Podcast Summary: Baking it Down with Sugar Cookie Marketing 🍪
Episode 248: Bootcamp Recap - Teaching Cookie Classes
Hosts: Heather and Corrie Miracle
Date: February 17, 2026
Overview of Main Theme
In this upbeat and information-packed episode, Heather and Corrie dive deep into a recap of their very first Sugar Cookie Marketing (SCM) Bootcamp, focusing on teaching in-person cookie classes. They discuss the group’s approach to ongoing education, highlight practical strategies for marketing and running classes, and share community-driven ideas. The episode serves as both a review for bootcamp participants and a motivational guide for anyone seeking to launch or scale cookie decorating classes as part of their baking business. Along the way, listeners get classic Miracle twin banter, real-world lessons, and upcoming community events.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Pruning the Sugar Cookie Marketing Group
- Goal: Keep the group engaged and relevant by removing inactive members, thereby increasing visibility in Facebook feeds.
- Context: The baking industry is fast-moving and current advice is crucial.
- Quote: “People who sold just five years ago wouldn't have used TikTok.” (A, 01:20)
2. Bootcamp Launch Recap
- Strategy: Monthly bootcamps launched, beginning with a three-day intensive on teaching cookie classes.
- Open to All: Bootcamps are $13 for non-members, free for Cookie College members.
- Purpose: Offer a taste of Cookie College, serve highly actionable content in a structured, time-limited Facebook group.
“Make it worth their time. Make it feel like they can't live without it.” – Corrie (06:54)
- Structure: Pre-recorded videos over three days + Facebook group for discussion and resources.
3. Bootcamp Framework
- Content Delivery: Structured daily modules with live Q&A at the end.
- Engagement: “The conversation was a-flowing and a-going.” (Heather, 08:56)
- Community Learning: Group posts, polls, and prompts led to idea-sharing and practical hacks for cookie classes.
- Quote: “When you join the group, you don’t have to be active. You can be a silent lurker, but you do learn more if you contribute.” (B, 10:58)
4. Bootcamp Curriculum Breakdown
Day 1: Event Setup & Marketing
- How-to: Step-by-step tutorial for setting up event registration on Eventbrite.
- Marketing Module: Deep dive into content buckets (types of social posts) and strategy for multi-channel class promotion.
- Use of six content buckets + multiple content types (stories, posts, reels, etc.).
- Emphasized the importance of reaching different audience segments in different ways.
- Quote: “If marketing happened right away, everyone would be millionaires. It’s the small incremental changes that add up over time.” (Heather, 04:17)
Day 2: Teaching Process & Classroom Management
- Live Demo: Heather and Corrie filmed a mock class, breaking down what works and why—including managing pacing and supporting slow learners.
- Resources: Participants received PowerPoints and supply checklists.
- Contract Details: Terms and conditions, addressing refund policy, age restrictions, allergies, weather policy, and minimum attendee rules.
- Quote: “Terms are there for you to bend if you want, but they’re also there to protect you if you don’t want to bend.” (A, 21:22)
Day 3: Remarketing & Retention
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Retention: Strategies for turning first-time attendees into repeat customers via segmented email newsletters, private Facebook groups, and personal follow-ups.
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Remarketing: Sharing event pictures, posting on social media, and leveraging attendee networks.
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Quote: “I like to upload the photos to our Facebook page... great marketing but it also gets the class attendees to have to go to Facebook to find their pictures.” (A, 25:21)
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Outcome: Attendees received downloadable class kits, worksheets, copy templates, contracts, and a free “fruits” themed class.
5. Polling Bootcamp Attendees: Key Stats
- Average Class Duration: Two hours most common (95%); some as short as one hour (for “Mommy & Me” style).
- Cancellation Rates: 58% had canceled a class at some point.
- Practical Takeaways: Set realistic minimums for first-time classes to avoid cancellation.
6. Teaching Tips Shared by the Community
- Creative Resources: Use affordable lingerie boxes for cookie take-home (34:45).
- Amenities: Offer bottled water/coffee and create a photo station for class attendees.
- Process Hacks: Stand-up playlist cards for easy reference, sign-in sheets for follow-up marketing, and bonus mini-cookies.
“If you have to cancel a class, how is that loss of revenue going to affect you? What is your terms and conditions?” (B, 18:07)
- Decorating Approaches: Most teach alongside participants and about half do it without a projector (37:21).
7. Product & Class Development Updates
- Class Designs: New lineup includes more intermediate-level seasonal sets—January (Winter Warm), February (Love Letters), and March (Irish Icing) classes.
- Photography Bootcamp Preview: iPhone photography is prioritized, demystifying equipment needs.
- Quote: “I want you to fall in love with your photography... so you choose that over maybe a background deleter or using AI.” (B, 29:04)
8. Collabs & Upcoming Events
- Love Reviews Collab: Over 100 bakers participated, prompting customer reviews with a heart-cookie selfie.
- AI Bunny Cookie Collab: Members challenge themselves to recreate an AI-generated (and physically demanding) bunny cookie, teaching clients about real vs. AI expectations.
- Pipe a Park Collab (April): Bakers photograph flower cookies in local parks, tying in local marketing.
- Major Holidays: St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Teacher Appreciation—key sales opportunities for themed classes.
9. Listener Questions & Community Segment Highlights
(Select segments include)
- Blog SEO Strategy: Post all backlogged blogs at once if scheduling isn’t possible; more content coverage helps with SEO (58:30).
- Social Scheduler Tools: Meta Business Suite/Facebook Planner is the best free option for Instagram and Facebook (61:12).
- Funny Community Moment: Corrie recounts her "stolen jacket" saga at the gym—should she press charges for a delayed return? A classic Miracle twin tangent.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-----------------------------|---------| | 02:54 | “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” | A (citing Jim Brown) | | 04:17 | “It is so hard to show up and see nothing happening... It's the small incremental changes that add up over time.” | B | | 06:54 | “Make it worth their time. Make it feel like they can't live without it.” | Corrie | | 10:58 | “You can be a silent lurker, but you learn more if you contribute.” | B | | 13:36 | “As to me and my lazy house, Eventbrite we shall be.” | A | | 21:22 | “Terms are there for you to bend if you want, but they're also there to protect you if you don't want to bend.” | A | | 25:21 | “I like to upload the photos to our Facebook page... great marketing but it also gets the class attendees to have to go to Facebook to find their pictures.” | A | | 29:04 | “I want you to fall in love with your photography... so you choose that over maybe a background deleter or using AI.” | B |
Timestamps for Major Segments
- 00:00 – 03:00: SCM Group management and importance of active participation
- 06:08: Introduction to the Bootcamp series
- 07:41 – 11:00: Bootcamp structure, access, and community group details
- 11:32 – 15:45: Day 1: Event setup, marketing strategies, content buckets
- 18:22 – 21:30: Day 2: Teaching method, class contracts, management tips
- 23:24 – 26:28: Day 3: Retaining and remarketing to attendees, group marketing tactics
- 34:26 – 38:10: Community tips for better classes, practical hacks, and resource sharing
- 42:31 – 44:47: Collabs: Love Reviews recap and future collab previews
- 58:30 – 62:08: Listener Q&A: Blogging for SEO, content schedulers, and practical marketing tips
- 72:27 – End: Corrie's jacket saga, Miracle twin banter, and closing thoughts
Tone & Style
- Friendly, accessible, and motivational: The sisters maintain a conversational approach, peppered with humor (and plenty of puns!), making listeners feel like fellow group members.
- Practical & actionable: Heavy focus on step-by-step process, resource recommendations, and real-world troubleshooting.
- Community-driven: Highlights collective wisdom, encourages participation, and shares member success stories.
For New Listeners
If you want to:
- Run in-person cookie classes, or improve your current setup
- Market more strategically and consistently
- Access a supportive and idea-rich baker community
- Learn from practical, up-to-date resources
...this episode and the broader SCM community are designed for you. Bootcamps are the latest tool to spark action—low-cost, high-value, and brimming with actionable steps and peer support.
For more info or to join a future bootcamp, visit thecookiecollege.com or search Sugar Cookie Marketing Group on Facebook.