BatCat Media Group and Dream Plan Start Grow, which is a subsidiary of BatCat. She loves working with entrepreneurs through business coaching and marketing to make their vision and business shine. One of her true passions is working with new business owners and those looking to start a business on bringing their vision and brand to life. She loves exploring the entrepreneurial journey with each of her guests to educate new business owners and potential business owners on the journey of entrepreneurship.
Guest Bio: The first time someone called Caroline la gringuita was in Lima, Peru in January of 2020, but her story as la gringa started long before that. When she was 23, she moved to–and fell in love with–Montevideo, Uruguay. It was there that she lived in a residencia with a group of young adults from Uruguay, Venezuela and Cuba. She witnessed firsthand the courage it takes for someone to immigrate to another country, leaving behind family, friends, jobs. A sense of security. A sense of belonging. “I think we all felt a little lonely at times, but we had each other. We would spend most of our days in the kitchen: eating, laughing, singing along to the guitar. They cooked me their favorite meals from childhood. I made them cookies.”
You might think her story would have begun a year later, after she moved and started selling gourmet cookies out of her apartment on the other side of the city, but it really all began in the small and crowded kitchen of that residencia.
“I want my cookies to bring people together, no matter where they’re from or what their background is. I want my cookies to spark joy in someone, to take them back to a moment of happiness with every bite they take. I want my story to give you the courage to follow your dreams, too.”
Leave A Comment