Meet Nicole Shepard | Owner of Dough House Cookie Company

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Shepard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk defines how Dough Girl was created. Before creating Dough Girl, I had a stable career as an auditor. Right before COVID hit, I quit my job to obtain my CPA license. All my exams ended up being canceled since COVID cases were increasing and we entered lockdown. Luckily, during this time I had posted a picture of the cookies I baked on my Instagram and received so many messages asking where they were from. I felt like this was a sign to take a risk and create something that I love doing. Dough Girl was born and I have never looked back. I risked my entire career for something that had no certainties. Although there have been many highs and many lows, I don’t regret one thing.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Dough Girl is your one-stop-shop for everything cookies in the Miami area. Dough Girl offers cookies that are nearly half a pound each, round cookie cakes, and personalized monogram (letter or numbers) cookie cakes. Each product is created purely with love. Dough Girl cookies are unlike any other cookie you’ve had. The saying “you eat with your eyes first” is 100% true. I wanted to create a cookie that was so visually appealing you couldn’t resist the temptation. Once you have the first bite you can’t help to come back for more. Dough Girl is an experience that you must try.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To start our morning I would grab a coffee at Brewing Buddha Café & Arthouse then head to Key Biscayne to soak up some sun. After the beach, we would grab a quick bite at Sanguich De Miami and get ready for a sunset dinner at Mandolin Aegean Bistro. We would walk around the Design District and head to The Sylvester for some drinks.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Dough Girl would be nothing today if it weren’t for the following people: my family for pushing me to start Dough Girl, my boyfriend (AKA Dough Boy) for being my backbone, my little cousin for spending hours a day prepping dough with me, and last but not least my amazing customers and community who have been SO supportive since the start of Dough Girl. Thank you all for making my dreams come true!