The goal of Hardly Hustle is to provide inspiration, drive and motivation in a 10 minute read or less. What you see is what you get. This is hot off the press without an editing team.
Camron Edrissi is up.
Who are you and what do you do?
Known for my gourmet cinnamon rolls and nearly finished with my first year of medical school, I founded my side hustle in 2017 and called it Cam’s Dough.
Born and raised a local of Greenville, South Carolina, I grew up with Persian culture, meaning food was the center of every occasion and the catalyst for my baking inspiration. I studied Biochemistry at U of SC to explore the science of baking and ended up falling in love with the medical journey. Optimizing my new knowledge of biochemistry to baking, I discovered sourdough bread with the intent to make a more natural alternative to commercial bread. Then, there was my first-born child, “Mr. Clint Yeast-Wood” the sourdough culture that started it all. Exploring the art of naturally risen dough gave me the confidence to expand to other dough-based desserts. This led me to craft the Cam’s Dough gourmet cinnamon roll.
What did it take / how did you get started?
Baking started as a hobby and an incredible amount of experimentation to create a recipe that would turn my cinnamon rolls into an experience rather than just sweet dough. I sought to create a light, relatively sweet, and well-spiced cinnamon roll with a homemade cream cheese frosting. I started by giving out free samples to family friends and shortly realized the interest to provide for small events and gatherings. My recipe was best fit to make 1 dozen rolls.
What does the future look like for you and your hustle?
My side hustle is a second priority to the goals I am pursuing in the medical field. With this in mind, I am currently exploring different opportunities such as; perfecting my recipes, seeking out a spot at the local farmer’s markets, and looking into appearing on baking television shows. For now, I will bake when I can with the ultimate goal to make Cam’s Dough a household name.
What drives / motivates you?
Generally, I am motivated by my interest in the baking process, my supporters, and the end pieces I get to taste test for what I like to call, “quality control”.
What advice would you give someone interested in doing what you do?
Pursuing a career in medicine is a huge time commitment but also a huge blessing. If you see yourself wanting to pursue any other career more than a side job such as Cam’s Dough, you should reconsider taking the path I am on. However, it is possible to manage both. I have found success along my journey when I organized my priorities, maintained a persistent mindset, and generally staying curious to explore new opportunities.
What has been the hardest part of the hustle?
Keeping Cam’s Dough relevant has been a challenge. Medical school is no joke and leaves very little extra time to successfully sustain a side hustle, let alone marketing or getting your name out there. Becoming more efficient and adapting to the medical school time constraint is a journey in itself. At the end of the day, I believe you make time for what is most important.
What are a few resources that you'd recommend?
“Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle- The audiobook has nothing to do with entrepreneurship but everything to do with life skills that essentially gives you the ability to use the strengths you didn’t know you had. This book has helped me in many areas of my life, including medicine and my baking journey.
“How I built this” podcast by Guy Raz
The STATS
Side or full-time hustle?
Side Hustle
List the founders
Myself
How many hours a week do you work on this hustle?
0hr during school. 10hr average on school breaks and post-test weekends.
# of Employees?
1
When did you start?
Cam’s Dough started May 2017 in my mother’s kitchen. I have been baking, cooking, and experimenting since childhood.
How much did it cost to launch?
<$50 for baking utensils
What were your funding methods and ballpark amount raised?
Not disclosed.
Annual Revenue?
Not disclosed.
Projected Revenue?
Not disclosed.
Any call to action?
No current call to action but check out my Instagram page: Cams_Dough to follow my journey! Thanks for reading.
Social:
Insta: @Cams_Dough