Daily Inspiration: Meet Jennifer Stokes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Stokes.

Hi Jennifer, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always been one to use my creativity to make things. I have dabbled in pretty much any form of arts and crafts you can think of from making jewelry to painting. Christmas has always been a big holiday in my family, so in December of 2018, our kids decided they wanted to create boxes of treats to give out to friends and family. One of the items they wanted to make was decorated sugar cookies. That ended up sparking a fire in me that turned into Cookie Chick.

I never intended to make this a business because my husband and I had started and failed at several businesses in the past and I didn’t want to “fail” yet again. God had a different plan. I posted a few pictures of the decorated cookies on social media and quickly had family and friends asking if they could place orders. I was thinking, “You want to actually pay me to do something that I am doing for fun?” I started taking a few orders here and there over the next few weeks and quickly found that I could mix both my creativity and love of baking together to make fun and beautiful cookies.

I kept my name hidden from the business for the first year out of fear that it would fail. Doing so was the safety net that allowed me to not become anxious over the “what-ifs”. Yet again, the Lord had a different plan. Over the first year, it quickly spread that I was the face behind the business. I prayed hard that God would use this small business to spread His word and that’s exactly what He did. We have been able to use sugar cookies for fundraisers to help in many ways such as raising funds for a police officer killed in the line of duty, funds to help bury a teenager that passed away in a vehicle accident, helping a firefighter and his family when he was off work and in ICU due to sickness, purchase tables and gear for little league baseball and so much more. We have also helped celebrate milestones, birthdays, anniversaries, birth announcements, etc.

I love partnering with other local businesses with fun events that give back to the community such as ‘Supper with Santa”, school and church fundraisers, and our annual Gingerbread House Competition that helps raise funds to purchase Christmas gifts for Angel Tree recipients. Over the past few years, I have expanded from decorated sugar cookies to other treats and recently decorated cakes. Being a home-based business, I have the ability to work any time of the day or night whenever the creative bug decides to bite.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Yes and no. Yes because I have allowed the Lord to guide my decisions with the business which has in turn opened so many doors and opportunities to grow. No, because orders can sometimes take up to 18 hours to complete. I have many times worked for 18-24 hours straight and sacrificed sleep just to do it all over again the next day.

I have had to learn how to maintain a happy balance between business life with family life. Being a homeschool mom, wife, and grandmother, I have learned to prioritize and plan in order to keep a healthy balance of personal and business time.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I jokingly admit that I am not a baker at all. I am nothing more that a creative dabbler with a degree from “YouTube University” and really good recipes. I specialize in custom-decorated sugar cookies. These can be as simple as a cookie with a name on it to as complex as a cookie with a hand-painted portrait or realistic inspired cookies that look like other foods. I can pretty much turn anything into a cookie, therefore, am known as the “Cookie Chick”.

I am most proud of the moments when a customer has booked me over the years for their engagement cookies, wedding cookies, pregnancy announcement cookies, baby shower cookies, and the best part which is their children’s birthday parties each year. I call these customers my “Chickadees” because I have been a part of each milestone in their lives through a mere cookie. One of the best compliments I get is when someone says that not only are the cookies beautiful but they taste just as good as they look. In the baking world that is a huge compliment!

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
Most of my sales are done online through my website or social media. I have many customers that drive across state lines to pick up orders in person as well as customers who order and have their cookies shipped to them throughout the U.S.

Orders are taken by appointment only. I usually book up to 3 months in advance and am booked for custom orders for the remainder of 2022. You can order by sending a message through social media, email, or by filling out the order inquiry on our website.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mycookiechick.com
• Instagram: @cookiechickcookies
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cookiechickcookies
• TikTok: @cookiechickcookies