Toni Reece: Hi there. This is Toni Reece, and welcome to the Get Inspired! Project for Berks County Living Magazine. Today I have Chrissy Cook with me. Welcome, Chrissy.
Chrissy Cook: Hi. Thanks for having me.
Toni: How are you today?
Chrissy: Great.
Toni: Good. Freezing?
Chrissy: Yes.
Toni: Yes. It’s very cold today, guys.
Chrissy: Cozy in here, though.
Toni: Thank you. Alright, take a moment and tell us just a little bit about yourself.
Chrissy: Sure. I recently moved to West Reading from Reading. I am a business owner, a mother, and a wife.
Toni: And your business is?
Chrissy: MADE Jewelry Boutique and Studio.
Toni: Mm-hmm. In West Reading.
Chrissy: Yes. 512 Penn Avenue.
Toni: And I can tell you, those who…you can't see this interview, obviously. It’s not on video, but you have beautiful jewelry on, and I have seen some of your jewelry at shows, and it’s absolutely stunning.
Chrissy: Thank you very much.
Toni: Thank you for showing up to the Project.
Chrissy: Sure. Thanks for having me.
Toni: Let’s go into it. What does inspiration mean to you?
Chrissy: I think, simply put, it’s a spark that strikes to the core of who you are as an individual. I think it’s a call to action, whether it’s a call to, in my case a lot of times, to create, or to help others. It could be anything. Inspiration for anything; to go to dinner at a certain place or an event. It’s different for every individual, but for me it’s almost like a higher power.
Toni: Oh, that’s a cool way to say that. Tell me more about that.
Chrissy: Again, it’s sort of something that just sparks you as an individual, that if you listen to it — almost like an intuition — so that if you listen to it enough and give it enough attention, it grows stronger. It’s something that I personally have followed for my life and has led me wonderful places.
Toni: Do you know when it’s happening to you?
Chrissy: I do. Oh, yeah. Definitely. We spoke a little bit earlier. I’m a very anxious person in general, so it is. I mean, it’s a mental, almost spiritual feeling, but it’s also physical. There’s a little nausea involved.
Toni: Uh, oh…here we go! I’m inspired to do something. I really hope it works out!
Chrissy: Yeah. There’s fear and normally, it’s funny, because it’s a powerful feeling. My instant reaction is to shut it down. It’s one of those things that has taken me a long time to practice.
Toni: To embrace it.
Chrissy: A practice to embrace it and know that that uncomfortableness, it’ll go away, eventually. It’ll lead to something great.
Toni: That’s fantastic.
Chrissy: You just have to ride it out.
Toni: So, when you have felt this or it’s moved you to action, how do you take in that inspired moment or those actions and put that into practice here in Berks County?
Chrissy: Oh, gosh. It led me to Berks County.
Toni: How so?
Chrissy: By chance. My husband and I wanted to move back to the area to be closer to our parents before we started a family. I just sent my resume to every jewelry store in the area, and got a response, sort of fell into a position. He fell into a job in Reading. He works for the school district. We found this beautiful home in Centre Park, and it all just sort of fell together, but it was terrifying. I mean, two new jobs, a big, beautiful house, but again, first reaction is like, “Oh, no. This is too much change. This is too much, too soon. Slow down.” But it ended up wonderful. Then, I opened a business here.
Toni: What inspired you to open the business?
Chrissy: It’s again something I’ve always wanted to do, was always the end goal, and when the property became available, again it was that feeling that, “I can't do this. This is crazy. You’re going to purchase a building and start a business. Who do you think you are?” That voice. It was terrifying, but I just broke it down, took it step by step, and went for it. It was the best decision I ever made. That’s usually how it goes. The scariest decisions or inspirations or ideas always end up with the highest payoff.
Toni: And, you still create amazingly beautiful things inside this inspired building. It’s amazing.
Chrissy: Thank you. Yes, which is why I do it all.
Toni: So, who inspires in Berks County inspires you?
Chrissy: Oh, this is tough. I mean, there’s just too many to name names. I really have met some of the most incredible people of my life in this area, but I think in general it’s just anyone who is just unapologetically themselves, for better or for worse. If they’re just true to themselves and honest and follow their internal voice or inspiration, it’s one of those things that when you see someone doing it, it’s obvious. You can see it. You can feel it. It’s just the most inspiring. Also, my 5-year-old daughter.
Toni: She inspires you?
Chrissy: She has changed my life in innumerable ways, but mostly just to live in the present and embrace the day.
Toni: When you look at a common theme of those that inspire you in this area, what would you say is the common denominator?
Chrissy: I would just say being true to yourself.
Toni: Authenticity.
Chrissy: Authenticity. Absolutely. Yeah. You nailed it.
Toni: That’s awesome. What do you want your legacy to be?
Chrissy: I think it’s just that I create all of these things because I have to. I feel like I don’t have a choice. I want my legacy to be that I followed my dreams and was true to myself, but more importantly than any of that, just that I was kind. I think that’s the most important thing in life, and try to share that with as many people as I can.
Toni: Chrissy, you’re doing that today though, aren’t you? Do you believe yourself to be a kind person?
Chrissy: Oh, yeah.
Toni: And you do create.
Chrissy: Yeah.
Toni: Yeah. You’re authentic?
Chrissy: I try to be, yeah.
Toni: So isn't it really amazing that when we think of legacy, it’s on the flip side, but right now, you are living it 100 percent.
Chrissy: Yeah.
Toni: So isn't that a cool thing?
Chrissy: It’s awesome. Makes me teary.
Toni: Well, that’s what this is all about. People like you who get to talk about what inspires them. Thank you so much for showing up for this Project.
Chrissy: Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me.
Toni: You’re welcome.
