Ready Set Collaborate with Wanda Pearson
Ready Set Collaborate is a podcast with a wealth of knowledge on networking, collaboration, and partnership, unlocking the secrets to successful teamwork and Innovation. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a creative professional, or just someone who can understand the power of networking and collaboration. This podcast is your go-to resource. Join us as we explore the stories, strategies, and insights from experts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who have experienced the magic of networking and collaboration to achieve successful results.
Ready Set Collaborate with Wanda Pearson
Healing, Hope, and Homemade Cookies: Conversations with Dr. Kyri Mosey
Dr. Kyri Mosley's journey from hospital beds to cookie sheets will leave you inspired and hungry for more. Diagnosed with stage four Ewing sarcoma in 2019 and told her treatment was "pretty inhumane," she not only survived but transformed her life's purpose. Today, she stands proudly as a "thriver" who turned personal trauma into sweet success.
As the founder of Kyri's Cookies—named one of Oprah's favorites in 2023—Dr. Kyri brings something genuinely unique to the bakery world. Her cookies contain zero white flour or sugar, using only organic ingredients that she originally perfected while making bread for her children. At six ounces each (that's four standard cookies in one!), these treats don't just satisfy your sweet tooth—they revolutionize what a cookie can be.
But there's so much more to Dr. Kyri than her delicious creations. With 34 years in healthcare and a PhD in psychology with a concentration in biblical counseling, she approaches business with the heart of a healer. Her virtual talk show "Dr. Kyri Listens" embodies her philosophy that "healing begins with being heard," creating space for trauma survivors to share their stories while finding community and understanding.
What truly sets Dr. Kyri apart is her unwavering kindness. She shares a touching story about a 9-year-old boy who gave her a $20 tip simply because he recognized her authentic kindness—noting she didn't wear a "Be Kind" shirt like others who don't actually live those values. This moment captures the essence of her approach to both business and life: genuine care for others that transcends marketing and branding.
Looking ahead, Dr. Kyri plans to expand her cookie empire while creating employment opportunities for people with special needs and those reentering society after incarceration. Her story reminds us that our greatest challenges can become our most powerful purpose when we lead with compassion and remain true to our values.
Discover Dr. Kyri's Cookies at kairiscookies.com or connect with Dr. Kyri Listens on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to experience this powerful blend of healing and sweetness.
Connect with Dr Kyri Mosley
Facbook: https://www.facebook.com/kyriskookies
Instagram Kyri's Kookies - Oprah's Favorite Things 2023 - YouTube
website: https://kyriskookies.com/
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Welcome to Ready Set. Collaborate with Wanda Pearson. This is where ideas spark, connections grow and collaborations fuse success. Tune in for inspiring stories, expert insights and game-changing conversations. Let's build, connect and thrive together. Remember collaboration is the key to success.
Speaker 3:Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Ready Set Collaborate podcast with Wanda Pearson and hello and welcome to another episode of the Ready Set Collaborate. I'm your host, wanda Pearson, and today we have a truly sweet episode lined up for you. I'm thrilled to welcome a multi-talented guest who knows how to blend science and sugar with style. How about that? The fabulous Dr Kyrie, owner of the Kyrie's Cookies and I'm telling you guys, those cookies are so good I had one. I'm like where can I get more cookies? So not only is she a doctor, but she also the brilliant mind behind a cookie brand that's capturing hearts and taste buds everywhere. So I'm going to read Dr Kyrie's bio because it's so much more and we're going to have her on the show again because, look, there's a lot to learn about her.
Speaker 3:So Dr Kyrie Mosey has been in the healthcare industry for 34 years. Her PhD is psychology, with a concentration in biblical counseling. For 25 years, she has held the role of chief compliance and privacy officer in healthcare and have worked with infectious disease, helping patients with HIV and AIDS. Dr Kyrie is also the founder of Kyrie's Cookies, endorsed as Oprah's favorite 2023. I was like, oh, we got us a star here, y'all. Dr Kyrie is also the founder of Kyrie's Cookies, endorsed as Oprah's favorite 2023. I was like, oh, we got us a star here, y'all. So, lastly, she is the host of a virtual talk show. Dr Kyrie Listens, where her guests share the various traumas they have experienced, and I love this. Saying that you have healing begins with being heard.
Speaker 2:Amen.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Thank you, dr Kyrie. I definitely would love to come on your show. I have a story. This is the saying that you have. Healing begins with being heard. Amen, thank you. Thank you, dr kyle. I definitely would love to come on your show. I have a story to wait I'm so grateful to be here.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much for this opportunity to share a bit about myself yes, yes, I am so excited to have you here and when I met you at a networking, so you never know who you meet at these networking meetings, right?
Speaker 3:and we met at a networking meeting and also she's one of my Legal Shield small business clients and thank you so much for being that. But I met her at a networking event and her sister I've been seeing I didn't realize that was your sister. You know what she makes. What does she make as stuffed animals?
Speaker 2:The keepsake bears. I actually have one she made for my Aunt Brenda, but they are basically you take clothing that belong to the person and you create a stuffed animal with them and it's just very encouraging to have that person's energy.
Speaker 3:Yes, it's beautiful. I really love what she does there, but we got a very talented family here, I'm telling you. So let's dive into her inspiring journey from passion to purpose, because it is passion, and I read her story and I was about ready to cry because I mean, but I, I love how you, you jumped on top of what you, your passion is. As far as kairi's cookies, um, so I'm going to ask you a few questions. Okay, we can get, we can get to know kairi soi, so let's dive into what she likes to do. So, dr Kairi, can you share with us who Dr Kairi is, beyond the cookies?
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness. Well, dr Kairi isa grown woman, I would say young lady. I was born in Brooklyn, new York. I grew up in the Red Hook projects of Brooklyn. I sincerely, always just love encouraging people, and so that's just been my lifetime. Passion is just finding ways to encourage others.
Speaker 3:That's awesome. We had a lot in common, girl, I tell you, because I grew up in a project in Chicago and you know my passion was being a social worker. So you know we got a lot in common. So what inspired your entrepreneur journey?
Speaker 2:Well, back in 2009,. It's so crazy. What I'm recognizing is that it's trauma that has really propelled my entrepreneur journey In 2009,. I was divorced after being together for 20 years and I felt abandoned. To be honest with you, and I remember talking with my son. He was really young and I said, hey, would you like to make some cookies for the troops? And I told him about the troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and I said you know, cookies just remind us of just home, and so I would like to do something to encourage them. And so he's been with me from day one, baking cookies and shipping them overseas. And, my goodness, we fast forward. So 12 years of giving. We gave to the soldiers teachers, firefighters, police officers and that's just what it was about.
Speaker 2:And then I was diagnosed with stage four cancer. It was about, and then I was diagnosed with stage four cancer October 8th 2019. And it was a very difficult battle and I was told that I wasn't going to make it. I met with several doctors and I was so fortunate to meet the Dr Reed. Dr Reed is a clinician in Emory, but specifically he works with sarcomas, which is the type of cancer I had a Ewing sarcoma and these are normally found in children and, honestly, normally found more in the Caucasian population.
Speaker 2:But I was stricken with stage four cancer and it was housed in my right pelvic wall and at the the nodes, the lymph nodes at the bottom of my lungs. And so when he told me my treatment plan, you know he'd say, hey, doc, you know what. You know what is your experience? How long do people normally have um chemo? I said, well, for two to six hours a day. You know they could come in that week and then go back home, and sometimes they don't come back for three weeks or you know, at a time and he said, well, yours is a lot different. He says, honestly, it's pretty inhumane, but it's your only chance to live and give you the greatest chance possible.
Speaker 2:So I was admitted into a hospital at seven days intervals and for those seven days I was infused for 120 hours, so they would just run the chemo the entire time and lost the ability to walk. And so I'm so grateful that you know I've been able to regain the ability to walk and do everything that I need to do for myself on a daily basis. But it was a very, very difficult battle and I'm in remission and I'm thriving, you know. People say you know, are you a survivor? I'm like nope, I'm a thriver. You know I'm not. I'm still here because God wants me to still be here and I know that it's for something greater than me, you know. So I'm excited about the rest of my life.
Speaker 3:I love it. God is good because you have a mission, you have his purpose to really share with people what you do and continue your passion as far as what you do. So I am so happy to have you here to really share that story, because that is really a heart. I told you. I read your story on Facebook. I'm like, oh my God, she went through this much here. But I'm so happy to have you here and God is so good because you know, I tell you I actually thrive off of my Bible verse Jeremiah 29, 11. That's what I started with. God has a plan for us, plans for hope in the future, and that has been one of my biggest goals.
Speaker 3:You know what experiences to deal with what I'm doing now that I thought I would never do you know what you're not going to do, but I am so happy to have you here to share your story. That is, that is so. So now, what led you and you told me about that making the cookies, or what led you to start Kyrie's Cookies to really Honestly, it was just going into remission.
Speaker 2:No-transcript oh gosh. You know, the only way I could do this is to not do medicine. You know it's not to work in healthcare because there's no way I could do it. Do both of them and I want to share with you.
Speaker 2:People you know always call Kyrie's Cookies my passion project, but what I've learned in not being in healthcare is that healthcare is also a passion of mine. It's not something that I love less. In my role as a compliance officer, my focus was making sure that everything was done appropriately, and I would tell my team all the time I said hey guys, compliance is about patient safety, right, and so if we can keep our patients safe, we can keep our patients alive. And so I realized how much of a passion that is for me is to take the role on a business side of compliance and privacy and ethics and see that it will increase the longevity of people's lives if we do what we're supposed to do. So they are equally my passion, and I do believe that before I leave this earth, I will do some sort of work back in health care and be able to leave my stamp there as well in health care and be able to leave my stamp there as well.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, and that's so important because what you're doing is very important as far as you're being a doctor in that field, because a lot of people I mean, I remember when it came out years ago, we didn't really know what it was. You know, so you know, but I appreciate you sharing your journey with that and continue with your passion as far as what you do. So God is going to make it happen. So let me ask you something. So what makes your cookies stand out from others on the market?
Speaker 2:Well, for one, they're organic, and not just organic, but we don't use any white flour and we don't use any white sugar in any of our products.
Speaker 2:And so with that, I, literally, before making cookies, I would always bake bread for my children, and so what we do, I would buy the grains from the farm and then mill the grains and make the flour, and so this allowed us to have the real purest flour, you know, no chemicals added. And so with Kyrie's Cookies, that is the thing for us, it's like, hey, we don't want to introduce white flour and white sugar, which are very addictive, into our customers. And the whole reason why I delayed is because I never wanted to change my product. I wanted to have the same standard that it had when I would make it for my children and my friends and family. Then we transitioned to the soldiers. So it's just about keeping the integrity the same, and we don't have a brand on the market that we have considered like our competition. You know, everybody doesn't know the benefits of not using white flour and white sugar, but those who do really appreciate the fact that we don't.
Speaker 3:No, I didn't See, I have a sweet tooth. So I'm glad to hear that, because I tell you I love those oatmeal and my favorite was the oatmeal. The oatmeal raisin cookies that, yeah, that was, that was delicious and it was so. And they're not. They're nice and big. I mean I ate off that cookie for three days because I take it in the microwave.
Speaker 3:It's six ounces, so it's the same size as four cookies in one so that's okay, cookies one and a half ounces then okay, so I did it good, so I ate all for four days, so I actually ate four cookies in four days. Yeah, very good, very good. I love it. So let's talk about, as a business owner, what's been your biggest challenge as a business owner.
Speaker 2:I think for us it's consistently cash flow and you know, even when speaking with other business owners, especially small business owners, that is the biggest thing you know. You want to make sure always that your employees are taken care of and that you don't have to compromise on your ingredients, and so those are the most difficult things is making sure that people pay on time, especially because we have a lot of corporate accounts with Hyatt and we work with the Atlanta airport as well lot of corporate accounts with Hyatt and we work with the Atlanta airport as well. But when those businesses that are so big when they don't pay on time, it really helps. It really hurts us a lot, really hurts us.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, I mean, my husband had a business his printing business for 25 years and we had big companies in New Jersey and they didn't pay. They took 60 days to pay and you know we're small businesses, so we need our money to survive. So what I like about this is that now you can start using your membership, your business membership, to send those debt collection letters.
Speaker 2:You know what I am probably going to do, that I sent my last letter to a couple of hotels last night. It was a long time 120 days, 150 days, when it's really not be more than 30 days. So imagine the you know the hardship that it puts on us as an organization to try to still make things happen when you haven't received.
Speaker 3:Right, right, especially as a small business. Yeah, it really does does hurt, and you know, just to take some pressure off of you as far as having an attorney do that for you. That's that love about what we do. So how do you stay motivated when things don't go as planned, just like you said, you know.
Speaker 2:Honestly, I have days when I'm just incredibly sad, so I'm not going to sit here and act as though, oh, I'm always happy. No, I feel sad. I'm like you know. We've done our part. We've sent the product as promised on a timely manner. People don't pay on time, and one of the things that encourages me is my employees, because they say it's going to be OK, we're going to get through this, you know, and because they believe in the mission as well, and so that helps me get through it. Because even when I feel like, okay, am I going to continue doing this? And then I have my right and left hand, say we got this, you know it's going to be okay. That's awesome.
Speaker 3:And that makes it easier for you to have people behind you because they know, they know your character, they know what you do, they know it was important to be able to to you know, to help and be in the community, and I wanted to ask you about that. So how has collaboration played a role in growing your Kyrie's Cookies? The collaboration as far as with your employees?
Speaker 2:Well, one of the things we learned is that because Kyrie's Cookies gave cookies away for 12 years, that's just what we did. But now that we're a business, we have to try to have that balance, because I still like to just give things away, I just do, and I have to exercise wisdom, you know. And so I've had to have conversations with people who come in, and they come in just to get a donation and then they come back the next year and I have to talk to them and say, hey, you guys never came back the whole year, you never supported the business, you know. So, to have those discussions and help them to see that we give, but we sure hope that you would support the people who are actually giving to your organization and so learning to just have those difficult discussions and really people get it, you know, oh, never thought about it. You know how many teams are you supporting, you know how many affairs and churches that you're supporting, but the people don't come back in and purchase from the business so it can be.
Speaker 3:It can be challenging and that makes sense and I was going to ask you about are there any community partnerships events you're involved in?
Speaker 2:I'm involved in too many to count, to be honest. Yeah, I, I rarely have to. I really say no, you know, and I really enjoy supporting the children and the different school systems. Like we have continually partners in education, so we have a ton of schools that we support and also teachers who come in and support us and PTAs who say, okay, is, this is this teacher's birthday and they come and get a cookie for that. You know that particular teacher, or the whole, all of the teachers for the month, and so that's fun too, to say that you know you're participating in encouraging the teachers who work so very hard.
Speaker 3:Yes, I love that. I love you do that for the teachers. I actually do mentoring at the middle schools and that's my part of giving back with my social worker, as far as getting there and teaching the girls, you know, as far as and I'm like the affirmation queen. So before they walk out the door I have to say, okay, here's your affirmation, read it to me, say and I do with my grandson too, because they need that you know the schools and the students, because they, you know, you don't know what's going on at home and the teachers I used to teach.
Speaker 2:I was a middle school teacher and a high school teacher so you know yes, we needed to yes as well, so yeah, yeah no that's awesome.
Speaker 3:So I want to ask you something. I'm going back here um, so what are some of the early lessons you learned from when building your brand? And I know you said you had to start charging right, because, yeah, you have to you have if you're going to run a business.
Speaker 2:So before that was just the benevolent song of my healthcare company and so do I have every expectation of funding that. But when it comes to business, I had to learn that you have to charge. You have lights, gas, inventory, you know, and most of all, your payroll for your, your team. So, yeah, that was one of the big lessons. But also learning, you know. Just, I mean, I have had such large teams outside of this industry and my favorites are the high school students and getting a chance to talk with them and man practicing, like meeting them where they're at.
Speaker 2:I think that that was I'm going to be myself, you know. I know I hear a lot of business owners you gotta, but you know what? I wasn't that way with them and yet they respected and did what they were supposed to do and they knew, even if they had to leave work because they had an appointment, maybe they had therapy that they needed to. A lot of our children are going through so much, you know, and they knew they could come. And yes, you, this is your day off, this is when you go for your counseling. It's yours, you know.
Speaker 3:And that mutual, just support of one another has gone very, very far in our relationships and that's great because I mean you're teaching um the youth, because you know it's more than just I mean it's so much negativity in this world today and it's so important to have a positive um way to actually help them think about things in other ways. So you know, we're actually going through this lesson now about emotions and we're doing inside out too, so we're actually looking at the movie and then talk about their emotions and how do you? You know, when you feel this way, what do you feel? So that is so important. So, girl, I tell you, I told you we got to have you come back on the show, but I want to ask you what was the most memorable reaction you got from someone tasting your cookies? And then I want to talk about Dr Kyrie's.
Speaker 2:Listen there was a young man. He had the most beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair and he would go to the music store next door to my coffee, my cookie shop. And he came in one day with his mom and his mom was like hey, this is Dr Kyrie and she owns this you know restaurant. And he's looking at me and he was nine years old.
Speaker 2:And he said to me why are you on the register if you own the business? Right, it's a nine-year-old, I said to them. I said, well, how would I meet you if I wasn't on the register? Yeah, hey, okay. So then the following week he had his music lesson and he came in with his mom and she says go ahead, tell her, tell her.
Speaker 3:And he says to me.
Speaker 2:He says you, you know, they have these shirts that say be kind. I said, yes, I've seen those. And he says but then the people are not even kind and he says and you don't have a shirt that says be kind, and you are so kind and I'm telling my mom that I wanted to give you this is $20 tip and my Lily Bell is one of my top employees. She's, she's awesome. She's there at the register with me and I hear him tell her please, this is for Dr Kyrie. I went to the back to make his cookie and it was just priceless. And when I spoke to him, I just remember being in tears because I say you know, like it's like you could see my heart, Like this is not, this is just who I am and I just it's just so important to be kind and it's easier to be kind to people and the fact that you saw it, it just melted my heart.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, that was one of my just Listen a nine-year-old giving you a $20 tip. You know you're adults to give you a $20 tip, I mean oh, my God, god, you know, you can say, you have this. His mom said he wanted you to have this. That is so sweet, that is so. That's not, that's kind, that's being kind. So, wow, I love that story. So let's talk about your diet. Dr Kyrie listens your show, your podcast. What do you have? Tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 2:Well, dr Kyrie Listens is a virtual talk show, and what changes the difference between the podcast and a virtual talk show is that it's an interactive audience, so you actually have an audience who's watching the show. They get to ask questions and then we get to answer them live for them. And Dr Kyrie Listens just began, because I miss working with people sitting down and listening to them. That was something that I did with the patients who were diagnosed. I was the one who diagnosed them and in that moment, when they were diagnosed with either HIV or AIDS, I got a chance to hear their story, right To hear what happened, how it began. And so I had gone on a trip to Bali and it was a beautiful retreat. And the retreat owner told me she said do you see how all of these women want to sit next to you? And I was like, no, I'm just. You know, I'm not paying attention to that. And so one of the women she says you're so calm, you're so peaceful and we're all going to. We came to this retreat because we're working through some trauma, but even though you're working through hurt and trauma, you're still willing to hear everybody else. And so she said you got to find a way to do what you do while you do your cookies, but figure out how can you give that and provide a space for people. And so that's how Dr Kairi Listens began.
Speaker 2:My customers would always tell me Dr Kairi, you always listen to us. You know they come just to talk and it's a reciprocal healing is what I tell my team. I said this is not just for me, because when you're listening to people's story and you're not, you don't get a chance to tell your story, you don't get a chance to say how you can relate to that or how you experience that. And so in this setting, it allows my guests to just pour their hearts out, talk about their life, and there are so many times that there are things that I can relate to and I get to share that with them. I get to tell them a little bit about my story as well, and so we're both working through things together. I love it.
Speaker 3:That's awesome and that is so true.
Speaker 3:I think that's why God has you still here, because of what you do and, and you know, because we need, we need more people like you. As far as that, as far as to be able to, to help people and listen and I love it, Dr Kyrie listens shows you have. So, yeah, definitely, Like I said, we're going to have to, we're going to have to have you back on my podcast because it's actually it's actually so much to know. So now, what is? Let's see? I want to ask you so what's next for Kyrie's Cookies and any exciting plans you can share?
Speaker 2:Well, all I can share is our dreams. We're working on some projects, some some additional growth with the airport relationship there. Our partnership is with Hudson Group and we are in great talks about expanding. Right after this, I have a meeting with another group who focuses on specialty stores. You know shops, and so it is our hope to be able to expand into some more retail spaces. And we, you know, as always, I want Kyrie's Cookies to be a cookie empire and I want us to be able to employ more people who have special needs and those who are coming from prison and need a new job. So just want to be able to continue to provide that for the public, and so that means we're going to have to stabilize as an organization public, and so that means we're going to have to stabilize as an organization, and that is the only way that we'll be able to continue to provide the quality that we provide today.
Speaker 3:That's awesome, because I'm assuming that's your next five years, but we're going to do it less than five years. We're going to do it faster.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is definitely a plan for less than five years.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, yes, definitely. So, uh, how can this support you and stay connected with you?
Speaker 2:um, what we can? They can stay connected at. Dr kairi listens on facebook and instagram, also youtube in addition to that. If they'd like to learn more about kairi's cookies, we are. Kairiookiescom is k-y-r-i-s-k-o-k-i-e-scom, and so kairiscookies, you know.
Speaker 3:They can learn more about us there as well yes, and I'm telling you, I did it firsthand by by having that cookie. So you definitely need so and you can. You actually ship the cookies out to them too, right all over the world yes, okay okay, well, that's, that's great. Yeah, because I've been telling my daughters my daughters are bakers, or two are bakers, and I think yours stands out because you do everything organic, you know no sugar, no flour, but basically no white sugar, no white white sugar, no white flour.
Speaker 2:Okay, because they're not, you know, zero calories and no sugar.
Speaker 3:No, but I'm just saying that so I can feel good about it that I the body processes.
Speaker 2:The non-white sugar is better, you know. So metabolize is better.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, no, that's definitely, definitely a way to do it. So I really appreciate you being on this podcast and because you have taught me a lot of stuff and, like I said, we got to have another episode of Dr Kairi's and talk about your you know what you do as far as a doctor and where you're going with that and how you're going to get into that. Because I know, oh, I know, I'm all over the place. I mean, I created my WD Pierce Associates and and, like you said I was, I was giving away, uh, my knowledge. You know, working at IBM for 36 years, I was giving away, for I don't know how to act. I didn't know how to ask people for money. You know, what do I charge, what do I do this. So now I'm learning and I'm getting coaching on that that you got to ask Wanda. So you know, like I said, you got to ask to receive.
Speaker 3:And once you receive you know your blessing. So, but thank you so much, dr Kairi, for being on this podcast. I'm just so excited and we will actually um reconvene stay tuned for the next episode of Ready Set Collaborate.
Speaker 3:So, uh, yeah, so it. You know it really. It really tells a lot about your character and that's why you know God had you still here, you know. So it really is very, very inspiring and you inspire me. So. But, thank you once again for being on the podcast. So, audience, make sure you connect with dr kairi um and and see if dr kairi's listening. She told you what she did, but we're going to talk more about that in the next episode, but I thank you for being on the show and make sure you share, follow and share this podcast. Share Ready Set. Collaborate with Wannapis. I'm on all podcast platforms as well as YouTube, so make sure you subscribe. But thanks again, dr Kyrie, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Have a great day.
Speaker 3:Thank you, you too, bye.
Speaker 1:That wraps up another episode of Ready Set. Collaborate with Wanda Pearson. I hope you found inspiration and valuable insights to help you build meaningful connections and successful collaborations. If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe, share and stay tuned for more great discussions. Until next time, keep collaborating and making an impact.
