711. Today She Is Living Her Life-Long Passion for Baking

Katherine Frankstone

“When my oldest was heading off to college, I thought, well now maybe my time is here to do that business or that creative thing that I’ve always wanted to do but never allowed myself to do. So that is when we started looking into the food business for Grey Ghost bakery.”

Katherine Frankstone never got that Easy-Bake Oven she wanted when she was 6. Instead, her father taught her to bake in the real thing—and she got a life-long passion instead. After working as a banker, becoming a mother to three sons, cofounding EdVenture Children’s Museum in Columbia, South Carolina, and going back to law school at 40, she decided to turn her passion into a business, and Grey Ghost Bakery was born. Grey Ghost Bakery produces made-from-scratch cookies in ten delicious flavors using Southern family recipes and are found in over 300 stores in 32 states.

How Did You Start Using Your Talents?

“After working as a banker and raising three sons, I became the cofounder of a group that created a very innovative children’s museum in Columbia, South Carolina, called EdVenture Children’s Museum. We grew it from an original plan of a 1,200 square foot facility when we began creating it in 1993 to 45,000 square feet of exhibit space when we finally opened in 2003. Fifteen years later it is the largest children’s museum in the Southeast and now, with several locations, their total exhibit is around 90,000 square feet. It has certainly turned into an amazing cultural institution.”

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

“When my oldest was heading off to college, I thought, well maybe it is my time now to do that creative thing I have always wanted to do but had not allowed myself to do. That’s when we started looking into the food business and researched what would turn out to be Grey Ghost Bakery.”

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

“I would have loved to have had a bakery café someplace my whole life, but I compared myself to other people’s expectations. For a long time I felt like my creative ideas were a little too flaky because everybody I knew was extremely professional and driven on whatever their respective paths were. So I parked the creative food idea, and put that aside for a long, long while.”

Steps to Success from Katherine Frankstone

“Today we’ve got social media inundating our world where everybody only puts up the pretty pictures and stories. So it is even more difficult to carve out what kind of life you want to lead. If you do not live like someone’s preconceived notion, you are not successful. My thoughts are these:

1. Quit looking at or comparing yourself to what other people are doing. Look inside of you. The answers are there.
2. Do deep research into your fascinations via myriad available resources. Your life is well worth the extra time and effort.
3. Seek out groups or individuals who are doing what you think you want to do. Ask them questions about every aspect of the work they do—what is fulfilling, what is not and why.
4. It is hard, yes, but you are more than worth it!