Rontez Vaughn & His ‘My Brother’s Cookies’ Business Has An Extraordinary Meaning

High Point, NC – Rontez Vaughn turned baking cookies for his daughter to overcome depression into a viable business. Vaughn was born in eastern North Carolina but moved to the bay area of California at age 12. He flourished during this time but moved back to North Carolina two years before graduating high school. Back in North Carolina, he married and had his first son. The marriage only lasted three years. Realizing he needed to be back in California, he packed up and moved himself and his son. “I should have never left, moving back to North Carolina kind of set me back,” said Vaughn. During Vaughn’s time in California, he worked for the government for 10 years and had his first daughter.

“Years later of just doing everyday life, I get a call from my mom. My brother is starting to have seizures again and my great aunt was getting sick,” says Vaughn. After having his third child, Vaughn moves back to the Triad area of North Carolina with his three kids to help his mom with his family. “When I came home it was like we were back together – me and my brother – we grew up together so now we’re adults and we’re about to do this together,” Vaughn explained.

However, within a month of Vaughn being back in North Carolina, his brother was murdered. “We didn’t really have a lot of time together and he was just snatched away and I was just like crushed for the rest of the year,” Vaughn said. When the holidays approached it was getting tougher on his family. “One day after work my daughter and I were sitting at home and I was just zoned out listening to my music, in one of my moods,”  said Vaughn. “My daughter asked me if I could make her some cookies. First I said no. I was just stuck in that depressed mood but something inside was just like ‘make her some cookies’ it might make you feel better too.”

Although having no culinary experience and not baking cookies from starch in 20 years, Vaughn discovered how easy it was to make cookies and the joy that it brought both him and his daughter. He never really liked the idea of working for someone, as well as, not having enough time for his family while barely making enough to pay his bills. After wanting to be more self-sufficient and doing math for a cookie business, Vaughn decided to start My Brother’s Cookies in May of 2019. After paying for his trademark, obtaining his Safe-Serve certification, building his website, and getting his logo designed, My Brother’s Cookies was officially opened for business. “There’s just as good as a Tollhouse, I can put these cookies up against anybody without being formally trained,” Vaughn said.

My Brother’s Cookies logo is one of the most important aspects of the business, it is a picture of Vaughn’s brother. “Once we came up with this logo, I knew it was feasible, it’s right there, I can feel his spirit pushing me like ‘you got this bro’,” Vaughn said.

Currently, Vaughn rents out the commercial kitchen at the local Elks Lodge. While looking for grants and loans, Vaughn continues to plan for the future of My Brother’s Cookies. He has a three-year goal of having his own building, along with having a contract with a shipping company to guarantee two-day shipping. While still achieving his goals, Vaughn questions why there are not more pathways to help his business succeed as a minority that was born and raised in America.

Juneteenth of 2020 was the first time My Brother’s Cookies officially sold out. “This was the time my whole family was out. It [the business] did exactly what I needed it to do, it brought us together. It brought us happiness and we were able to honor my brother in a good light,” Vaughn said. From that moment, the company has only made progress despite being in the middle of a pandemic. “With covid happening, I was able to have extra time to build this business. With that, many people have sat at home for so long, they want to come to pop-up events while practicing safe protocol. Additionally, many people send cookies as a get-well-soon gift or just to brighten someone’s day.”

My Brother’s Cookies are sold on their website along with many merchandise options. They are shipped with priority shipping, nationwide. All of the cookies are fresh, baked to order. “I even have the timing from cooling to putting them in the bag and sealing them, to make sure I seal in the freshness.” Vaughn is also a huge believer in quality over quantity, therefore he makes sure all his cookies are baked with top-quality ingredients. My Brother’s Cookies offers a variety of unique flavors, while constantly remixing recipes to keep making his cookies better. My Brother’s Cookies has a huge advantage of being able to ship, in addition to being sold in “Blessed sensations”.

For more information, visit MyBrothersCookies.com