“Living in Philly” interview series where realtor Cherise Wynne (“Agent Lady”) highlights interesting people & organizations in the civic, real estate, restaurant and lifestyle space that help first time home buyers navigate our great city of Philadelphia.
Meet David, Chief Operating Officer @ Insomnia Cookies
Agent Lady: When people ask that famous question “what do you do”, how do you typically answer?
David: I’m the Chief Operating Officer, which means I’m the #2 guy at the company. I help lead us to cookie victory day after day, which means I’m focused daily on ensuring we are operating smoothly. I also get to taste a lot of cookies when we are working on new products, not a bad gig!
Agent Lady: What does Insomnia Cookies do, what neighborhood(s) does it provide products/services in, and what do you find special about those Philly areas?
David: Insomnia Cookies delivers warm, delicious cookies all day long and into the wee hours of the morning; 3am to be exact. We also offer a few other complimentary products like chocolate chip brownies, ice cream and of course, milk.
We currently have nine Philadelphia locations including stores near Penn, Drexel and Temple campuses. As you can imagine, we are a favorite among college students who tend to be up late. We cater to all audiences though, who doesn’t love a warm cookie? When choosing locations we look for active communities that we can truly become an integral part of.
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Agent Lady: How do you believe Insomnia Cookies is making Philadelphia better?
David: Insomnia Cookies makes Philadelphia better one customer at a time and one cookie at a time. We often have people tell us they were having the worst day and a cookie seemed to make it just a little bit better. But even bigger than that, we as a company do our very best to give back to the communities we serve through donations of our products and our time to local charities and events.
Agent Lady: If you had to choose between a Philly cheesesteak or a Philly pretzel, which would you choose?
David: I would probably pick a Philly pretzel since I do like them quite a bit and also to avoid the “which cheesesteak is better” debate, but I would add that we are doing our best to make Insomnia Cookies a Philly staple.
Agent Lady: What’s the biggest misconception people have about your industry or type of organization?
David: I believe it is easy for people to over simplify what we do. Sure, our business is cookies which seems straightforward enough but our industry and our organization is about people. We are a business of service. From guests to employees, a lot goes into logistically making sure we are delivering our signature warm experience every time. And that “warm” adjective isn’t just a for our cookies; we strive to ensure that describes the experience our guests receive, but also our team members perception of their roles.
Agent Lady: What is the nerdiest thing you do in your spare time?
David: I am obsessed with knowing what is going on with a building/property even though it is of no use to most people. Example: that building over there used to be a Pizza Hut, but they closed and now it’s going to be torn down and Wawa is opening with full gas and then a small adjacent building will have some small tenants. For some reason I’m obsessed with this type of thing.
Agent Lady: What is your favorite word?
David: Growth. It is one word we hear often in my line of work and can take on so many meanings; From the obvious growth of a company from inception to a high location count to personal growth both in my personal life and my professional life. It truly defines the last 10 years. It is hard to look back on something and see it as a negative if there was any type of growth that came out of it. It is also one of the 5 core values of Insomnia Cookies.
Agent Lady: If you had to pick another career what would it be?
David: It is hard to even think about another career when I am having so much fun in this one. I would say I am one of the lucky few that get up every day excited about the company we are running, our plans for growth and the people I serve. I can’t say I have ever spent much time thinking about doing anything else.
Agent Lady: For anyone looking to buy their first home in Philly or move to the Philly area, what do you have to say to them?
David: I’m a transplant from New Jersey so I’m well equipped to answer this. The Philly area has a plethora of things to offer; great restaurants, activities for adults and/or kids, culture, museums, a larger variety of living options (studio to mansion and everything in between) and much more.
Agent Lady: If someone wanted to learn more about you or Insomnia Cookies, where could they go?
David: To learn more about Insomnia Cookies you can visit our website InsomniaCookies.com or visit any of our 9 Philadelphia area locations. I keep my linkedin page up to date for more info on me.
In case any of the readers didn’t know, I’m a HUGE fan of Insomnia Cookies! Their chocolate chunk cookies and brownies with moosetracks are crazy good, and I fight every weekend not to eat too much of it (gotta keep it tight ya know!). Huge thanks to David for taking time from running his amazing cookie factory to share his thoughts with all the readers, and for making the city smell like cookie-heaven.
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About Agent Lady: Cherise Wynne is a leading real estate agent in Philadelphia, helping home buyers and sellers navigate the City of Brotherly Love, with a special focus on first time home buyers. To chat about getting started with your first time home buying experience, call 215-518-5193 or click here.
