Meet Steffen “Cookie” Cook: Soap maker, beard grower and collector of dad jokes.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Steffen “Cookie” Cook and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Steffen, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk is a word that scares some people. It’s a word that harbors doom and failure.

Failure has been ingrained into us as something to avoid, but I’m not sure that that is the correct attitude. Why not see “risk” as an extension of “opportunity” instead?

It was a risk to come to America with all my possessions packed into two bags. It was a risk to dive feet first into the fast-moving river of a new culture, lifestyle and country the other side of the world, wondering if I could keep up with the current. It was a risk to leave everything I knew behind and start again from dot. Everything was intimidating, every new experience frightening, unfamiliar and dangerous.

But isn’t life meant for living? If there’s one thing I discovered early on, it’s that you only get one go in life and when I’m old and grey and can now longer run and jump and embrace each day, I would prefer my sepia-stained memories to be montages of excitement and laughter. If I fall down along the way, receive the occasional black eye, that’s ok. Into each life, a little rain must fall. If I had a buck for every time I made a right royal mess of something, I’d be on the floor in my living room, making money angels in a pile of dollar bills.

To that end, it was a risk trying to have my own small cottage industry. “it may fail!”, the naysayers would warn. Yes. It could. It could fail as spectacularly as a dying star, but so what if it did? I’m not happy to be that aforementioned old man wondering “what if?’ in my rocking chair. If all of this fails tomorrow, I’ll know that I gave it a shot and put my shoulder into everything I did. I can pick myself up and start again with something else. Failure doesn’t mean the end complete. It just means that particular road came to an end and now it’s time to try a new path.

You don’t lose or fail because you didn’t succeed. You lose if if didn’t even try in the first place. Without the darkness, how would you ever be able to see the stars, eh?

So when the question is posed regarding how risk has played in my life, it could be argued that it’s been the fuel behind every victory – and failure – I’ve ever had. If you feel the risk – the fear – you must surely know you’re alive, right?

Long story short, black eyes heal and scars – metaphorical or actual – look cool. Wear them proudly!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The whole point of what I do was to allow me to keep working from home, looking after the dogs I rescued.

When I was let go out of the blue from my last job despite never having done a single thing wrong in seven years of service, I had an angry energy that needed an outlet. My hobby – my lazy, silly pastime – needed to become violently upscaled and it simply made sense to try and make it what I did full time. With the support of those closest to me, I took all that hate and bile I had for those that had so unceremoniously dropped me without a bye or leave, and used it as fuel to stoke the fires that would keep me warm ever since then.

I began honing my craft and after a series of failures in trying to find my “style”, I finally found the one that I was most comfortable with and since then, the good ship Cookie has sailed calmer waters, despite the occasional turbulence of some fiscal large waves trying to push me over.

Now, I have a modest operation that affords me to look after the dogs, help people smell good and make sure my home stays on the correct side of clean and respectable. I’m not a rich guy, but I’m happy, the dogs have full bellies and , frankly, what else is there in life?

What did I learn in all of this?
Anger is an energy. It’s ok to feel hate, as long as you harness it properly and burn that fuel into a positive outcome.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had the opportunity to show some old friends around – and let’s assume this scenario sees us under a non-pandemic scenario – I’d take them to a punk/metal/hardcore show at any one of the many, many excellent venues in the area. There’s so many to choose from, from The Observatory in Orange County up to The Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles.

Chances are my friend that I’d be showing around would be someone with a similar taste in music, so I’m sure they’d love it.

On a Sunday, there’s a cool farmers market on Clark & Spring in Long Beach, and that’s always a fun place to visit.

Let’s not forget that there’s plenty of hiking, to. From the relatively sedate offerings of Eaton Canyon to any one of the peaks that Socal offers from Mt Baldy to San Jacinto, if it’s amazing views they want, I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to dig out my old hiking boots.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It may be a tired, old cliche, but without the support of my family, there’s no way any of this would work.

My wife Becky is the rock upon which The Soapy Paw Shop is built and my father-in-law Dave is the rock that holds Becky up. Without those two, my dream wouldn’t exist.

And to everyone that’s ever bought a single bar, bath bomb, bag or fizzy dust or bottle of scent spray, thanks you seems such and empty word, but I truly mean it.
(Now buy more. *wink* )

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheSoapyPawShop

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapy.paw.soap/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSoapyPawShop

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCirFrwDBQ1sxHqtRKASJFBw

Other: TikTok: @thesoapypawshop T-Shirt store: https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-soapy-paw-shirt-store/

Image Credits
I have the image rights.