I walked under the pavilion that protected the West TN Farmer’s Market from the heavy rain, taking in the rows of vendors devoted to selling their wares despite the dreary weather. The gloom was immediately broken by a warm and inviting voice coming from Crystal Neels’ booth.
“Would you like to try a free cookie sample?” Neels said.
Personally, I never turn down a free sample, especially when it looks as good as Neels’ cookies. Neels is a new face at the West TN Farmer’s Market located in downtown Jackson. She only started her company, The Cookie Nook, three months ago. She currently has four cookie flavors, but many more are on the way.
“I’m learning how to make a peach cobbler cookie,” Neels told me. “I’ve got a lot coming.”
Neels’ cookie journey began when she moved to Tennessee three years ago and began baking as a way to repay her neighbors for the sweet treats they would give her. She quickly discovered a love for baking and started making her cookies for neighbors, birthday parties, church gatherings and anyone who came into her life. It didn’t matter if you were her brother or dentist — you got some of her delicious cookies. While she loved making cookies for people, she never intended to start a cookie business.
“I had no plans on starting a cookie company at all. But I do love to bake, and it’s my language of love,” Neels said.
Neels’ plans changed one night after a chance encounter with a stranger.
She was sitting in the airport late at night, waiting for a flight. Neels was having a casual conversation with the man next to her when she noticed the medical band around his wrist and the signs that he had just had brain surgery. Neels showed this man love in the way she knew best and offered him a cookie. The man must have shared my philosophy on free samples because he happily accepted the chocolate peanut butter treat.
Neels explained that the man chewed the cookie with a thoughtful expression and then said, “This is so amazing! Are you kidding me? You’re sitting on this. How dare you sit on this cookie? The world needs this cookie. I have never had anything like this cookie in my whole life. I can taste the love. I can taste the chocolate.”
“It’s his reaction that started this company,” Neels said.
This interaction prompted Neels to pursue her food handler’s license and connect with the organizers of the West TN Farmer’s Market. I wonder if that man knows he inspired someone to pursue their passions that late night in the airport.
And these cookies are definitely Neels’ passion. The enthusiasm she has for this business is tangible and contagious.
“You know, they say when you’re on fire, you get up early in the morning, you stay up late at night. I was up till four in the morning last night, and I had to get up at six, and I was just ready to go,” Neels said.
Even when talking about burnt cookies and ruined batches, Neels never stopped smiling. Her joy and excitement remain constant throughout challenges and setbacks. Neels explained that she has had many “epic failures” along the way but that they push her to improve.
“The epic fails are just as exciting,” Neels said. “To find out what doesn’t work is just as important as what does work.”
Neels is determined to produce the best possible product. She admitted that she has probably thrown away over a thousand cookies in the past three months.
“I have a personal commitment that if it’s not outstanding, I don’t offer it,” Neels said. “I don’t want my signature on it. I’m inspired by that. I just want the best.”
Neels is pursuing her passion wholeheartedly, whether that means making batch after batch to find the perfect recipe or spending hours at the farmer’s market trying to sell her cookies. She shows love to those around her through their stomachs. I know I felt very loved as I tasted the deliciousness of her chocolate peanut butter cookie.
Motivated by her love of people and her passion for baking, Neels hopes to share her cookies with as many people as possible.
“I know I want to go big,” Neels said. “I want to be Crumbl’s best competitor.”
I have personal experience with my friend Crystal’s enthusiasm and love for causing amazing transformation. In this case, it is using my favorite methodology. COOKIES! No one who encounters Crystal will walk away the same. I love my friend and would like a job as a cookie taster.