Meet Nadia Nesevski
Founder of Cookie Loaded
Nadia Nesevski is the founder of Cookie Loaded, a loaded cookie shop on Scarborough Beach Road in Mount Hawthorn, Perth. Born in Perth, she went to Mercy College from kindy, took business as one of her ATAR subjects and left university with one unit to go. She started Cookie Loaded at 18, when about three months of strict photo shoot prep with no sugar left her wanting a loaded dessert that, as she saw it, nowhere in Perth was making. She made it herself, posted it on Instagram and began selling cookies from home, with her older brother and family helping on deliveries. For two years it ran as an online gift box business, with a couple of stalls at the Scarborough markets. At 19 she signed a seven year lease, and the shop opened in January 2023, when she was 20. She says Cookie Loaded was the first in Perth to make its own Dubai chocolate. She is 24, is in the shop every day, and wants more stores without going down the franchise route.
Episode summary
In episode 24 of The JRNY podcast, Paul Cohalan sits down with Nadia Nesevski, the 24 year old founder of Cookie Loaded, the Mount Hawthorn cookie shop where Paul takes his kids. Nadia started the business at 18. She was into bodybuilding and had spent about three months strict, with no sugar, preparing for a photo shoot, and afterwards she wanted a loaded dessert that, as she saw it, nowhere in Perth was doing. So she made it herself and posted it on Instagram, and when everyone asked where it was from, she started selling cookies from home. She says she does not even look at her competitors, because they are not who she wants to be. Her inspiration comes from overseas, and she says Cookie Loaded was the first in Perth to make its own Dubai chocolate, which went viral. Now she is chasing the next trend, because, she asks, if she is not leading, who will be? The business can run without her, she says, but the creative side needs its founder pushing it.
The home years lasted two years, with a small oven and a small KitchenAid that made 20 cookies a batch, against 60 from the big mixer now, and everything made by hand while her family tried to relax in front of the TV. Her older brother and the rest of the family helped with deliveries. At the Scarborough markets the stall sold out, and after another market there, she says, the manager told them they could not come back because they were taking customers from other stalls. Back then Cookie Loaded was an online gift box business, but Nadia always wanted a shop, because people want fresh cookies. At 19, knowing nothing about leases, she signed a seven year lease on Scarborough Beach Road, and says she never once thought it would fail. Getting the keys took a year and the fit out about six months, over Christmas and New Year. Two days before opening, the glass on the ice cream machine cracked, and the shop nearly flooded when the ice machine broke. She opened in the second week of January 2023, at 20, to a line, and kept selling out. That first night, cleaning up at about 11.30pm, she slipped on a wet floor holding a glass jar, cut her thumb and did not get home from emergency until about 6am, then reopened at around 12 or 1, she thinks, with no cookies left. They sold out every day of the first week, with cookies she now admits were doughy and shaped like mountains.
From there the conversation turns to what sits underneath. Nadia's dad came to Australia at about 30 with nothing, and her mum arrived at one with parents who did not speak English. Both her parents were born in Macedonia. Nadia says they sacrificed a lot for their kids, that not doing anything with that would feel like failure, and that maybe this is why she is not scared to take a risk. She talks about her faith, about never being content with the recipe, and about the costs customers do not see: grass fed butter instead of oil, Italian chocolate, wages that keep rising and a rent bill she compares to someone's yearly wage. She also shares how strict dieting in her late teens led to an eating disorder, and says she is in a better place with food now. Taking a risk feels scarier now that she has something to lose, she admits, and at 24 she feels like she is running out of time. She does not want to franchise. She would definitely like to wholesale, she says, but not under the Cookie Loaded name. Uber, she adds, puts them in front of people who have never heard of them. Her takeaway from the conversation: it is not about doing it by yourself. It is a community.
Key takeaways
Lead, don't copy. Nadia says she does not even look at her competitors in Perth. Her inspiration comes from people overseas, and copying each other, she says, is where a lot of business owners go wrong. By her account Cookie Loaded was the first in Perth to make its own Dubai chocolate, and it went viral. Now she is looking for the next trend, because if she is not leading, she asks, who will be?
Back yourself. At 19, knowing nothing about leases, Nadia signed up for seven years on her first shop. She calls herself naive at the time, but says she never once had a negative thought, because she believed in her product and her brand. If you don't back yourself, she asks, who's going to? Looking back she wonders how she took that risk, and admits it feels scarier now that she has something to lose.
Never content with the recipe. Asked what she would change, Nadia says it would not be the actual ingredients but the system, the way it is made and the temperatures. She is never content, she says, and knows it can always get better. Baking, she says, is like a science experiment, so the same ingredients in different hands will not make the same cookie. The first shop cookies were doughy and tall. Recently a customer who used to buy them when the shop first opened told her they are now 10 times better.
Not an overnight success. People see the success of Cookie Loaded now, Nadia says, not what she went through to get there: two years baking from home with a mixer that made 20 cookies at a time, markets that took two days of prep, and a shop opening where so much went wrong. Her message to people starting home businesses who are not getting many customers yet is that she had years of that too, and it is what made Cookie Loaded.
The costs customers don't see. Asked what eats into profit the most, Nadia says staff wages. Wages and ingredients keep rising, so prices have to rise too, but only so far before customers are turned away. She uses grass fed butter rather than cheaper oil, and Italian chocolate, and says first time customers who call Cookie Loaded too expensive do not see how much things actually cost.
Their sacrifice, her risk. Nadia's dad left his whole family to come to Australia with nothing, and her grandparents arrived with her mum, then aged one, without knowing English, her grandma working two jobs while raising four small children. Nadia says they sacrificed their whole lives for their kids, so for her not to do anything with that would feel like failure. Maybe, she says, that is why she is not scared to take a risk.
Transcript
Read the transcript
This transcript was generated automatically and lightly edited for readability. It may contain minor errors.
Paul Cohalan: What makes you shift the recipe?
Nadia Nesevski: I think it's. You always just know it can be better. So for me, I know I have something. It can always get better. I see it every day. People whinge over little things here or on Instagram and there's always things happening in the world. I get really frustrated because people don't actually see how grateful we are. And then it cracked like two days before opening. So much went wrong that the shop nearly flooded. I was holding a glass jar. I slipped and I fell holding the glass jar and it went straight into my thumb. I'm about to faint because my thumb's open. We had to rush to Emerg emergency.
Paul Cohalan: Is this the first night?
Nadia Nesevski: Yep.
Paul Cohalan: What a way to kick off there, Nadia.
Nadia Nesevski: It was 6am in the morning. We got home.
Paul Cohalan: Anyway, here we are.
Nadia Nesevski: Hello.
Paul Cohalan: Is this the first one you've done?
Nadia Nesevski: First podcast? No, I've done one before.
Paul Cohalan: Have you?
Nadia Nesevski: Where'd you do it Now I'm trying to think, when did I do it? I've. With this guy from my gym.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: And then I did a little podcast. It wasn't a podcast though. When the Channel Seven or Nine.
Paul Cohalan: Oh, yeah, cool.
Nadia Nesevski: They did a little segment, but that was baking as well at the same time. Baking and cookies.
Paul Cohalan: So, yeah, that's what we'll have to do when we go back. What? How do you say your last name?
Nadia Nesevski: Nesevski. No one can get it. Why can no one get it?
Paul Cohalan: Cool. So we're here with Nadia from Cookie Loaded and I'm not going to try and pronounce the last name. What is it?
Nadia Nesevski: Nesevski.
Paul Cohalan: Nesevski. Okay.
Nadia Nesevski: Nair.
Paul Cohalan: Nair.
Nadia Nesevski: Chef.
Paul Cohalan: Chef.
Nadia Nesevski: Ski.
Paul Cohalan: Ski.
Nadia Nesevski: So like a chef. Right. It's crazy.
Paul Cohalan: I probably won't forget that now. Nesevski. All right, cool. So, yeah, long time coming. I've probably known, I don't know, about two, three years just from going in the store and then get chatting and then good friends. Probably two, two and a bit.
Nadia Nesevski: No, I've been open for nearly four years in Jan.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, it would be three because. Yeah, yeah, it would be three. There you go. See? Time goes. She intrigued me a lot being so young. So she's 24 now. So go back three years. 21. For 21. And to be on one of the main streets, food streets of Perth and hustling and working a little ass off and still doing everything else in life and having great values and everything else. So we started chatting and here we are today. I want to get to know properly, not just off some messages and a quick hello as I go in and have some beautiful cookies at Cookie Loaded after going to Spritz. So.
Nadia Nesevski: Well, thank you for having me.
Paul Cohalan: No worries. But anyway, so where do we start? I'll tell you where we will start. Why it's cold is I was in there seeing Sam on the weekend and he's maso. And he said he knew you. I knew of you. Masso's know everyone. And the black edition. I've been smashing on socials lately. And it's really good. My favorite is the black one. I'll just shut this door. So here's this here. And Nadia asked what it's like.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: So I'm gonna open it for you.
Nadia Nesevski: Instagram.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Never tasted.
Paul Cohalan: Go for it. Have a taste.
Nadia Nesevski: You've tasted this one?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, I've had them all, actually. The oat milk's.
Nadia Nesevski: Oh, it's cold.
Paul Cohalan: Brought that from home just for you.
Nadia Nesevski: And it's full cream. Full cream milk.
Paul Cohalan: Didn't I.
Nadia Nesevski: That one. I like full cream.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, I think so. And the other one.
Nadia Nesevski: Okay. I'm scared though.
Paul Cohalan: Why?
Nadia Nesevski: What if I hate it?
Paul Cohalan: Be honest. From one Masso to another.
Nadia Nesevski: You can't hate that.
Paul Cohalan: It's so.
Nadia Nesevski: See, I like my. My coffee very sweet though. So I would add a bit of sweetness in this, but do you know.
Paul Cohalan: What he's talking about?
Nadia Nesevski: Not gonna lie. It's actually really nice.
Paul Cohalan: He taught me the other day. And we might do it on the. When I get him on. Cause he's coming on, right? We're trying to organize a date. Sam.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Is. He said he can warm them all up.
Nadia Nesevski: What?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, you can warm them all up. And he goes, they're great. But when you make a coffee in the morning and that. He said, oh, I didn't want to make a racket or something, so I warmed it up one day. Like all of them. So there's three at the moment. This is my favorite.
Nadia Nesevski: Wow.
Paul Cohalan: And the oat milk he kept. I didn't believe him, to be honest. Most people go, it doesn't taste like oat milk. I drank it the other day.
Nadia Nesevski: Tastes like oat milk.
Paul Cohalan: And it's wicked. No, it doesn't. If you don't like. I don't mind oat milk, but I don't jump at it. Do you know what? I actually like that one. It's wicked.
Nadia Nesevski: Do you know what I like about these? The ingredients are pretty clean.
Paul Cohalan: Yep. They are.
Nadia Nesevski: There's not a lot of preservatives.
Paul Cohalan: There's actually no preservatives and something else he taught me. He goes for that can, the amount of coffee you get and, like, energy and, you know, all the stuff. He goes, it's like double what you normally get.
Nadia Nesevski: Oh, that's not good. I shake.
Paul Cohalan: Oh, you should shake from halfway through the podcast.
Nadia Nesevski: Maybe I should leave.
Paul Cohalan: All right, cool. I'm gonna have your little espresso, but I'm about to buy a box of the black one. I love the black one.
Nadia Nesevski: Oh, I actually really do like that, though. And you get protein.
Paul Cohalan: When I get a box, I'll give you a call. I'm just trying to think. Okay, let's go back to at home, because what I will do is I'll jump, right?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: So I know your age. When. When were you at home? Cooking cookies, making cookies, baking cookies. The initial, the kickoff of the Cookie Loaded, the idea that you make them for family. What happened? Let's go straight there. This is the business side.
Nadia Nesevski: Do you know anything?
Paul Cohalan: Oh, you've told me bits. But not.
Nadia Nesevski: But not.
Paul Cohalan: It was at home, wasn't it?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, it was at home. I was doing a competition. Not a competition. I was into my bodybuilding.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: So I was doing a photo shoot. Prep. I was strict for, like, three months straight. No sugar. Yeah. To do a bikini photo shoot.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: I signed up with this girl from GO she was actually from Gold Coast at the time. Well, we went to Gold Coast for the photo shoot, so it was pretty cool. I was 17 or 18. I just turned 18. And that's when I started Cookie Loaded, because I was so.
Paul Cohalan: You that young. Wow.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, I was 18. I didn't have any sugar and I've always had a sweet tooth, so I wanted a loaded dessert and I was like, nowhere in Perth does this.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: So I made it myself and then I posted it on Instagram and everyone was like, where's this from? And I was like, I made it. And then I was like, maybe I should just start selling cookies from home. No one was doing it at the time. No one. Now it's a saturated market now. Everyone sells.
Paul Cohalan: What's your main competitors? I was going to ask this later, but. Get Chunky.
Nadia Nesevski: Can I be honest with you?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: I don't even look at my competitors here.
Paul Cohalan: Do you know any of them?
Nadia Nesevski: I'm not really. I mean, two or three.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. That's so good. Windscreen's bigger than the rear view.
Nadia Nesevski: Do you know why? Because they're not who I want to be.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: So all the inspo I get are from people overseas, Is that right? Yes.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. I've seen you. I remember you when you're done. Dubai chocolate. That was.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: You smashed that.
Nadia Nesevski: We're the first in Perth to do that, you know.
Paul Cohalan: Is that right?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. And it just went viral. Viral. We were the first place to make our own Dubai chocolate and then bring it to the market.
Paul Cohalan: It was pretty cool.
Nadia Nesevski: It's pretty cool.
Paul Cohalan: That was special. I remember seeing it and you just smashing it and then like, everyone's got this Dubai chocolate. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: It was actually crazy.
Paul Cohalan: Leading the way.
Nadia Nesevski: Now I'm thinking, what's the next trend?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. I love it.
Nadia Nesevski: I'm trying to come up with something, but it's hard. It's hard to think of things, especially when a lot's been done and you got.
Paul Cohalan: And you got all the other stuff in business, which we spoke about before, when you're probably struggling a little bit, you're like, you're fed up. You're like, I got to get people, employees and all that. But you still seem to have your foot leading the way on being creative. Different ideas. You just told me a little bit about socials and what you're doing now. Campaigns, which is different, you know.
Nadia Nesevski: Well, the thing is, if I'm not leading, who will be?
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Even though it gets hard, you still have to go. You're the number one.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Without me. Look, the business can run, but that creative side, I'm the one who pushes it.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Having a good support system obviously helps that, but without the founder involved in the business, the business isn't going to go anywhere.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Stuff will always be hard.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: You know, you just. Yeah. You just have to learn to live with that.
Paul Cohalan: So. So. And you can't grow the business without them, E. So you've got to just become good at it and enjoy the process.
Nadia Nesevski: Exactly.
Paul Cohalan: So 18 you kicked off, you know, at home. How long were you making them at home for?
Nadia Nesevski: 2 years.
Paul Cohalan: Did you have family, like, helping you out, like.
Nadia Nesevski: So this was 2020. Yeah. 2020.
Paul Cohalan: Yep. Six years ago.
Nadia Nesevski: No. What am I saying? How do I not know it was so long? No. 2021.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: That's when I started Cookie Loaded and then I opened up the shop in 2023. So it was two years from home.
Paul Cohalan: So was it a Covid thing?
Nadia Nesevski: It was just after Covid.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: But COVID lockdowns were still happening. Yeah. That's crazy. It was only two years from home, but it felt like longer. I was making all the deliveries. Well, along with my brother. My brother. My family helped so much.
Paul Cohalan: That's so good.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. My brother was really involved in it.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: And my family would go and deliver cookies for me.
Paul Cohalan: Your brother younger or older?
Nadia Nesevski: He's older than me.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. How much older?
Nadia Nesevski: He's 26.
Paul Cohalan: And you've got an awesome relationship with him?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. That's so cool.
Nadia Nesevski: Really, really close.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. That's awesome. They must be really proud of you now here. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: It was really cool for them to see it from something that no one knew about now to be what it is. It's a cool journey. That's what it's about, right? Seeing the journey.
Paul Cohalan: Yep. It's pretty cool.
Nadia Nesevski: Because if we got straight to the end, what's the fun in that?
Paul Cohalan: No, that's right. I always say there's no finish line. Right. Whether it's life, business, whatever, it's just what you make it. Right. Enjoy the process.
Nadia Nesevski: Exactly.
Paul Cohalan: And I think I've only learned that last couple of years is slow down, you actually get more done. You've still got a heap of roller coasters to go through, but you've done really well. But I think when you slow down and step back a bit, you realize what you can do better. You actually speed up a little bit. It's really weird. People always tell you that, but you don't listen until you're ready.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: And you've got to go through.
Nadia Nesevski: You're right.
Paul Cohalan: You've got to go through your lulls and highs and all that kind of stuff. The roller coaster. And everyone does it at different times. Everyone's got different mindsets. But I think when you're a business owner, entrepreneur, you're like, we've all got that similar hustle, though.
Nadia Nesevski: The grind that you just have to grind 24/7.
Paul Cohalan: I remember probably talking to you the first time about the business. Like, you were grinding then people wouldn't stick around, or you need to hire someone. And then you're like, I think we'll talk in numbers. And it's like, how many cookies can you punch out in a day? And I remember you look at me and go, I'm like, so you don't know your capacity yet? So how do you reverse engineer? That was so funny. It was so cool. And you're like, I'm just making cookies. Just keep making them.
Nadia Nesevski: That's so funny.
Paul Cohalan: So. So 18, two years at home. Tell us a little bit about the. The roadblocks at home. Tell us a bit about the fun. So this is roadblocks, risk and resilience. Right. So you've obviously got a lot of resilience, and you've taken a lot of risk. But what were the roadblocks? Early days at home with the family.
Nadia Nesevski: Well, look, it's hard doing it from home when your whole family's just trying to relax at night, watching tv. And then there I am, a whole day just in the kitchen, and I wouldn't. The small oven. You know, small ovens.
Paul Cohalan: Yes.
Nadia Nesevski: They don't take much. Right. So to bake cookies, you can't bake that many at a time. It took so long for the amount of cookies that you have to do with a small KitchenAid as well. That could only make 20 cookies.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Now our big mixer makes 60 cookies.
Paul Cohalan: Oh, wow.
Nadia Nesevski: So the difference, it's just. It was very slow and everything is handmade.
Paul Cohalan: Y.
Nadia Nesevski: Which is even slower. It's not like I have a. What's it called?
Paul Cohalan: Like, production line or.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, correct. It's different when you make a bicycle.
Paul Cohalan: But I think that's where the love is. Right. The handmade.
Nadia Nesevski: It's better like that.
Paul Cohalan: Y.
Nadia Nesevski: But it was hard. It was hard to make a lot of cookies at once. Or if we had to do markets, we had to prep two days beforehand. So how many kids weren't fresh on their day?
Paul Cohalan: What markets were you going to?
Nadia Nesevski: We did Scarborough markets. Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: And what?
Nadia Nesevski: Oh, funny enough. Can I tell you this?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, yeah, go. I love this.
Nadia Nesevski: We actually got kicked out from the first ever market.
Paul Cohalan: Did you?
Nadia Nesevski: Because we were too busy.
Paul Cohalan: No way.
Nadia Nesevski: They kicked me out.
Paul Cohalan: Are you kidding?
Nadia Nesevski: I swear.
Paul Cohalan: So how many did you have to take?
Nadia Nesevski: I don't remember the number now, but I just remember we sold out.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Then we did another market there. And because we were so busy, they said to us, the actual manager of that market, that we can't do those markets anymore because we're taking customers from other people.
Paul Cohalan: Wow.
Nadia Nesevski: I know.
Paul Cohalan: Have you been back there?
Nadia Nesevski: No.
Paul Cohalan: No. So it's a little stepping stone near my house. Was it?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: So little stepping stone. Get your brand out there. I've seen you got photos where you got lineup out the door. Is that still pretty common?
Nadia Nesevski: Look, night times, we do get busy, but every day is different. So we're still popular. Don't get me wrong, we still have new customers coming every day. We have Uber as well. So that's a different separate. Before, we never had Uber. That was during the Dubai chocolate times.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: That was crazy. I've never seen anything like that. We were the first place in Perth to.
Paul Cohalan: Do you still do it?
Nadia Nesevski: Dubai chocolate. We still do it. Yeah. But it's not the same as when it first launched because Dubai chocolate was the craze, right?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Yeah, it was. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: So that was crazy.
Paul Cohalan: I remember seeing you have it and then like. And you had the drink as well, didn't you?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, we.
Paul Cohalan: Is that right?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, yeah.
Paul Cohalan: And then I'm like, it's everywhere.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Just went crazy.
Nadia Nesevski: It went crazy. But it was cool.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: It's. Now it's. It's thinking, what's next?
Paul Cohalan: Something honeycomb. That's my personal honeycomb. Yeah. Yeah. I love honeycomb. Really love honeycomb.
Nadia Nesevski: There's so many options, but I want to create. This is where a lot of business owners go wrong. They just copy each other.
Paul Cohalan: So Nadia was meant to bring in some cookies, but because she was so busy last night, she forgot to take them home. So I'll let her off in our check in. In about five, six months, we're gonna go and do this in the store. And the store's wicked. You've done an awesome job. Like, it's really cool. I always take my kids in there and get a photo. Yeah, it's wicked. I just love the layout just because.
Nadia Nesevski: I see it so much.
Paul Cohalan: Just take it for granted. Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: I'm like, I just want a new store.
Paul Cohalan: All I dreamt about when I was going to sleep last night was tomorrow morning there's going to be a red velvet cookie. Red velvet's my favorite. Including my kids. The red velvet. We're like, we're going to get a red velvet. Is it red velvet? It's called red velvet.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: It's a bomb.
Nadia Nesevski: It is the bomb now. I feel so bad. That's right.
Paul Cohalan: We'll let her off. I'm only just doing. Tell me how many times you burnt them up in mum's kitchen. So many times to get them. And how much did they change?
Nadia Nesevski: Is the recipe has changed so much.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Like, I just was expecting it.
Paul Cohalan: Like, what would. What shifts? Like, what makes you shift the recipe? Like, tell us about that.
Nadia Nesevski: I think it's. You always just know it can be better. I never, never, never am content. So for me, I know if I have something, it can always get better. That's.
Paul Cohalan: What will you change, though?
Nadia Nesevski: It wouldn't be the actual ingredients.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: But it would be the system, the way it's made.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: The temperatures, everything. Baking is an experiment. It's like a science experiment. So it's not just, if someone has the same ingredients as me, they won't make the same cookie. There's other little secrets to it people don't get.
Paul Cohalan: No way.
Nadia Nesevski: Yep.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: So this is where I'm saying if you're not the person making it, you won't have the exact same love. Correct. Not the same hands.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Yeah. I always say I love cooking and like home cooking, you know, and it's probably my wine now, but I end up full on with it anyway. I get right into it and I kick everyone out of the kitchen. But I always say whether it's cooking a steak breakfast, like all of it. Even last night I cooked dinner for someone. Crispy skin salmon and wild rice and pesto. But it's the love you put in it, it's the way you touch it. Cookies the same. No one's gonna put the love in that. You've got the passion.
Nadia Nesevski: It's true. The same way your grandma and grandma. Grandma makes her homemade dishes. I believe that now because it is the hands. And yeah, you can have my recipe. You can try copy us, but it won't mean it's the same.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Yeah, that's good. I love it.
Nadia Nesevski: So sorry I go so much off rail.
Paul Cohalan: No, no, no. We do this every home. No, we do this. I do this all the time and I. I just pull it back in and try and start. But it's good that it does because it triggers your mind to think about something. Now, the key to the journey is to sit here and realize the resilience you build today and why you are where you are today. Which no one, including me, doesn't. Sit and just take the moment and go take a moment and see why you are where you are today. So this is why I do this. And it's. It all comes from the roadblocks and the risks you take to build the resilience you got today.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: So. So we'll just bounce back to mum and dad. What? Give us one story in the home. Something crazy. Had to get an order out. All fell on the floor. Your brother Annoya didn't turn the oven on. I don't know.
Nadia Nesevski: There's so many stories now.
Paul Cohalan: What kind of things happen?
Nadia Nesevski: Far gone. I'm trying to think. Think. I think it would be. Look, there's so many stories.
Paul Cohalan: I can't tell you how many. How many times you miss ingredients out of the mix and then you go make them. Oh, does that happen often?
Nadia Nesevski: I still do it to this day, do you? Yes. It happened a few months ago and I was like, again, like I forgot something and they just turned out so bad.
Paul Cohalan: Y.
Nadia Nesevski: What can you do? You have to throw them and you.
Paul Cohalan: Got to go back and make them up. Is. Is it the time or is it the ingredients? It's the cost of the cookie?
Nadia Nesevski: Both. Chocolate's gone up a lot, has it? My suppliers, they're very secretive. They like to increase the cost without you knowing. Well, they don't let you know until you get your invoice. Things are still increasing to this day, is that right? Yes. And people don't understand this, that things do cost a lot. Especially what we use. We use grass fed butter. We don't use oil. Oil's way cheaper. Our block of butter is 300 now. It's $340.
Paul Cohalan: Wow.
Nadia Nesevski: For a block of butter, that's huge.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: So. And we go through that like no tomorrow.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Chocolate as well. Chocolate is so expensive now.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Just. Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: What kind of chocolate do you use? What's. What's the go to? Like, what's the premium?
Nadia Nesevski: It's. We use. It's from Italy.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: I won't say the specific name.
Paul Cohalan: Okay.
Nadia Nesevski: Don't let anyone try take it.
Paul Cohalan: They still haven't got the hands, but don't let too much out.
Nadia Nesevski: But yeah, Italian chocolate. We. When we first started, we used Belgium chocolate, but I find Italian chocolate is actually better.
Paul Cohalan: So how long did you use the Belgium for?
Nadia Nesevski: Probably six months from when we opened the shop.
Paul Cohalan: And then you just tested and tasted it.
Nadia Nesevski: Correct. Always changing.
Paul Cohalan: Yep. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: When we did it from home though, it was different because we couldn't get big supplies.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: So we had.
Paul Cohalan: We weren't really in business at that point where you.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. You're getting things from the shops from Woolies. It's not the same quality.
Paul Cohalan: Y.
Nadia Nesevski: But it's. It honestly has gotten so much better. And customers still to this day. Last week this lady came in and she goes, dude, like I used to get these cookies when you first open the shop, and now they're just 10 times better.
Paul Cohalan: Is that right?
Nadia Nesevski: So it's really nice.
Paul Cohalan: How good. That's a good feeling. That must fill your cup.
Nadia Nesevski: It is. I'm like, this is so sweet.
Paul Cohalan: So when. So when did you make the shift? So 20, would you say 23?
Nadia Nesevski: 2023 is when the shop opened.
Paul Cohalan: What month?
Nadia Nesevski: January.
Paul Cohalan: It was January 13th. So when you. So when you're at home, at parents at home and you're like, I'm gonna get a shop Where'd you look? Did that pop up and that's why you did it or did you go looking?
Nadia Nesevski: Well, this is the thing. My business structure was very different back then.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: We were basically an online gift cookie shop, if that makes sense.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: So you couldn't just order one cookie, two cookies, you get a. Yeah. And it was like a gift box.
Paul Cohalan: It looked like the gift pack we haven't got this morning. That's true. Never gonna let you down.
Nadia Nesevski: The branding was different. It had black boxes and the Cookie Loaded logo was so different. It was very different.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Which is cool to look back and you're like, what the hell was I thinking with the branding? But it's okay. We've come a long way.
Paul Cohalan: All evolution. Right.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. Sorry, what was your actual question?
Paul Cohalan: So when did you decide I'm going to go get a place or did it pop up? Like you're in a hot spot. Right. Like wicked spot. And is it something you went and chased for and had an idea and you had to get out of the house or.
Nadia Nesevski: I always wanted to have a shop.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: From when I opened the business, I was like, okay, there's two options for growth. You either grow online or it's easier and faster to grow with a shop. So then I was like, okay, let's do a shop for me with that food. You know, people want fresh cookies.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Makes a difference when it's fresh.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: And that's why I was like, we need a shop.
Paul Cohalan: Yep. And they're all in front of you.
Nadia Nesevski: It's different. Yeah. It's different quality. But yeah, it was, it. It was actually pretty cool. It was through networks and whatnot.
Paul Cohalan: Y.
Nadia Nesevski: We got the shop there and yeah. I'm so, I'm so glad the shop is there.
Paul Cohalan: It is such an unbelievable.
Nadia Nesevski: I love Mount Hawthorn and it's such a cool community. Everyone supports everyone and if I, I think now I'm like, if I didn't have my shop there, where would it be?
Paul Cohalan: Ah, that's a good question.
Nadia Nesevski: I. I don't know where else it would have stock.
Paul Cohalan: I couldn't picture anywhere else.
Nadia Nesevski: Me too.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: But look, I still want other shops in the future.
Paul Cohalan: You do? Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. But I'm just like, where do I keep it to one shop in Perth and then open up over east or do I have more shops here?
Paul Cohalan: Do you do any popup stalls or pop up?
Nadia Nesevski: We don't, no.
Paul Cohalan: It's a good tester, I suppose, isn't it? Would you do it?
Nadia Nesevski: Look, I know where my customers are y. Because I. I'm. I'm there every day. I speak to people.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: So I know what areas. The thing is, if we do a popup, it's different. Like, you want the cookies to be freshly made.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: I think it really makes a difference.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Where. If. If you were going to go another shop in Perth, where would you go?
Nadia Nesevski: No idea. It would either be south or north. I'm torn. I'm like, where do I go? South or north? The river.
Paul Cohalan: Oh, yeah. Okay.
Nadia Nesevski: The people need to speak. They need to tell me, go next.
Paul Cohalan: Door to Get Chunky or something. Now the Servos and the Maccas and the Hungry Jack's, they all go.
Nadia Nesevski: Isn't that what bad is?
Paul Cohalan: There's a method to it. Right? Huh.
Nadia Nesevski: Isn't that what Bunnings did?
Paul Cohalan: Well, they go next to one of the other hardware.
Nadia Nesevski: That's that blue place.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Masters. Masters.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: They went next to Masters and then Masters shut down.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Just didn't work. There is a method to that if you Google it. About like the Servos and then like the KFC Maccas, Hungry Jack's, like car yard. Same. All in the location.
Nadia Nesevski: Right. You know what I was thinking that. I know there's a method. If it's worked before, why wouldn't it work?
Paul Cohalan: You must get a lot out of. The reason I first of all went in there was out of Spritz, I think, with my kids. That's when we first met. I think I went in there from going out of Spritz.
Nadia Nesevski: No way.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. And. And they're great. And there's a. There's a lot of nice food places along there, I think.
Nadia Nesevski: Well, there's more opening up soon.
Paul Cohalan: What other dessert places are along there? There's none.
Nadia Nesevski: Is there in Leederville? There's a lot there.
Paul Cohalan: Isn't Leederville Gelato next to me. Oh, yeah. Which is owned by Mario on that as well.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. He's opening up across the road. Eh?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, he's opening up.
Paul Cohalan: Is it open yet or not yet? No.
Nadia Nesevski: And then next to them there's going to be another cafe with Tiramisu.
Paul Cohalan: Oh, is it?
Nadia Nesevski: Which is pretty cool. I follow them on Instagram. So it's.
Paul Cohalan: Is it called Tiramisu or.
Nadia Nesevski: No, her. Her tiramisu place is called Stella. Yeah, Tiramisu. But I'm not sure what the other. What their mom and dad's business is called. It's going to be like a cafe next to Mario's new one.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: And then on the right There's a new bar opening that. You know Sonny's down the road.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: They're opening up a bar apparently.
Paul Cohalan: And they're going to keep that there and then do a bar. I only went to that. Sonny's. That's the one on the corner. Yeah, down on the other side. I only went to that the other week. I went to Spritz, but I just called in there for a drink before. It's really cool in there.
Nadia Nesevski: Really. I've. I've never been.
Paul Cohalan: It is really cool.
Nadia Nesevski: That's cool.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, it's nice little. I wouldn't mind going there and eating.
Nadia Nesevski: See, it's. It's cool that more places are opening up.
Paul Cohalan: Right. We need not just Paddos.
Nadia Nesevski: Who's Paddos?
Paul Cohalan: The pub across the road.
Nadia Nesevski: Oh, it's not just that again.
Paul Cohalan: It's Paddos, isn't it? Is it Paddos? No.
Nadia Nesevski: No, it's not.
Paul Cohalan: What is it?
Nadia Nesevski: What's it called? Oh, I don't know. It's not Paddos.
Paul Cohalan: What else is along there? There's not much else along there.
Nadia Nesevski: How. How have I forgotten the pub anyways.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, the pub. I'm trying to think what it is now. You got me. So how was the shift? So you. So you got the place through network and that you leased it. How long's your lease? Will you be there long? Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Okay, so I'm 19, 20 year old girl. I would have been 19 at the time. Signing a lease.
Paul Cohalan: Seven. Put your ass on the line.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Seven years.
Nadia Nesevski: I was young. I was very naive. I didn't know anything about leases.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: This is. You do a very big lesson. Right. Seven years to sign at a young age, not knowing which way your business can go. But I never had the thought that it would fail.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: I think because I have that passion.
Paul Cohalan: There's a lot to that. Right. That's awesome.
Nadia Nesevski: So if you believe in your product and your brand, I never once had a negative thought.
Paul Cohalan: That's awesome.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Just keep looking forward. Windscreen's bigger than the rearview mirror. I say it all the time. It's like it's. There's a. You've got to be cautious and de risk and think about all the things, but you just got to keep looking forward. And I agree, not so much manifest, but just back yourself.
Nadia Nesevski: I agree.
Paul Cohalan: Is I think what you're saying. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: If you don't back yourself, who's going to?
Paul Cohalan: No one else gives a.
Nadia Nesevski: No one.
Paul Cohalan: No one's here to.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: So. Yeah. So seven years. Hey, so you got what, another four? Roughly.
Nadia Nesevski: So we're coming to our fourth, we have another three.
Paul Cohalan: Three. Yeah. Is the rent good? Are the owners good or is it. Are they hard work?
Nadia Nesevski: Hawaiian have been great to me.
Paul Cohalan: So they own the whole complex today.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. But they own other places as well.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: In. In Perth and Australia.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: They've been great. But with any shopping center you go with. That's going with a shopping center.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Rent will be more.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: And there's more terms and it's. It's more strict.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Which is frustrating. But I guess you live and you learn.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: I can't hold to that, you know.
Paul Cohalan: So you'll be really thinking about it, like 12 months out, you'd be like, am I that you have to start talking with them because you don't want to get jibbed because you're so set up there either. But you are in an awesome spot.
Nadia Nesevski: This is the thing. I don't know if we would close down that shop and open up somewhere else or stay there. It's really hard. Yeah, it's really hard to say.
Paul Cohalan: Well, it's good. I suppose the one good thing about the long lease is you don't have to think about that at the moment. You just need to make sure you concentrate on bringing in.
Nadia Nesevski: That's why I like actually the seven years, because four years have gone by.
Paul Cohalan: Where.
Nadia Nesevski: Where has time gone? Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Where would you have gone if you had to get up and move?
Nadia Nesevski: Right.
Paul Cohalan: And four years is common. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Correct. A lot of leases end in four years and that would be now.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, mine did. Yeah. Yeah. I was.
Nadia Nesevski: So it's like, where would I go?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: That's Cookie Loaded spot. Everyone knows it for Cookie Loaded.
Paul Cohalan: So. So you. You done the move, what was that.
Nadia Nesevski: Like, moving to a shop?
Paul Cohalan: Like setting up the new shop. Like, how long did it take you?
Nadia Nesevski: Oh, a year.
Paul Cohalan: Did it take you a year to fit it out?
Nadia Nesevski: No, probably six months. A year to get the keys. It was really back and forth.
Paul Cohalan: Yes.
Nadia Nesevski: Back and forth with a shopping center. Six months to fit it out.
Paul Cohalan: Who was in there beforehand?
Nadia Nesevski: Oh, do you know who was it?
Paul Cohalan: It's too long ago. It doesn't matter. Queen loads in there now.
Nadia Nesevski: So whoever Flight Centre, I heard. But I heard it was vacant for a few years. Like three years or more.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: No one wanted to go there.
Paul Cohalan: That's why they wanted you to lock in for seven.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: So brother for sure would have been helping you move all this stuff in and do all this stuff. So when you got the keys, how long did it take you to fit out? You would have been rushing there.
Nadia Nesevski: It wasn't. I was. But the building company that did it.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: I don't even want to talk about them. They're the ones who took a while. Everything was out of my control.
Paul Cohalan: Yep. Oh. So you didn't do it yourself. You had a building company do it. That's. That's really hitting the ground running doing it properly. Isn't it?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Well done. Not.
Nadia Nesevski: Not great at all though.
Paul Cohalan: It wasn't. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Compared to the renders that we were promised.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: The shop looks completely different.
Paul Cohalan: Does it really?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: What. How long did they take? But once you got the keys, how long until you started selling cookies?
Nadia Nesevski: Remember? 100%.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: But I remember we had to do it over the Christmas period as well.
Paul Cohalan: Oh yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Open start of Jan. A lot of trades are off during. During Christmas New Year.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: So there were so many hard time.
Paul Cohalan: Of year to be doing all that.
Nadia Nesevski: Isn't it?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Just getting labor and trades. Yeah. Trade is knock off early as it is now.
Nadia Nesevski: Correct.
Paul Cohalan: Neverland being Christmas. Don't even rock up. One o'clock. Two o'clock. Day's over.
Nadia Nesevski: So true. But Nah. It was. It was a big step going from a home kitchen to actually running a store. I had no idea how to run a store at the start. It was a lot to learn.
Paul Cohalan: You just threw yourself under the bus and jumped in.
Nadia Nesevski: But our recipe as well wasn't turning out right because we have a different oven. So there was so many different. And then we had a. We had an ice cream machine and then it cracked like two days before opening the actual glass. So much went wrong. Then the shop nearly flooded because the ice machine was broken. So much went wrong.
Paul Cohalan: It's terrible. And. And that was all just before you opened?
Nadia Nesevski: Literally a few days.
Paul Cohalan: So what day did you open?
Nadia Nesevski: I think it was a Saturday. Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: First week of January. Was it a couple of weeks in?
Nadia Nesevski: No. It was the second week of January.
Paul Cohalan: Second week.
Nadia Nesevski: 13th or 14th January. But before we opened I hand delivered little pamphlets around the whole Mount Hawthorn.
Paul Cohalan: That's a good idea.
Nadia Nesevski: Saying we're opening.
Paul Cohalan: Did that really impact. Did that help?
Nadia Nesevski: I'm not sure. But it was freaking hard.
Paul Cohalan: It was. How was the first day? Like one person. Do you know what happened? No.
Nadia Nesevski: Okay. There was a line. It was really cool. I thought no one was going to come. There was a line. We had PR. We had like the News. Like put us in their articles and Urban List. Who was it? Yeah. It was pretty cool. But it was really busy day. We kept selling out. I just the processes, the systems weren't there. So it was like chaos. It was.
Paul Cohalan: How many people did you have working with you?
Nadia Nesevski: I think we had three or four.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: But even so, our. Our area where the employees should go is very small.
Paul Cohalan: It is. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: We can't have a lot of people working because we bump into each other. We can't fit.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: It runs smoother with less people behind the counter.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Yeah. It all comes back to that process.
Nadia Nesevski: Hey, exactly.
Paul Cohalan: And systems.
Nadia Nesevski: But yeah, I do remember that night I fell. What happened? We were cleaning. It was like 11:30pm we were cleaning and I slipped because. Who was mopping the floor? I think my ex boyfriend or my. Or my brother at the time was mopping the floor and I didn't realize it was wet. We're just trying to get things done as soon as possible. I was holding a glass jar. I slipped. I have it on the camera. I got CCTV footage and I fell holding the glass jar and it went straight into my thumb.
Paul Cohalan: Oh.
Nadia Nesevski: So I'm about to faint because my thumbs open. We had to rush to emergency. We didn't get out until like.
Paul Cohalan: Is this the first night?
Nadia Nesevski: Yep.
Paul Cohalan: What a way to kick off.
Nadia Nesevski: It was 6am in the morning. We got home.
Paul Cohalan: Wow.
Nadia Nesevski: I was so tired. And we had to reopen that day as well.
Paul Cohalan: What time are you opening?
Nadia Nesevski: I think it was around 12 or 1. Wow.
Paul Cohalan: So you had to go prep. Do all the.
Nadia Nesevski: And we had no cookies because we sold out the day before.
Paul Cohalan: Wow.
Nadia Nesevski: It was very stressful.
Paul Cohalan: So can you remember how many cookies you sold the first day?
Nadia Nesevski: Nah, I can't remember.
Paul Cohalan: You wouldn't even thought of that. You would have just been trying to smash them out as much as you can.
Nadia Nesevski: That's all we were trying to do.
Paul Cohalan: So how the first week go ending? So first seven day, like what we open.
Nadia Nesevski: How many days we kept selling out every day.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Every single day.
Paul Cohalan: What a problem to have.
Nadia Nesevski: I know. It was pretty cool. But the cookies were quite doughy back then because we were still trying to get the systems right. Y And they've changed a lot. They used to be mountains. And I look back and I'm like, why were the cookies on?
Paul Cohalan: Why was I doing that?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. Why was it a mountain? Now they're flatter.
Paul Cohalan: But you wouldn't be where you are today without starting there. That's the piece. Right.
Nadia Nesevski: But I'm grateful that people didn't give up on us because if they had a cookie back then and we're like, oh, this is raw. This is terrible.
Paul Cohalan: Still had the love. They're still good.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: You know, it's just that you're there. Extra good now.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, absolutely. You're right. It's true. And having.
Paul Cohalan: You wouldn't have had customers if I. So you're right.
Nadia Nesevski: You're right. Having those people from day one support me, even from the markets. And they still come in now.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: And they're like, I remember your first market.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Like, that's so wholesome.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, it is. It is.
Nadia Nesevski: I love that.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Okay. So, yeah, first week, how'd you go wrapping up the first week?
Nadia Nesevski: It was stressful. It was learning new processes. A young girl trying to start a cookie shop.
Paul Cohalan: Crazy.
Nadia Nesevski: Doesn't know anything about you. Yeah, 20 and then I turned 21. Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: That year. Yeah. What month are you?
Nadia Nesevski: April.
Paul Cohalan: Oh, yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Aries fire sign this year.
Nadia Nesevski: Oh, wow.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. So we're both April. Okay. So you turned 21 in April. So you had a few months under your belt by the time you had your birthday.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: How were you by your birthday? You wouldn't have cared about your birthday, did you? Or did you?
Nadia Nesevski: No.
Paul Cohalan: Or did you need it? Oh, yeah, 21. You would have.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, it was pretty cool. I. Would you do it out with cookies? I had a cookie wall and then on my cake I had Cookie Queen or something.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. That's awesome.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. So it was a bit around Cookie Loaded, but I wonder why. Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Live and breathe it.
Nadia Nesevski: It was cool to get away and to have time off.
Paul Cohalan: Where'd you have it? Where'd you have your.
Nadia Nesevski: Just at our house.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, it was at home.
Paul Cohalan: Nice.
Nadia Nesevski: But it was decked out.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: It's pretty cool.
Paul Cohalan: That's good. You get a big family?
Nadia Nesevski: Not really, no. I only have a brother and sister and I have aunties, uncles.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: But we don't have any really that many first cousins.
Paul Cohalan: No.
Nadia Nesevski: No.
Paul Cohalan: Let's touch on your family a bit before we go any further with Cookie Loaded now. So when did mum and dad come here?
Nadia Nesevski: My dad came when he was around 30.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: My mum came when she was one.
Paul Cohalan: Oh, wow.
Nadia Nesevski: They're both born in Macedonia.
Paul Cohalan: Yep. Yep. Do you go back much?
Nadia Nesevski: I. I try to. I like going back home.
Paul Cohalan: You went back recently?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, I went back, yeah. Three weeks ago. Two weeks ago, which was pretty cool. I try. I really want to go every year.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: It's hard, too. I go sometimes every three years. But now because I'm older, I've tried to make that a priority.
Paul Cohalan: Right.
Nadia Nesevski: I have a lot of family there and it's just bringing you down and not humbling. I feel like we get lost here in Australia. All it is is hustle and work.
Paul Cohalan: Which we actually love it. But then you miss you.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Don't be in the moment.
Nadia Nesevski: Correct. I agree with you. Like going back home, it just makes you realize what we actually live for.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: And it's like, okay, well, this is what life is about. The basic things and the history.
Paul Cohalan: And you obviously having family there and all that. Yeah. And go back to basics. The foundation. Eh?
Nadia Nesevski: Exactly. I think that's so important because it grounds me a lot. We get lost here in the rat race of just always making more money or always being more. Always doing.
Paul Cohalan: Chasing.
Nadia Nesevski: Chasing. Yeah. Over there, they're grateful with what they have. Makes you realize how grateful. How much we actually have in Australia that people take for granted.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Definitely. I remember when I never traveled before until I got with my wife. Not then. But we got married in that. Over there. Engaged. Proposed over there. Engaged and married over there. And Split in Croatia. But just learning, like, just European. Whether it's Croatia or whatever. Just the hit. And Australia's been here since breakfast. But there's a lot of benefit. It's beautiful place.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: And even after four to six weeks, you come home and we're lucky. The road. You know everything. The basics of here. You appreciate it when you fly back in.
Nadia Nesevski: You do.
Paul Cohalan: But going overseas to Europe and just understanding, like the wars and the history and like, even when I got married, we're standing on the archbishops where they've been buried. Like in the cathedral in Sveti Duje in Split. And like, just understanding that. And I'd go research and go down the rabbit hole. And I'm Aussie, so I don't have any history or family or anything like. But for yourself to go back, especially after coming here and hustling and like, it must be a good. Like, let the hair down.
Nadia Nesevski: It is.
Paul Cohalan: And then you come back charged.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. But when you don't go for long as well, it's. It can also be the opposite way.
Paul Cohalan: Can it? Because too. Too busy over there.
Nadia Nesevski: Because you're too. Well, you're busy here. You go away for a week or two weeks, which is barely anything. People go away for months. You can't do that when you have a business. But then you come back and you're jet lagged and because you're doing so much there, then you're like, you never actually have a break. But it's cool, you're right to see the history, to see the churches. I'm very religious, so to see the churches there, it's just really cool.
Paul Cohalan: It's really cool. I'm not religious and I was talking to actually Leo that launched today. He's talking a lot about God and stuff like that, which is really cool and I respect it a lot. I actually had to, I converted to Catholic to get married. Croatian as well, which is pretty cool. And I learned a lot about that.
Nadia Nesevski: What were you before that?
Paul Cohalan: Anglican, I think. Christian. I and I'd never really, I got christened in that but never really gone down that rabbit hole much and, but I respect it a lot. My kids go to Catholic school and all that. Tell us a bit about it for you.
Nadia Nesevski: Look, God has played such a huge role.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, see, I say universe, right? Like it's just my belief and where it is and especially last two years.
Nadia Nesevski: I used to just say manifest. Manifest because I was all about the universe. I think because a few things happened and growing up in a Catholic school, I think it pulled me further away from God. It's like they force it upon you at school. I don't want to be forced, I want to find out by myself. And I did find out by myself over the past years of things I've gone through, you know, I'm like, God, please show me signs. The next day there will be a sign. Or I remember I was driving back from Cookie Loaded and I was like, God, please tell me you're real. And I was driving home, it was probably around 11pm. There were no cars on the street and I've never seen a bumper sticker about God. The car in front of me, I literally get to the car, it had like God is the way on the car as a sticker. And I was like, this has to be a sign. Yep, I've never seen that ever before. And the one day I ask, it's in front of me. God has really played a big role in my life because at the lowest of lows, when I needed help, I would actually that's when I turned to God and I was like, please help me. And you just see things fall into place and you could look, everyone's different. It could be manifestation, it is belief.
Paul Cohalan: I, I so what you just said you've done there, I don't say to God, but I Always go back to either a couple of my grandfathers that have passed away or my grandmother when I'm in that moment in a really bad spot. And I'm like, whether you want to say pray, ask, talk, whatever, and you're in your own space. And I just spoke about it with a very close mate this morning. He'd done it before going to bed last night, and he's not religious or anything, but he's like. He prayed. I won't say who it is, but he was pretty cool. And he goes, man, I couldn't get to sleep. And I just. I really needed to realize because he just made some big decisions, family stuff, all that. And he goes, I can't get to sleep. But he sat there and prayed for today to be more grateful, to release what he's just signed off on. And he goes, man, I laid there, shut my eyes, and I end up falling asleep. And I don't normally like that, that easy. He was only telling me at breakfast this morning it was really cool.
Nadia Nesevski: That's so nice.
Paul Cohalan: And like, I. I can tell you now, definitely, I always say, like, I talk to my grandparents or grandmother or whatnot and go, hey, right now I need help. And I never really asked for help, but I'm like, right now I need help. And you know what always comes about, right? Like always. And originally started now that I reflect on it, and I don't talk about this much, but second of the 7th, 97, my pop died and I was only young, but I was the first grandkid, so I was really close with him and I reckon.
Nadia Nesevski: How old were you?
Paul Cohalan: Oh, in 97. Well, I'm 43 now, so. What's that? So 2,000 would have been 26. Go back three. 28. No, it wasn't 28. Take 28. You would have been really 13.
Nadia Nesevski: Wow.
Paul Cohalan: Is that right? What's 40?
Nadia Nesevski: I don't even know.
Paul Cohalan: I would have been 13, 14, something like that. And ever since then, and I was really close with him and he always talked to me about being a good kid growing up and don't be like your family and don't be like your dad and all this stuff. Typical grandfather. And. And ever since then, if I've been in shit, in a bad spot or whatever, I've always spoke to my pop. But I've got a few pops now that have passed and I've just had a recent grandmother last November, and I reckon since then I've probably done the same thing, you know, like, none of you can help me out at any time, you know, like, now's the time I feel that shit. Oh. Like even just my mindset shift and whether it's belief, placebo, whether it's. It does not matter. It's like, it's everything's mindset, right. And I'm really big on that. And that's why I always say everything happens for a reason. Like even yesterday, the day before, like, and everything I look at now, whether it's really bad, it's like, what do I get out of it every, every day.
Nadia Nesevski: I agree.
Paul Cohalan: And actually I've a mate shifted a fair bit about that and he sent me a wicked message the other day. He's like, man, you helped me the last few weeks. But he's, he's got, he shifted his mindset to that now because when your mindset's like that, you get rid of ego. It humbles you. We're all human, you know.
Nadia Nesevski: I think that's where I saw the biggest difference, obviously with business, but in relationships, yeah. Being in really toxic relationships, I'd be like, God, like, show me.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: And God will show me.
Paul Cohalan: And you talk about that.
Nadia Nesevski: God has saved me.
Paul Cohalan: It's good. Do you know what I do like? I like. You know what I really like about your posts and stuff. And I had a friend not long ago and she a chick and she'd post, but it'd be like throwing stones at men, right? Or throwing or having a pick. And I'm like, there's always two sides. I said, but don't. Don't you put yourself in their bucket by start doing that because you're a beautiful person and she is. And she's like very. She's a bit woo woo. And she's a bit, you know, all that as well, which I am a bit as well. And I'm like, don't throw stones on socials to prove a point. Have your say up to you what you do, but it didn't look good. And I said I'd stop watching your socials over that. But say your belief, you know, like, and you, you put it across really well. You talk about exes a couple of times or guys or I want to find the right person or God. And it's like, it's a really good balance. A lot of people will go and they'll use it to go, you. Or even when me and the ex split, I said to her, if you go, say something as a message. Even if you don't say a name, everyone knows, right? Like, don't do that to each other. You know what I mean? And I'll probably say, I think females, they all do it and it's event. Right. But some do it. And I'm like, you're a really good person. Don't. Don't throw stones. And you know, at someone, you know, because socials can tell you're right.
Nadia Nesevski: But to a degree, like, still, deep down, I. Let's say with what's happened to me in the past, it made me become a man hater. But I'm not going to.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, but you don't get on there and go, man hater, though, because.
Nadia Nesevski: Correct.
Paul Cohalan: You've got a partner now, right?
Nadia Nesevski: Yes.
Paul Cohalan: So you're not a man hater. Yeah, that's the point. No, no. Unless you jump the fence and said, no more men, I'm going to the other side. No, but do you get what I'm saying? Like, but to sit there and say, men are this, men are that, it'd be like, same as if I said the same because I got a divorce and I wasn't happy. You know, it's like every person's different. Correct. Correct. What I'm saying is you got a wicked balance with it. And.
Nadia Nesevski: Thank you.
Paul Cohalan: And I like, you put your opinion out, but you're never throwing stones. You're never like, you know, even though.
Nadia Nesevski: I would have loved to throw a stone at probably his head, probably it's okay.
Paul Cohalan: But. Because socials is pretty powerful. Right. But it all can. And it can look really bad or it can look really good and. And you can.
Nadia Nesevski: Paul, can I just say I've always been one to stay true to myself.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: And that's a big message. Right. Because I'm very honest on socials.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: And in person. And that's why I've lost friendships. Because I will stand.
Paul Cohalan: That's okay.
Nadia Nesevski: And that is okay.
Paul Cohalan: Because you're outgrowing them.
Nadia Nesevski: Correct. Yes.
Paul Cohalan: I had a comment.
Nadia Nesevski: There's always two sides to a story. Of course. So if someone hears their side, it's not always that. And that's what maturing has made me realize. I'm like, that's okay. If.
Paul Cohalan: Who cares about it?
Nadia Nesevski: Deep down I know and God knows what's right. That's all that matters.
Paul Cohalan: And you know, the other thing? Perception's a big thing. Like if I say the sky's green and you say it's blue, it doesn't mean we're both wrong or both right or one's right or one's wrong. It's. That's our perception.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Right. Even having an argument. And I've outgrown some people. Last two years, three very close friends, right. I could throw stones and I could get angry and stick my head in the sand. I have a little bit now and then I pull myself up, windscreen's bigger than the rearview mirror. I'm like, I feel sorry for you that you had to do that to me. Because I've been over a couple of times, right? I'm like, do you know what? I actually feel sorry because you're in a really, really, really bad spot for you to be able to do that. I actually feel for you.
Nadia Nesevski: Absolutely.
Paul Cohalan: The same with bullies. It's the same with anyone. I'm like, will I spend time with you? I'll forgive you, but keep you at arm's length and feel sorry for you. Will I spend time with you? Will you get quality of time now? No. I was a socialite. I socialized too much. Two bigger circles. But now that it's gone like this, and I talk about this heaps now, and I'm very comfortable in my own space now, and it's like, you're not getting my time again. But I hope you work it out.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Because you're in a really bad spot and you're only human and we only know what we know.
Nadia Nesevski: You're right.
Paul Cohalan: You're only like, even guys that are like, I grew up violence and all that stuff, right? And I'm going to talk about it in my story. And I'm very close with my stepdad now, which we butted heads and I moved out of home when I was 15 with. But they only know what they know. It's generations, you know, when you go there, or young guys, some are great, some are probably assholes you want to throw stones at. But they probably only know what they know as well. But you're right. Do you have to spend time with them? No.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: You know what I mean?
Nadia Nesevski: Like, it is. You feel sorry that they have to be like that. And it is a reflection of them.
Paul Cohalan: Doesn't condone it, though. There's no condoning. There's no. You don't have to be an asshole. You know, that's why. And I say this a bit, is all my kids, when my kids started going to school when they're five or whatever, instead of the whole go and learn, what'd you learn today? It's like in the morning, have fun, be kind. Every day still to this day, have fun, be kind. Do you say that every day? Because the only time I'll change to be a really nice sentence is, if I ever catch you bullying, I'll rip your head off by picking on, you know, bullying. And it's a bit of a joke, but they'll remember like that, have fun, be kind. Because learning. Because we just say, we're both in Year five. You learn different to me, you start talking different to me, you read different to me, you might be better than me or start early, vice versa. It's the same when you start talking when you're a baby, everyone walking, so everyone's different. So you can't say, go learn today, like, because it puts pressure in that, right, we're all different. But have fun and be kind. And if you're having fun, you'll probably learn. When you have fun, what do you do? You learn, right?
Nadia Nesevski: It's like when you love your job.
Paul Cohalan: Passionate, you do well. And it's so funny that the main reason you need to be passionate and love what you do, it's not for the wins. We can all high five, ring the bell. We've sold heaps today. Or sold a policy. You need that passion. That I believe is because when you're laying on the floor and it's a really hard day, you need it to get through the hard days. So you don't give up.
Nadia Nesevski: Absolutely.
Paul Cohalan: Now, I reckon you resonate with that a lot. Like, if you didn't love what you do, you would have gave up. Oh, and I remember talking to you and you're like, fuck it, I know what to do next. But if you love the grind and it's not about money and it's not about any of that, you'll get through the hardest days.
Nadia Nesevski: You're so right.
Paul Cohalan: That is actually the key.
Nadia Nesevski: But that's what I tell other people. I'm like, if I did not love Cookie Loaded or what I do, I.
Paul Cohalan: Would have sold it. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: I would have. I would not be here.
Paul Cohalan: Got it up. Sold it.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: And now it's got so much love and passion in it. Like when you get through them hard days and you think you're not going to learn anymore, but you learn so much from them days.
Nadia Nesevski: Absolutely. Like, there's a lesson in everything, I reckon.
Paul Cohalan: Six, seven, six, seven. Is that over now? Is it over?
Nadia Nesevski: No.
Paul Cohalan: Is it your age group or is it younger?
Nadia Nesevski: It's younger. My dad does it.
Paul Cohalan: Does he? Yes. Good on your dad. Six, seven. Yeah, it's my kids, 11 and 13. My two, about six, seven, eight years ago. I remember sitting on the floor in the office, three in the morning, whatever. Right. Come back to last year. And I had a pretty challenge the last couple of years would not change it for the world. Because now I know I'm on another level.
Nadia Nesevski: It's true.
Paul Cohalan: Lost people, lost clients and restructured all the bullshit. But last June, not the one gone, the one before June 30, I was laying on the floor at 3am in the morning, and I was seeing a chick at the time, and. And she was texting me. She was the only one I was talking to at the time. And it was like, I lost all my staff f, blah, blah, blah. Cause I wasn't in the business, you know, going through a roller coaster of divorce and kids, thinking you're ashamed, you know, ashamed as a dad, you know, are you a good dad? And husband, partner, human. And like, you got this big office, the one I got rid of. And it's June 30th, biggest day of the insurance year. Lost a couple of clients, won some, but, you know, so it was all negative. And I'm like, And I love adversity, right? And I. And I. And. And I would not change this for the world. But I remember laying there and the chick, she's like, you all right? I'm like, yeah, good. Just give me a couple of hours. So I lay there for an hour or two, and then I'm like. So I went home, slept probably an hour or two, and I got back up at 6, 7 o'clock, whatever it was, 6, 7, and dug my heels in. And I'm like, fresh ring the team. Get on. Because I've still got. I've still got staff, still have shit to do. And I'm like, let's go. Let's not, let's not. And it's 10 years. This March has gone as 10 years.
Nadia Nesevski: Wow.
Paul Cohalan: And it's like. And only a few weeks ago, there's something going on at the moment. And I kicked someone's ass. And I'm like, you know what? I don't care anymore. You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna dig my heels in tomorrow morning, we're gonna go. And it's like, if you get that, it's mindset again, right?
Nadia Nesevski: It is.
Paul Cohalan: And that morning was probably one of the mornings that I sat there to my grandfather and I'm like, what do I do next? You know that bit where we talk about either praying or talking or whatnot and the universe. And you know what, it starts with us, though, our mindset. And I had a wicked six months, really hard six months still, and actually lost 12 months. But like, the green shoots and coming out of it. And the bigger the pressure and adversity, the better the outcome every time. Like when you've got through your hard times, how good is it at the other end?
Nadia Nesevski: You're right, you're right.
Paul Cohalan: How good's the cookie now? When you them up last week, people.
Nadia Nesevski: Some people don't see that. Right.
Paul Cohalan: They end up a victim, stick their head in the sand.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. Like I've. People just see the success of Cookie Loaded now. They don't see what I have to go through or what I had to go through. You know, it's been five years since I started my business. Actually 20, 21, 2000. Six years. Yeah, nearly six years. That's a long time. Right. And when people start home businesses now and they're like, oh, I'm not getting an a lot of customers, like I've had six years of that where people don't see that's what's made Cookie Loaded. It's not an overnight success. People don't understand, but that's okay.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. They think you just go set it up and.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: And like what I don't like and I don't know retail and hospitality and food and all that, but like just putting your ass on the line to fit it out, spend that money like all that. Like, I just think if you ask me and I didn't know you, it's like how many cookies you got to sell just to pay back the fit out that's got to be in my head. I'm like, because I'm a service based business, so it's a bit of paper, right. And I might do all this, but that's separate. And I'm like, how many cookies would you have to sell for it to look this good and hire?
Nadia Nesevski: Do you know what's funny? It's funny you say that because I can see it because I'm product based. I look at service based businesses and I'm like, how much time do you have to sit there and get that paperwork done?
Paul Cohalan: So it's so if I ever go product based, I'm coming to see you.
Nadia Nesevski: Funny how it happens.
Paul Cohalan: It is. But it's only our perspective and what we see. Right.
Nadia Nesevski: And what we've learned, what we know.
Paul Cohalan: We don't know what we don't know.
Nadia Nesevski: Yes.
Paul Cohalan: And, and that's why I appreciate like where you're at. Like I look at you like I had 20 year old Keoni on. He's a videographer, right. Little legend. And we kind of talked and then he was at one of Dave Clare's events. Got to know him and I'm like, do you know the most exciting thing about a 20 year old? And he's doing well and he's out there. He's like, imagine where you're going to be at 22.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: That's my, that's my take on it. You know what I mean? Like, it's the same with you. It's like imagine when you're going to be when you're 28.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: It's pretty next level.
Nadia Nesevski: And that's why I'm grateful I started at a young age.
Paul Cohalan: You got time, you can get back. You can fail 10 times.
Nadia Nesevski: I know what you mean. Not that you will even at your age. Like you can do that and as well.
Paul Cohalan: Exactly. Build.
Nadia Nesevski: That's the beauty of life. But for me, I feel like I'm running out of time.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: And I'm only 24. And I forget that. I'm like, why are we. Why is that not done? Why don't I have full shops? Why? You can't think like that, you know, and.
Paul Cohalan: And you're probably slowly learning it now because I remember the chats we had a couple of years ago and now I've really learned to slow down. You'll speed up.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: And it's just mindset learning and probably maturity, I think a lot of. To get to that maturity. Yeah, you're right. And that's what teaches you the mistakes, not the wins.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: They're easy. They're high fives. Yeah. Cool. So 1,000 cookies normally sell 800, whatever it is. But go and burn a heap and you can't sell them. You'll learn real quick.
Nadia Nesevski: Or like when a staff member turns off a freezer.
Paul Cohalan: Has it.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: How much did you lose?
Nadia Nesevski: Stock had to go a full frame.
Paul Cohalan: So run us through that.
Nadia Nesevski: I think that was last year or the, the year we opened. It's happened quite a few times. So my mistakes happen.
Paul Cohalan: Right. We're human. Right. So the first thing I do when I lose a client or something goes wrong is go, what did I do wrong as an owner? Even though it was someone else that probably did it, I'll go, what did I do wrong? And how do I stop it happening again and get their take on it? Right. If someone does something repetitive over and over, it's still your fault because you've kept them there, you're employing them. But it's like, did I educate enough? Did I give the right resources? Did I set them up for success? And that's something I really learned last five years. Right. Big time. Like you look at your freezer thing. Could it happen again?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, of course.
Paul Cohalan: Go and take the switch up so they can't turn it off. Like do something. Don't let it happen again.
Nadia Nesevski: I know you're right.
Paul Cohalan: How much did you lose?
Nadia Nesevski: A lot.
Paul Cohalan: Do you go in like meltdown or hundreds of cookies? Not like, oh, made cookies.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: So that all the labor's going in. So it's not just the ingredients.
Nadia Nesevski: Yes. So imagine that. But something always goes wrong and you can't prepare for that.
Paul Cohalan: What's chewing your profit the most? Is it rework of cookies? Probably. I'm guessing if you up a batch, like what what would chew your bottom line? Or your top line?
Nadia Nesevski: I think staff wages.
Paul Cohalan: How much churning you got? Is it getting better? Because I know you struggled a little bit before. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Wages keep increasing.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: So prices keep increasing. Then if our cost of product is increasing, wages are increasing, everything's increasing. So we have to also increase our price. But then we have to find that fine line. Right. Of we can't increase it too much because then it will turn customers away.
Paul Cohalan: Of course. Of course.
Nadia Nesevski: But they. People don't see the expenses of everything.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: And that's the hard part. I wish customers saw. Well, my customers understand. But let's say first time customers or.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: A lot of people say we're too expensive but they don't understand how much things actually cost.
Paul Cohalan: But you don't achieve now rent. You're not a cheap.
Nadia Nesevski: Someone's. Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: You know you're in a premium spot and you're going to get that in a premium spot. Not everyone wants to pay it, of course. But when you got as well.
Nadia Nesevski: If our rent alone is someone's yearly wage.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: You know, people be like, what the.
Paul Cohalan: That's what blew my mind when. When you told me when you started that that's why I asked a question earlier and I'm like, you went straight from home to there. Like the rent. Rent's always the big rent and wages.
Nadia Nesevski: It was a risk. But now looking back, I'm like, how did I take that? I don't know. I didn't even. I know. I'm like, she did that.
Paul Cohalan: You did that. Look in the mirror. You did that.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: And you still got three years.
Nadia Nesevski: You didn't give a fuck.
Paul Cohalan: Give it a crack.
Nadia Nesevski: Exactly.
Paul Cohalan: And that goes back to what we talked about earlier about not giving a. Is a big piece. And I say it swearing.
Nadia Nesevski: So true.
Paul Cohalan: But it's like we've always got fear at some point or get anxious. I don't get it much, but I do. And it's usually finances. Right. But when you back yourself, go back to back yourself and look in the windscreen, not the rear view mirror. Yes. There's risk, but it's like, let's go.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Like. And you just won't let it fail. Your ass is against the wall. There's actually a bit of psychology in that and help. So if you play the comfort zone 100, you won't go as hard. And I know because when I've probably. A couple of years ago, I probably got a bit more comfortable. You kind of not as now I'm back with fire in my belly and I'm like, I had a big bushfire. It's like, let's go. Well, I Do you have a bushfire. And what comes after a bushfire? Green shoots.
Nadia Nesevski: But that's sometimes that's great because 10 years, I feel like. Not that I've got uncomfortable, but it's scarier now, taking a risk.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Than it was when I had nothing.
Paul Cohalan: Yes. Nothing to lose.
Nadia Nesevski: On the line now.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: So for me, I'm more.
Paul Cohalan: And pride.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. It's a bit hard.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: And I'm like, how did I take that big risk back then?
Paul Cohalan: So let's. Let's go back to your parents. So your mum was one. Your dad was 30.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Right. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. When they both came to Australia.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. So your parents. So where'd they meet?
Nadia Nesevski: They met at, I think the Macedonian club. I think so.
Paul Cohalan: Croatian club, Macedonian club, Italian club.
Nadia Nesevski: That. That or a bar somewhere. I think it was that. I'm not 100 sure, but.
Paul Cohalan: How long they've been married?
Nadia Nesevski: Well, they. 27 years, so that's cool. 28. Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: That's awesome.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: How's Father's Day?
Nadia Nesevski: It was really nice. Yes, it was really nice. Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Did you give your dad cookies for Father's Day?
Nadia Nesevski: You know what? I think my family are overeating cookies.
Paul Cohalan: I think they might be. That was a bit of a tongue in cheek joke.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. They don't really like my cookies anymore. No, they love it, but they can't have too much of it.
Paul Cohalan: They're like, we've eaten this. We've been taste testers forever.
Nadia Nesevski: They're over it.
Paul Cohalan: Do you still have the ice cream machine?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, I have soft serve.
Paul Cohalan: That's right. Soft serve. Yeah. I think that's what my kids got last time.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. That's what you guys have.
Paul Cohalan: So tell me a bit about Mum and Dad. Tell me, do they go back much, do they? Tell me a little bit of history.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Why are you where you are?
Nadia Nesevski: Look, they both worked casual jobs.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: As in no office job. I mean my mum's is quite office in now.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: But yeah, my dad's always just. They've always worked like one morning, one night to look after the kids. So they've always had a roster. When we're growing up, they've always just been humbled. Like they've never really lived that wow life. It was just like basic life. Family first, always family time generation though. Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Well, they come from survival, right.
Nadia Nesevski: They come from nothing.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Like my mum's parents, they came to Australia not knowing English. So my grandma and grandpa.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Not knowing English, not having friends.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: It was hard. So for them to go straight into jobs where they needed to know English.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: It's hard to communicate. My grandma had four kids.
Paul Cohalan: How old are your parents?
Nadia Nesevski: My mum is 57 or so.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: My dad's 63.
Paul Cohalan: 64, Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: So my grandma came here with my mum who was one then, had three other kids in Australia all one year apart. So she was like 24 with four kids. 25 with four kids. Kids.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Trying to work two jobs raising four little babies. It's hard. You know, they. They actually sacrificed a lot for us.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: And that's why that, that has a big impact on me. My dad leaving his whole family coming to Australia with nothing.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: That's why we are so blessed. They gave us.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. The opportunity.
Nadia Nesevski: Right?
Paul Cohalan: Yep. Sacrifice.
Nadia Nesevski: So for me not to do anything with that, I would feel like a failure.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: They sacrificed their whole life for us.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: So of course I'm not scared to take a risk.
Paul Cohalan: I was gonna say like business doesn't work, so be it. Like, you know what I mean? You've taken, you've taken it, obviously it will. But it's got nothing on your parents coming over, right? Correct.
Nadia Nesevski: You do think like that.
Paul Cohalan: I learned a lot about that from my ex in laws and they're got an amazing story and their sacrifice and just the resilience and you know, couldn't speak English, come over here on the boat, 70, whatever, all that kind of stuff and I just really appreciate that, you know what I mean? Like that's huge. And it's really good for someone at your age, 20, 21, you know back when you started to actually be really 18, be mindful that it's okay to take that punt because your parents left their country and their family and you know all that.
Nadia Nesevski: Right.
Paul Cohalan: To give you a better life, a big risk. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: They left their whole life.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: So that's why. Maybe that's why I'm not scared to take a risk.
Paul Cohalan: Definitely. This is the bit. We're getting to the nuggets now. And it's like you're going in every day into this little pink store that looks pretty and all beautiful and you've got all these customers and you're pleasing people and making cookies. There's no way that's what their day looked like when they got out of bed in the morning when they were younger. You know what I mean?
Nadia Nesevski: Like, my dad always like would tell me that he had to go over mountains to get to his school, like from his house. But when I go back home to motherland, like, you see, honestly, they have nothing there. And back in that days when he was growing up, he probably had less. Obviously he was born in what was Jesus. You know what Jesus was born in? Like a crate, not cradle, but like a barn type. Yeah, a shed. My dad was literally born in a shed.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: And I've seen it, so that's cool. Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: My father in law showed me where I think it was. His mum was born in this house in Vugervac. I always say it wrong. It's like my mother, my ex mother in law used to always call, he's from the goats because she's from an island. So like. And I went up there to the village. Similar what you're saying. Walk in. There's bats in that video. I think his mum was born there and maybe he was or. But that was their village. And it's like when you see the reality of that, it's like. And we whine over coffee not being right or the egg's not cooked and you're like, exactly. And we're allowed because it's different. It's not survival anymore. You know, we're inconvenience generation. But it's really cool. I just really appreciate it. It's cool and it's wicked. At your age, really reflecting and respecting that as well. I think it's pretty special.
Nadia Nesevski: You really have to.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Because if you don't like, I see it every day. People whinge over little things here or on Instagram and there's always things happening in the world. I get really frustrated because people don't actually see how grateful we are.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. You know, and how lucky.
Nadia Nesevski: How lucky we are. Exactly.
Paul Cohalan: What about. Tell us about your brother.
Nadia Nesevski: My brother?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. What was your thing to stir him up when you were younger, you know? Well, sibling love.
Nadia Nesevski: We. Yeah. No, we were really close when we were younger, but we were too close to the point like we would always have to do everything together and if he. He would always ask me, it's like I wore the pants. He will say opposite. But this was pretty funny.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: He. If my grandma would ask him what he wants to eat, like he would look at me and he'll be like, like, what are you eating? So like we could get the same thing.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Like he would always need my approval. Yeah, it was pretty funny.
Paul Cohalan: That's cool.
Nadia Nesevski: But yeah. There's so many stories. So many stories. He cut my hair when I was like young. He asked me if I wanted a haircut. I was like three.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: And he was probably four or five. Yeah. He cut my hair underneath my grandma's dining table and he literally cut my hair off. He asked me if I wanted a haircut. And being kids, like, I was like, yeah, he cut my hair. I had a fringe that short.
Paul Cohalan: What grandma say?
Nadia Nesevski: Well, my dad was sleeping on the couch at the time. He missed it. And then he woke up to me having no hair or having half hair chop. And he. I don't know what happened, but they just shaved my hair off.
Paul Cohalan: Wow.
Nadia Nesevski: So I was a little kid with no hair.
Paul Cohalan: Well, you got beautiful hair now, so. And it's all grown back.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. Yeah. There's just so many stories. It's so nice. But I don't remember a lot of my childhood.
Paul Cohalan: Don't you?
Nadia Nesevski: No, I think, I don't know. My memory is terrible.
Paul Cohalan: Do you know what I. I believe this is, my personal opinion is I'm a bit like that. I remember specific things. But even now what I think it is, my brain goes too fast and I only really think of a filing system. And I reckon it was like that growing up. I got like riding bikes. I used to ride when I was four or five. I used to ride to the bus on the farm. Stuff like that. Really passionate about. Other than that. I reckon my. From a kid, my brain even now just goes so fast and I only file what I need to file.
Nadia Nesevski: I think you're right. And I think that's me.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: I wouldn't change it for the world. Right. And it's like I really I've tried to like why is there some things I can't remember like some people got wicked memories and they'll be like yeah you know when this happened I might but then other times like even yesterday I was messaging someone I'm like no no this is when the photo was sent. She's like you're right so certain things I'm on business usually numbers I'm usually on but then some things it's like I just like I don't want to lock it in I don't want to file it.
Nadia Nesevski: I get you. It's the same as me.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah it's hard because it's all time right. And productivity. Yeah. And I think I was like it.
Nadia Nesevski: As a kid but I think because we're just so busy nowadays. Yes. Like we're just go go in the what we do every single day so then when it comes to something else.
Paul Cohalan: You know what would be really cool is in five years chatting where we are. I know and like we're each different age as well you only got 20 years on you but just cool. I agree like I always say like even when I was in mining and transport and stuff it was like the generation that were the goats in that industry that you look up to a mentor they're all retiring right. So we're the next generation like me anyway but it's even like now even though we're 20 years apart it's like we're in business young or older or whatever I imagine where it's going to be in five, 10 years and how much Mount Hawthorn is going to change.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: You know subiaco robots and it's so fast. Yeah. No AI is going to make cookies not with the love in their hands are they? Hey you're right no Claude or ChatGPT hey go back to your brother.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Tell us about him. What's he do?
Nadia Nesevski: Well now he is what's it called or carpenter oh is he works with my brother in law so they work together. Oh no but still he was still working at kids Cookie Loaded at the shop when we first opened.
Paul Cohalan: Oh awesome.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah but we just argued too much you know hiring your family just got too much so I, I said we can't do this anymore.
Paul Cohalan: How many times did you turn around go hey I'm the boss but it.
Nadia Nesevski: Wouldn't work because I'm younger you know they don't listen which I understand you want to listen to your younger sister. Yeah but yeah we couldn't keep arguing.
Paul Cohalan: In front of Christmas but deep down, he still needed the approval to get where you ate when you're a little kid.
Nadia Nesevski: Exactly.
Paul Cohalan: You can show him this.
Nadia Nesevski: Exactly. No, it was pretty cool, but, yeah, now it's better. It's better not having your family work in the business.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: It's a fine line. Right. Because you want to go home and not talk just about work or have that relationship still connected.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely. School.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Where were you born and what school did you go to?
Nadia Nesevski: I went to Mercy College.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah? Where's that?
Nadia Nesevski: That's in Koondoola. Mirrabooka area.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: It was a private school, but I feel like it felt public.
Paul Cohalan: Did it?
Nadia Nesevski: It was. Look, I was there since Kindy, so I was born in Perth. I was there since Kindy. That's all I knew. I loved the teachers. That's. That was my. You know. Yeah, I love.
Paul Cohalan: Did you like school?
Nadia Nesevski: Look, I didn't mind it. Sometimes I hated it, but it is what it is. I did ATAR. So when year 10 came along, I was just locked in, always studying. Every single night after school, I was studying.
Paul Cohalan: What were you studying? Like what. What? Just the normal school or what was your go to? Like what subject or what you really like?
Nadia Nesevski: I did maths, English, religion.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Phys ed, which was pretty cool to do that. I've always been active, so that was cool. And business. So I did business in school.
Paul Cohalan: You did?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, but I wasn't the best at it.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: I'd get 70s, 80s. I wasn't hitting 90s.
Paul Cohalan: There's nothing like doing it in person, though.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: You can do all the tests and learning you want.
Nadia Nesevski: Absolutely.
Paul Cohalan: Business admin certificate, Nothing against it.
Nadia Nesevski: I dropped out of uni. I had one unit left and I haven't finished. I just left.
Paul Cohalan: Your brain's different. I think you know that.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, I think uni isn't for me and I think uni, they're a business themselves. So, you know, if you want to be a lawyer. Yeah, you need that.
Paul Cohalan: Of course, but for business, engineer, doctor.
Nadia Nesevski: Lawyer, all of it is what you learn on the job.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, get in there. Talk about. Did you say bodybuilding you're doing?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, I was wanting to get into that and I wanted to compete and do a.
Paul Cohalan: So how old were you when you started going to the gym and doing all that stuff?
Nadia Nesevski: I would have been 17 and then slowly got into it, but when I was 18, 19, that's when I took it serious.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: And I got online coaches.
Paul Cohalan: Oh, did you?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, strict. Really strict. On my diet every single day, counting calories.
Paul Cohalan: Wow.
Nadia Nesevski: I think that was quite obsessive, to be fair. Not healthy. I'd bring my containers to dinners, you know, at that age.
Paul Cohalan: That's pretty cool.
Nadia Nesevski: It is cool because it teaches you a lot. But then I got an eating disorder from it.
Paul Cohalan: Oh, did you?
Nadia Nesevski: And I went the other way and I rebounded. I gained so much weight. It wasn't good. Wasn't good mentally.
Paul Cohalan: So that's a. That's a huge roadblock. And that would have been huge learning. Now you probably reflected on it.
Nadia Nesevski: Exactly.
Paul Cohalan: So what happened there? Can I ask, like, what triggered it? How. How did you just fall into it? Did you know it was happening?
Nadia Nesevski: I don't. What? Which one?
Paul Cohalan: Like the eating disorder.
Nadia Nesevski: Like, look, of course. Because if your family around you are telling you this is not healthy, but for me, I just always wanted to be really lean. Right. But then when you cut out certain foods for so long, you just crave it even more after.
Paul Cohalan: Is that right?
Nadia Nesevski: So I cut out sugar and I just crave so much sugar after that photo shoot that I did.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: I. If I told you what I ate in one day, you would be mind blown.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: I will tell you. I ate like six Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Four brownies, one whole Woolworths cake. All in one sitting.
Paul Cohalan: Wow.
Nadia Nesevski: All in the space of two hours because I hadn't had sugar for like. Like four or five months.
Paul Cohalan: Yep. And then would you fall into a bit of a rut with the eating?
Nadia Nesevski: I did, of course. Because you haven't eaten things for so long, so you're just binge eating.
Paul Cohalan: What kicked you out of it? What, for anyone? Like, obviously you weren't the first and won't be the last. That'll do that. What changed your mindset? What kicked your ass? And you're like this. I just can't keep doing this. I've got to get out of my rut.
Nadia Nesevski: I think that's it. You just wake up one day and you just feel like you're sick of it. You're fed enough.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: And you're like, okay, well, you need.
Paul Cohalan: To start something different. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: It's always going to be there. Why am I doing that?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: You know, and. Yeah, I just had to stop. Otherwise it would have turned out really bad.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: And you just feel every day and you're not confident to go out. I gained a lot.
Paul Cohalan: So you were doing that while you were making the cookies at home. Yeah, because that's 18 you started. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So.
Nadia Nesevski: And then obviously being around sugar every day, like, was terrible at the start, but then you get used to it. And now like, I eat Cookie Loaded nearly every day. Basically every day. I train hard, but I don't overeat. I know when to stop. I listen to my signals.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: I think when I had an online coach, like back in the day, even if you weren't hungry, like in the bulking phase, you would still have to overeat. So then that makes you not listen to your hunger sync.
Paul Cohalan: So it's all mindset stuff.
Nadia Nesevski: Yes, it is. But now I'm in a better place. I don't use food as an outsource for my emotions. I use it to fuel. And if I'm craving something, I'll eat it.
Paul Cohalan: What's your favorite food besides cookie? So home cooked meal.
Nadia Nesevski: If I said now it's home cooked meals, yeah.
Paul Cohalan: What?
Nadia Nesevski: But in Europe, it's like the Mediterranean diets. I love everything Mediterranean diets. Like burrata or a salad. A nice salad. I just crave that nice food. Or crispy chicken, you know?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: It's just the basic food, but I'm not one to crave. Oh, I need pasta. Like pasta, Italian food. I've never been like that.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: But yeah, I think definitely home cooked meals. Nothing beats that.
Paul Cohalan: Nice.
Nadia Nesevski: I'm sick of eating out, you know, I love Grill'd, I love Nando's, but when you have it all the time, I'm just sick of it.
Paul Cohalan: I eat Nando's a bit. Kids like Grill'd, actually. Grill'd's good.
Nadia Nesevski: I do.
Paul Cohalan: I'm type 2 diabetic. That's why I don't have your cookies as much anymore. And I'm. Right now, I'm actually probably more strict than I've been in a very long time. So I'm not drinking or anything. And I'm training a lot. But like type two and I've got no weight to lose. So it's like I gotta be. I've gotta train, I gotta go to bed. Stress and sleep is a big part of getting your glucose right. Because there's cycles. Even this morning. I only slept five and a half hours last night, got up, went to boxing, like at quarter of six, which I love. But then what? I'm really narrowing down now if. If my cycle of sleep's not there enough because glucose kicks in about 20 minutes before you wake up. And there's all this. And then I have the vitamins and yeah, it's crazy because I'm so strict, but yesterday I got it down to like, I'm usually like between eight and 16. Right. You meant to be five and a half yesterday. I went for a run and a swim in the ocean yesterday afternoon with a close mate and I was hitting 5.3. So it takes a few weeks when you be strict or a month and the next minute you'll have a shift. And I started taking berberine. So I don't take no metformin. Nothing. I've just stopped it. I'm like, if I can't be strict, I'm not taking medication for diabetes. So. But berberine is a good replacement and it's a herb. Right. So I've been taking that last few days and that's really shifted it a bit as well, which is a natural thing. So I'm going to stick with it now. Yeah. And once again you go back to like, I couldn't be consistent enough. But I'm in a really good spot now. I don't need to drink, I don't need to go wind down with a wine. Like I enjoy it, but I'm just trying really now just. I'm just being strict. Look after the body, you know, I feel good. I'm on. And it's better than any alcohol or anything. You know what I mean? And it's funny how you learn and you go through the cycles. Hey. And you learn and no doubt. And the other piece to it is. And you would have gone through this, I'm guessing, is you it up, you get good and then you up. Now, one thing I learned last couple of years because I went through a roller coaster is when you do up, don't kick your own ass too much. Have a little bit of self compassion and just pick yourself the quickie.
Nadia Nesevski: Correct.
Paul Cohalan: It's like business. Get back on with it.
Nadia Nesevski: True.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: You do have to do that.
Paul Cohalan: If you stick your head in the.
Nadia Nesevski: Sand, you can't put your emotions.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Because you go worse.
Nadia Nesevski: Me. Right.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: I now exercise, but there's times I don't exercise for weeks.
Paul Cohalan: Or is there?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: How do you feel after that?
Nadia Nesevski: I feel. But then I don't take it too serious because I know I'll get back into it.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: I've been training for four, five years more. Six, seven years.
Paul Cohalan: Yep. How often do you train at the moment or when you do train?
Nadia Nesevski: I try four. Four times.
Paul Cohalan: Gym, weights, cardio.
Nadia Nesevski: Both.
Paul Cohalan: Bit of both.
Nadia Nesevski: Weights. I've started doing hot mat Pilates.
Paul Cohalan: Hot mat Pilates? Yeah. Oh, cool. He's a good.
Nadia Nesevski: That's cool. It's like a sauna and you're doing mat work.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Getting the smaller muscles. I like it.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Nice.
Nadia Nesevski: But yeah, it's. It's hard, right? It's hard balance, balancing everything. Family, you got to see family, you got to work out, you got to run a business. Relationships. So it's just trying to find that balance.
Paul Cohalan: So just on that, I signed up yesterday. I met with this young lady. I met her a couple of weeks ago and she's a yoga instructor. And I went and caught up with her yesterday. Her partner's up north and whatnot. She's got a wicked gig. She doesn't overwork. But she's a wicked yoga instructor. Mount Lawley, I think. And I said, and it's just funny when you meet people. I really need to go do yoga because of my core strength now. I've been boxing or do weights.
Nadia Nesevski: You should.
Paul Cohalan: She goes, Paul, there's a six week beginner course. Go do it. Teach you how to breathe. Then you'll get your core right.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: So I've done yoga before, on and off. She's like, do this. And then come into my classes early in the morning. I'm like, it's just funny when you.
Nadia Nesevski: Meet the right people, see the difference. That is so important because your whole core just shrinks and.
Paul Cohalan: Well, I have to go to physio because of my lower back. Instantly. I went last week because I was doing sit ups and stuff.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: But I wasn't. I don't brace properly. Yeah. And I've. I've never really intentionally got nailed that. So now it's my weakest singer and I make it my strength.
Nadia Nesevski: Maybe it was a sign.
Paul Cohalan: No, no.
Nadia Nesevski: Spoke about it because you met her yesterday.
Paul Cohalan: 100%. 100%. Yeah. So. Yeah. So she's wicked. So I'm gonna go do the yoga class. I think that'll be pretty cool.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Talk to me about. Before we get towards the end, talk to me about your love life. If you want. You don't have to.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, I can talk. Of course.
Paul Cohalan: So I. I always talk to you when you go in. And then I seen a post. You got a guy out of Sydney and you've been traveling.
Nadia Nesevski: Shipped him off.
Paul Cohalan: Shipped him off. Yeah. You're happy. You're smiling.
Nadia Nesevski: He's so great. You know, this time last year I was in the dumps. My ex. I had an ex boyfriend. He was from Melbourne. Just woke up one morning and dumped me.
Paul Cohalan: Wow.
Nadia Nesevski: And he was 29. So to have a guy you would think is mature at that age, turn, promise you the world and then wake up one day and do that?
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: It makes you feel shit. It's like, was I the problem? But then when you learn more, it's not you.
Paul Cohalan: Maybe, maybe they didn't have the emotional intelligence or whatever. And us guys, I say this out loud, I said it yesterday, is we take ages to mature.
Nadia Nesevski: It's true.
Paul Cohalan: Women are so far ahead.
Nadia Nesevski: That's different. Right. Because now my boyfriend is younger than me and he is the most amazing person. And me this year, praying to God, asking for an amazing relationship and the way it's just happened and him coming into my life like. Like if some people that I know didn't meet, I would have never met him. So it's crazy how things.
Paul Cohalan: Funny how it all comes together, right.
Nadia Nesevski: And I never thought I would date someone younger than me.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, but how much are you crazy?
Nadia Nesevski: He's three years younger.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Wow. You're his cougar.
Nadia Nesevski: I know. Love it. I never thought I'd be.
Paul Cohalan: My ex is a year older than me. My wife. Ex wife and I used to always call her the cougar.
Nadia Nesevski: I never thought.
Paul Cohalan: I don't think age is. Age matters.
Nadia Nesevski: You know what, you're right. Because he's more mature than my 30 year old ex. So that's why I stopped looking at age. And I was like, this guy treats me well, has the right values, has the right outlook on life of what I want. What more could you want? And we honestly are two peas in a pod. It's. He's like my soulmate.
Paul Cohalan: Oh, that's so cool. That's awesome.
Nadia Nesevski: He's amazing.
Paul Cohalan: I knew you wouldn't mind talking about that. I always hit you up and go, how's the travel?
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: And you're like, so, so what's going on? Are you gonna move there? He's gonna move there.
Nadia Nesevski: Well, we've done more within. We've been together for nearly nine months.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: We've done more in that space.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Awesome.
Nadia Nesevski: I did with my ex that we were together for three years.
Paul Cohalan: So what's going on? Moving forward though. What is he gonna move over?
Nadia Nesevski: Look, we're both.
Paul Cohalan: Hey, buddy, get your ass over here.
Nadia Nesevski: We're both happy to live anywhere in the world.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Like we. We don't have. Hold onto anything but because my business is here.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: At the moment, you know, hopefully. Yeah. Perth works for now, which is great. But for the future.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: I'm happy to go.
Paul Cohalan: That's cool. Really cool.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: What's his name?
Nadia Nesevski: His name is Costa.
Paul Cohalan: Costa.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: What a. What a wicked name.
Nadia Nesevski: Great.
Paul Cohalan: Good on you, Costa. My great Lucky man. I think she's a lucky woman and all. Right. Future Cookie Loaded. Moving forward.
Nadia Nesevski: There's so much I want to do. Give us.
Paul Cohalan: Give us a couple of nuggets.
Nadia Nesevski: I don't like to talk about it because I'm scared. Not scared. Don't worry about the competitors.
Paul Cohalan: You just told me you don't worry about them. Don't worry. They won't catch her.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Let's be honest. There's no way in the world tell.
Nadia Nesevski: Them now they're like, she's doing that.
Paul Cohalan: Give us a couple of nuggets without. Without letting us Expansions. Yeah, yeah, of course. Who wouldn't be thinking expansions like franchise model or just an extra. Your own extra stores. You reckon?
Nadia Nesevski: I still want to look into. I think I. I don't want to go down that franchise route.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Because that quality.
Paul Cohalan: Another wicked store would be awesome.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. Yeah, that's cool. Doing different things in business, you know, maybe not just cookies, maybe something different.
Paul Cohalan: Let me tell you. Let me tell you. I had Simone that owns Cup & Co under my building and he owned a couple of them. Plus he owns Avalon. Right. He was on here. He just launched last week. Week before. Now what he ended up doing, he had the cafes and then he ended up getting away.
Nadia Nesevski: Cup & Co, wasn't that in Innaloo?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, he sold that one. No, no, I live at Floreat. Just here. At the bottom of the building. Yeah, in my building at the bottom.
Nadia Nesevski: Right.
Paul Cohalan: So he's taught me a bit. So he, he has a warehouse and he provides. Like he's got. His food's not just a generic croissant, you know, like, you know, airport. It all comes from the same warehouse. He's got his own warehouse. But it's like really nice. It's really good food. Right now he provides. I know. Don't 25 something cafes. Right. Every week and they put in orders every day. So even his cafes, like, so he's got clients but then he's got his. And it all comes from the warehouse. Right. So he can expand. You know, he can have one cafe or five cafes. Now, I think when I originally spoke to you a couple of years ago, like that'd be you having another little warehouse to make the cookies daily and produce them to a cafe would have to be. That'd have to be a scaling option.
Nadia Nesevski: Would you?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, of course. You wouldn't get another one and cooking both, would you? Or would you? Well, two maybe, but that's past that.
Nadia Nesevski: You're right, you're right.
Paul Cohalan: I'm Just thinking business wise here, process.
Nadia Nesevski: Systems, it is different. But then also to bake with the specific oven we have, we need a grease trap.
Paul Cohalan: So yeah, either way there's all these variables.
Nadia Nesevski: Need different things for food like that. If it was just a cafe where they don't need to make stuff on the premise.
Paul Cohalan: If you've got a warehouse that much. If you've got a warehouse and they didn't make it on site, would you then make enough and start putting it in other stores? Or you don't want to cross over. You want to keep Cookie Loaded. Cookie Loaded.
Nadia Nesevski: Exactly. I like having Cookie Loaded. Just Cookie Loaded.
Paul Cohalan: Come here and get it correct.
Nadia Nesevski: You can't get us anywhere else. Isn't that better?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah, it's pretty cool.
Nadia Nesevski: Keeps the quality great, Keeps everything great.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: I would definitely like to wholesale but it wouldn't be Cookie Loaded.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. Ah, I get you. So just I was going to ask you earlier, what would the ratio of Uber to in store be now? Because it would have grown Uber.
Nadia Nesevski: We are quite popular on Uber. Yeah. And it's cool. It's cool being an Uber because let's say people who haven't heard of us, they go on Uber and see us. Yeah. The only thing is Uber takes 30, so. Which means prices are 30 more.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: So it is a bit more expensive. But you're paying for convenience, right?
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: Oh, but Uber's slowly growing. Well, dramatically since the day we launched. We've been busy on Uber, which is cool.
Paul Cohalan: That's awesome.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. So. But still people come in but we don't see, let's say our, our loyal customers that we used to always see because now they just order an Uber.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: So we, we lose that sense of having that person in the store, which is sad because like we like to talk to them.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: It's experience of coming into the store.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: But that's okay. They still get Cookie Loaded one way or the other.
Paul Cohalan: Nice.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: So three things to close. One, one thing. Is there anything else you want to share that I've missed?
Nadia Nesevski: I think you've said everything.
Paul Cohalan: Pretty cool. Pretty cool story. I love your story.
Nadia Nesevski: I hope you've. Yeah. Do you think I've missed out on anything?
Paul Cohalan: No, no, not at all. That's why I'm throwing it at you. The only three things is one is we'll do a check in and it'll be wicked to do bring these and do it in the store.
Nadia Nesevski: That'd be amazing.
Paul Cohalan: And even maybe a couple of customers whatnot. It'd be cool.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: And see where you're at in six months.
Nadia Nesevski: Of course.
Paul Cohalan: See if he's moved over yet or not.
Nadia Nesevski: True.
Paul Cohalan: And maybe.
Nadia Nesevski: Maybe he'll be in the next one.
Paul Cohalan: Maybe the other one is. Who. Who could I get on here that. You know this is a compounding network. Right. This is what I really love about this. And not being about a certain topic, it's about the guests. So who. Who. Who could sit in the seat you're in now and jump on who's got a story?
Nadia Nesevski: Nina. So my friend Nina, she also started a marketing PR agency.
Paul Cohalan: Awesome.
Nadia Nesevski: Sorry, more marketing, as in social media. So she started her business similar time around me.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: We've known each other before. We even had businesses. We used to take. We used to be like little micro influencers together.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: We'd take content photos of each other. She's now 26.
Paul Cohalan: Yep.
Nadia Nesevski: Or so.
Paul Cohalan: Awesome.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. And yeah, it's cool because we've both grown together. We met each other on Instagram years ago. Five years ago.
Paul Cohalan: Boom. Nina coming on. I love this.
Nadia Nesevski: And her name.
Paul Cohalan: You have to do an intro. Flickr Socials, Flicker Socials.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: Cool. You'll have to do an intro for us. So after this, my team will send you an email and it'll just be about a few points in there.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: And then the intro person. And if at some point, on socials with me or whatever, we can do that intro, that'd be awesome.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah, of course.
Paul Cohalan: And the last thing. What'd you get out of today?
Nadia Nesevski: What did I get out of today? I think what I got out of today is, as you said before, taking it all in, stopping. This is what it's about. This is what life's about.
Paul Cohalan: It's really cool.
Nadia Nesevski: Networks, connections.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: It. That's. It's not about doing it by yourself. It's a community. Right.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah.
Nadia Nesevski: And talking face to face about everything makes you realize. Oh, wow. I did that.
Paul Cohalan: Yeah. You know, all the way from Mum's kitchen.
Nadia Nesevski: Yeah. It makes you more grateful. Yeah.
Paul Cohalan: That's awesome.
Nadia Nesevski: Thank you so much for having me.
Paul Cohalan: No, no worries.
Nadia Nesevski: You're so amazing. It's been so good.
Paul Cohalan: That was so good.
Nadia Nesevski: Thank. You.