Hi Cookie Friends! Crystal, The Sweet Heartist, here! I’ve always been known for having positive energy, a creative spirit, and being a giver of love. I put my heart and soul into every single thing I create, especially food. I started decorating sugar cookies with Royal icing in 2019 as a new creative outlet. When I combined who I am with the concept of cookie art, “The Sweet Heartist” was created and quickly grew into a busy side hustle.

In January 2021, I was laid off from my 20-year corporate career. I immediately knew that this was my God-given opportunity to pivot and do something that makes my heart happy. So with no loans, no experience in running a commercial bakery or using commercial equipment, and thanks to COVID — no taste or smell either — I scaled my home-based business to a commercial operation in a few months. Our storefront opened in October 2021 and it’s been a whirlwind ever since!

We have a long list of local retail partners that sell our cookies. We have a growing variety of locally made goods in our artisan market. We are teaching decorating workshops around the area. Most recently we started building a community of local bakers through social media and have been mentoring others. The sky is the limit!

Thank you for all of the cookie love that has helped me get this far! The community support has been nothing short of astounding! My vision for this company grows every day. I’m so excited for the future!