From Civil Engineer to Cookie Empire with Brad Kaplan

From Civil Engineer to Cookie Empire with Brad Kaplan

From Innerspace: Deep, Meaningful Conversations with Brett Kaufman by Brett Kaufman

April 6, 2026 · 1h 17m

About this episode

Brad Kaplan shares his journey from civil engineer to cookie entrepreneur, highlighting key insights for aspiring business owners.

Brad Kaplan had never baked a cookie from scratch when he Googled "pumpkin desserts" for Thanksgiving 2018. Six years later, he owns two Lion Cubs Cookies locations in Columbus with a third on the way. This is the story of how an impulsive kid from Cleveland who became a reluctant civil engineer discovered his true calling through controlled experiments in his kitchen. Brad shares the three jumps every entrepreneur must make, why removing distractions revealed his passion, and the three scoreboards that determine success at every stage of life. Whether you're considering a career pivot or starting your own business, Brad's journey offers honest insights into what it really takes to build something from scratch.

People in this episode

Host: Brett Kaufman

Guest: Brad Kaplan

Topics covered

  • entrepreneurship
  • career pivot
  • business building
  • personal growth
  • cooking

Keywords

  • entrepreneur
  • cookies
  • career change
  • success
  • business insights

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lion Cubs Cookies

Places: Columbus, Cleveland

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