Carolyn Haeler | Founder of Mightylicious Cookies

From Wall Street to Whole Foods: How Carolyn Haeler Built Mightylicious Into a Gluten-Free Cookie Empire

What do you do when life hands you a diagnosis that changes everything? If you’re Carolyn Haeler, founder and CEO of Mightylicious, you turn it into a thriving business that now reaches 43 states and thousands of grocery stores across the country. In this episode of the Redefine Business Podcast, Carolyn sits down with Brittni to share her incredible journey from stockbroker to gluten-free cookie entrepreneur — and the grit, creativity, and courage it took to get there.

A Diagnosis That Changed Everything

In 2012, at 31 years old, Carolyn was diagnosed with celiac disease. Up until that point, she had lived what she describes as a very “gluten-full” life — enjoying bread, pasta, cake, beer, and all the foods she loved. She was also an avid baker, someone who turned to the kitchen to decompress and relax after long, demanding days on the trading floor.

Celiac disease is not an allergy or an intolerance — it’s an autoimmune disease. For Carolyn, the condition had progressed so severely that her hair was falling out, her skin had turned gray, her stomach was distended, and her immune system was failing. Her doctor had even raised the possibility of HIV before the correct diagnosis was finally made. When celiac disease was identified, it felt like a relief — something she could control through diet.

But the reality of living gluten-free turned out to be far more complex than she anticipated. Gluten isn’t just found in wheat and flour. It shows up as a color, a preservative, and a filler in countless products — from sodas to spices to deli meats. Carolyn reacts to trace amounts of gluten within three minutes, which means she has to be incredibly vigilant about everything she consumes.

The Cookie That Sparked It All

Carolyn spent 12 years working in finance, waking up before 5 a.m. to trade stocks and rarely leaving her desk during market hours. It was an intense, high-pressure lifestyle — and food played a surprisingly big emotional and social role in keeping her grounded. When celiac disease stripped away so many of those everyday food moments — the office coffee break, the sandwich grabbed on the go, even a cold Diet Coke at the beach — it took a real toll.

One particularly rough week at work, Carolyn found herself standing in a grocery store line, exhausted and hungry, spotting a beautifully packaged gluten-free cookie. She took one bite — and it was, in her words, not edible. That moment became the catalyst for everything. She went home, left her career in finance, and spent 12 hours a day in her studio apartment kitchen, obsessively developing a gluten-free cookie recipe that actually tasted like a real cookie.

“A cookie has no purpose other than to be satiating,” Carolyn says. “It’s meant to taste good, it’s meant to be rewarding emotionally.” And that’s exactly the standard she held herself to.

Walking Into Whole Foods With a Dream (and a Tin Tie Bag)

Once she’d developed a recipe she was proud of, Carolyn did what any good business school graduate would do — she sought feedback. She packaged her cookies as professionally as she could, walked into her local Whole Foods on 86th Street in Manhattan, and asked to speak with someone in the bakery department. The team leader tasted her cookie on the spot and told her it was the best gluten-free cookie he’d ever had — and pointed her toward Whole Foods’ local forager program.

Within days, Carolyn had visited multiple Whole Foods locations across Manhattan and Brooklyn. By Monday, she was being onboarded. She wasn’t ready for it — she still needed licenses, registrations, and a commercial kitchen — but she made it work. She found a commercial facility in Queens, got all her paperwork in order, and spent the next year selling stocks during the week and baking cookies on weekends, delivering them via teenagers borrowing their moms’ cars.

She started in three Whole Foods locations. By the end of that first year, she was in 10. Shortly after, she’d grown to a full region.

Scaling Smart: From Credit Cards to $5 Million in Capital

Carolyn was intentional about how she funded and grew her business. In the beginning, she kept her credit card debt under $10,000 at all times — only buying as much inventory and packaging as she needed for about two months out. She then secured small business loans to move into professional manufacturing in New Jersey.

She was equally intentional about when to seek outside investment. Having worked in wealth management and seen how clients built successful businesses slowly and steadily, she didn’t want to rush to venture capital before she truly understood her own business. She wanted to be the expert in the room.

When the time was right, she raised $5 million in capital — and that changed everything. Suddenly, major food distributors were interested. She was onboarded into entrepreneurial programs with two of the largest national distributors in the country, and the doors that had once required her to knock on them herself began opening on their own.

Where Mightylicious Is Today

Mightylicious is now available in 43 states and thousands of grocery stores across the U.S., including Giant, Fairway, HEB in Texas, and a wide network of independent retailers on the West Coast. You can also order directly at Mightylicious.com — with free shipping when you buy three bags or more — or find them on Amazon.

And if your local grocery store doesn’t carry Mightylicious yet? Ask for it. Carolyn makes a great point: stores pay close attention to customer requests, especially as they compete with online retailers. Your voice matters more than you think.

A Message for Women Entrepreneurs

One of the most powerful threads throughout Carolyn’s story is her advice for women building businesses. She points out that securing early-stage capital as a woman can be an uphill battle, but it doesn’t have to stop you. Starting small, managing risk carefully, and growing your expertise before seeking outside investment is a completely valid — and often more empowering — path.

“It’s not as flashy,” she admits, “but there are many people who have accumulated real wealth by having a great idea, starting small, learning the business, and eventually growing and selling it.”

Connect With Carolyn & Mightylicious

Ready to try a cookie that actually tastes like a cookie — just without the gluten? Here’s where to find Carolyn and Mightylicious:

• Website: Mightylicious.com
• Instagram: @mightyliciousfoods
• Facebook: Mightylicious Foods
• TikTok: @mightyliciousfoods
• Amazon: Search Mightylicious on Amazon

May is Celiac Awareness Month — Check Mightylicious on Instagram all month long for free prizes and giveaways!