# From Civil Engineer to Cookie Empire with Brad Kaplan

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/innerspace-deep-meaningful-conversations-with-brett-kaufman-185648/from-civil-engineer-to-cookie-empire-with-brad-kaplan
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/innerspace-deep-meaningful-conversations-with-brett-kaufman-185648/from-civil-engineer-to-cookie-empire-with-brad-kaplan.md
Podcast: [Innerspace: Deep, Meaningful Conversations with Brett Kaufman](https://stenobird.com/podcast/innerspace-deep-meaningful-conversations-with-brett-kaufman-185648)
Published: 2026-04-06T08:00:10+00:00
Episode link: https://joininnerspace.com/
Audio file: https://audio4.redcircle.com/episodes/e132d5e9-a6ff-4651-a760-4cb124f30fb6/stream.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/innerspace-deep-meaningful-conversations-with-brett-kaufman-185648/episodes/from-civil-engineer-to-cookie-empire-with-brad-kaplan
Duration seconds: 4593

## Resource

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.

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## Transcript

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