She struggled as a young single mom. And that’s exactly why she’s hiring them now.
"As a single mom, I never got to get a good job," says Lisa Howard, 28.
Lisa had her son when she was only 16. She was also in foster care at the time, so for more than half her life, she struggled to make a living and take care of her family.
And she's not alone. According to the United States Census Bureau, 27.5% of single moms were jobless in 2016, and those who did work only made an average of $34,500 that year.
Many single moms feel limited in their options, struggling to balance the demands of child care with workplaces that may not always be able to accommodate their unique needs. It can quickly become discouraging, a struggle that Lisa knew all too well.
"If you want your child to be the best they can be, you put them first," she says.
Despite challenges, Lisa didn't give up. And that determination would lead her on a path that would not only transform her family's life, but would allow her to support other families like hers.
My 🌏 #momisbest #shewastryingtokissme #iblockthekisshehe #momnokissespleaseee #cookiekid #cookiemom
A post shared by Mr. Cory (@mrcory) on
But it wasn't easy. At first, they had to forgo some things many other families take for granted — like a car.
It was a "luxury" Lisa simply couldn't afford, so she and her son had to take the bus everywhere.
Despite that, Cory and Lisa made do as best they could.
Cory, however, wanted to do something big to help his mom— he wanted to make enough money to buy her a car.
He started selling cookies to passersby at a small stand when he was just 6 years old to put that goal within reach. Before long, he and his mom developed the definitive cookie recipe — and they decided to turn that into a fully incorporated business.
A post shared by Mr. Cory (@mrcory) on
They called it Mr. Cory's Cookies.
Cory's the CEO of the company and Lisa's the CFO. Considering she was the catalyst for the whole idea, it seems like a fair split. They make a great (and adorable) team.
A post shared by Mr. Cory (@mrcory) on
Their company garnered a lot of attention initially, even from talk show hosts. In fact, Ellen DeGeneres had him on her show and surprised him with a new car for his family.
But while his first goal of getting his mom a car was achieved, the duo now had a burgeoning company that still required some special attention.
Both mom and son still had a lot to learn about running a successful business, which they realized when problems with their distribution arose.
Since Mr. Cory's Cookies are made of all-natural ingredients, they don't have a long shelf-life, so their distributor couldn't distribute them as-is. As a result, the manufactured recipe changed and product sales came to a grinding halt.
Cory with Marcus Lemonis. Photo via CNBC.
Thankfully Marcus Lemonis, host of CNBC's "The Profit," came in to help turn things around.
Marcus learned at a young age how to help a business thrive. Now he's using that know-how to help other struggling businesses as part of the reality TV series.
After sampling their product and talking with Cory and Lisa, Marcus agreed to invest in their small company. And while he was incredibly impressed with Cory's maturity and go-getter attitude, it was Lisa's story that inspired him to take on the business.
My ❤️ #cookielove #iminlove #myeverything #shesthereasonforitall
A post shared by Mr. Cory (@mrcory) on
Since she had Cory so young and under difficult circumstances, she's always felt like she's been fighting tooth and nail to get the life she wants and, more importantly, deserves for her family.
This business opportunity is giving her a glimpse of what could be possible for her and Cory's future, which is why it's so precious.
It's her chance to reach the goal she's only dreamed of — running a truly successful company and maybe even help other moms like her along the way.
Lisa's long-term hope for Mr. Cory's Cookies is to hire a staff that's 70% single mothers to help give them a leg up.
Cory's mom, Lisa. Photo via CNBC.
"We can help them by giving them a chance," explains Lisa.
This business could be Lisa's opportunity to turn things around for women like her who've been fighting an uphill battle for their families.
Marcus helps Lisa and Cory get Mr. Cory's Cookies back on track, including solving their distribution problems and introducing them to key companies that can help them expand.
But does Lisa end up with her dream staff? Tune-in to The Profit tomorrow at 10PM ET/PT on CNBC to find out.
Can't wait till then? Here's a sneak peak of the upcoming episode.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."