Swimming with Sharks—and Thriving! | My Member Story

Jeremy and Kaitlyn Carlson have been through a lot over the past five years. They launched a business, got married, pitched to potential partners, had a baby and successfully franchised their company. Whew! That’s a heck of a ride—and they are just getting started!

How it started

While serving a church mission in the Czech Republic, Jeremy fell in love with the traditional sweet pastry, trdelníks. These European treats are essentially a cone made with fresh dough, grilled rotisserie-style and covered with cinnamon and sugar and stuffed with cream, fruit, nuts or other yummy ingredients.

One night, Jeremy had a sort of revelation. “I had a dream in the middle of the night of me making these,” he recalls. “I’m not a baker, but I had a feeling that if I was able to perfect it, we could make it soar.”

When he returned home to Rexburg, Idaho in 2018, he spent countless nights learning the basics of making bread from his aunt. He later traveled back to the Czech Republic, ultimately curating his own adaptation of the European treat—and Crispy Cones was born!

That first summer, Jeremy sold the cones by the side of the road from a tent. He did pretty well but set his sights a little higher the following year.

Let’s get social

People were excited to try this original product, something most had never seen before. After that first year, Jeremy knew he was on to something, so he traded in the tent for a trailer.

He decided he wanted to hire a social media manager to help him get the word out. He reached out to micro-influencers in the area, including Kaitlyn, who was studying at Brigham Young University—Idaho at the time. “I got a DM offering a free dessert in exchange for a social post,” she laughs. “I thought, why not?”

Kaitlyn grew the account by a few thousand followers and was really enjoying her time working with Jeremy—plus she got paid in free ice cream!

Taking it to the tank

Both Jeremy and Kaitlyn were big fans of the TV show Shark Tank. One night, in January 2022, they were sitting on their couch watching, as they had many times before. However, on this night, they saw something different—they saw an opportunity.

“We thought, ‘why couldn’t we be on the show,’” explains Kaitlyn. They did their research, applied to be a contestant and, after making it through the grueling interview process, were invited to pitch to the sharks! Jeremy says, “It was the most exhausting mental battle I had ever endured.”

Ultimately, they made a deal with Barbara Corcoran. Jeremy describes her as a genuine, honest person. They were invited to spend some time with her in NYC where they absorbed all the insight and advice she had to offer. She has mentored Jeremy and Kaitlyn and inspired them to grow their business through franchising.

How it’s going

It’s been a whirlwind five years for Jeremy and Kaitlyn. They have their flagship store in Rexburg, Idaho and another location in Layton, Utah. They have opened two franchises so far (Provo, Utah and Chandler, Arizona) with at least five more to come by the end of the year.

When you have a product like the Crispy Cone that is fresh and original, and you pair it with passion and drive (and, let’s face it, the magic touch) of these partners, you have a recipe for success. Any shark would be happy to be a part of this creative endeavor!

Finding the right financial partner

Jeremy has been a member of Mountain America Credit Union since 2018. “I started with Mountain America when I was a rookie entrepreneur. I walked in and said I need to set up a business checking account,” he muses. “They took me seriously when I was a young 20-year-old kid with a dream. They got to know my business, they supported my goals and they continue to do so.”

Partnering with the right financial institution is crucial to the success of any business. Jeremy and Kaitlyn appreciate the ease and efficiency with which they can do their banking and how they are treated as members.

“To me, the most important part of working with Mountain America is the efficiency,” says Jeremy. “I’ve always had a good experience going into a branch or calling customer support.”

Sweet perfection

Maybe not so surprising when you see these two together, the partnership started out as a friendship and, eventually turned into a personal relationship. Jeremy and Kaitlyn clearly have a lot of fun together and are building their future the way they want.

They got married in 2020 and had their first little sweetcake earlier this year—a beautiful little girl named Macie.

Congratulations on all your success, Jeremy and Kaitlyn! We can’t wait to see what you take on next!