California family grieves its loss by pouring faith, love into new venture: ‘It’s Dad and God with us’
A family is turning its pain into purpose after it unexpectedly lost a loved one.
The Cooks — Kim, Lindsey, Brittney and Cailin Cook of Sacramento, California — started Something Sweet in 2022. It's a premium, frozen cookie dough brand that ships nationwide.
Fox News Digital spoke with mom Kim Cook, as well as Lindsey Cook, 27, and Brittney Cook, 25, about their journey to becoming entrepreneurs — and how one special family member continues to be their "why."
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Dan Cook, husband of Kim Cook and father of the three girls, unexpectedly passed away in Nov. 2021 — something Kim Cook said was like a "theme to a country song."
"In a very short window of time, I lost my husband and my job," she said, referencing her 20-year career in consumer-packaged goods.
The Cook family, all together — from left, Lindsey, Dan, Kim, Brittney and Cailin. (Something Sweet)
The loss of Dan Cook, however, was a moment that shaped the tight-knit family, a unit the late dad of three deemed "Team Cook" years ago.
"Every time I was pregnant and kept popping out these girls, we all joked that we had a team," Kim Cook recalled of her family from the start.
"We made a lot of decisions on the way we approached life as a team and as a family."
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The family members, through tears, shared the impact Dan Cook had on their lives — and how they've chosen to take that pain and turn it into purpose.
"This was a dream that we talked about as a family for as long as I can remember," daughter and sister Brittney Cook said.
Left to right, Kim, Cailin and Brittney Cook with Something Sweet cookies. (Something Sweet)
"I know my dad and I would always spark up the different business ideas we wanted to do as a family," she said.
Around the same time that Kim Cook lost her job, Brittney Cook was brainstorming steps the family could take to honor their loved one’s legacy.
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Kim Cook recalled that her husband used to love it when she would bake her uber-popular brown butter chocolate chip cookies — always joking that she should sell them.
"Mom, Dad always wanted you to do something with your baked goods," Kim Cook recalled her daughter Brittney Cook saying to her one day.
As a self-taught baker and self-described food junkie, Kim Cook said she'd always thought about selling her cookies, but the timing was never right.
Shown here, Kim Cook and Brittney Cook came up with the idea for the business before bringing it to the others. (Something Sweet)
"We had kids in college, and we were always trying to be practical," Kim Cook said. "I just knew a brick-and-mortar style bakery was not really the path I wanted to take."
Brittney Cook said, "I have this idea. You always had frozen cookie dough in our freezer with us growing up, and Dad loved your brown butter chocolate chip cookies. Maybe we should sell that."
"This was a dream that we talked about as a family for as long as I can remember."
After a family meeting with the other two sisters, the family came together to build Something Sweet — and "Team Cook" was back.
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The brand launched two months later on the one-year anniversary of Dan Cook’s passing.
Within two months of the launch, Something Sweet was shipping nationwide, and less than a year later it was on retail shelves in California.
Kim Cook, in the back, plus Brittney Cook and Cailin Cook, left to right, are spreading the word about the faith and encouragement they received from Dan Cook. (Something Sweet)
"It was such a God moment," Brittney Cook said.
Lindsey Cook, who handles the marketing side of the venture and lives in Denver, Colorado, told Fox News Digital that her father always encouraged her and her sisters to chase their dreams.
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"He was full of life and just kind of always had this can-do attitude — nothing was ever too big," she said.
The 27-year-old said her father left a lasting impact on them, saying that "no dream or goal is too big — just go for it."
The family has tried to incorporate Dan Cook into their operation as much as possible. That includes drawing up a logo that incorporates their family and their faith.
The Cook tile is a combination of shapes to represent all of the family members and their faith. (Something Sweet)
The Cook tile has four circles for the women — with a center spot for Dan Cook.
Inside the overlapping circles, a cross is shown, which represents their continued faith in the future.
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"We wouldn’t be here today without our faith, it’s so important to us," Lindsey Cook said.
She said their business is "in our bones" and said the family feels it was "God given."
"It was such a God moment."
"We are putting our faith and trust in something that we have no idea where this is going to take us, and it’s scary, uncomfortable and frightening every day taking this big leap," she said.
The Cook family members are turning their pain into purpose — and remembering Dan Cook, husband and dad, at every turn. (Lizzy Fasching Horan)
Lindsey Cook added, "But it’s something that has been put on our hearts, and we have so much confidence in what we’re doing because we've got a power team up there — it’s my dad and God with us."
Kim Cook said that although the family carries the loss with them daily, they have chosen to believe that there’s a reason for all of it.
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"We may not understand it, but we have to believe this is what’s supposed to be, and it doesn’t make it hurt any less, but we are just on this path," she said.
As for the growth of Something Sweet, the pre-made frozen cookies can be purchased in packs of 10 online and in select retailers around California — for now, as they work to expand the business.
Something Sweet is sold online and in certain retailers in California. (Something Sweet)
"Putting our grief into something that is reaching so many people has been the most healing for all of us in so many different ways. It’s been our saving grace," Lindsey Cook said.
For more information, anyone can visit somethingsweetdough.com.
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