Above everything else, Collette Divitto is a talented baker.
In her hometown of Boston, she’s known for her chocolate-chip cinnamon cookie, which is marketed as “the Amazing Cookie.” Ask anyone who’s had one, and they’ll tell you that Divitto’s product is delicious.
But while Divitto’s talent is undeniable, she struggled to find work. She applied at bakeries throughout Boston. Time and time again, she was brought in for interviews; time and time again, she was told that she was “really nice,” but “not a good fit.”
“It was really hurtful and I felt rejected a lot,” she told Upworthy. Despite the rejection, however, Collette never gave up on her dreams.
Collette Divito also has Down Syndrome.
It’s likely that some (or all) of the potential employers turned her down because of that fact, and she felt self conscious.
But the 26-year-old came up with a brilliant idea; if she couldn’t get hired, she’d simply start her own bakery. And that’s exactly what she did.
Collette began cooking her cinnamon-dipped cookies in her own kitchen. Then, something amazing happened — WBZ-TV, a local television station, did a story on Collette’s dreams. Almost overnight, she’d received thousands of orders.
That’s not hyperbole; Collette received more than 25,000 orders within a week, including a hefty order from Golden Goose Market, located in Boston’s North End.
Golden Goose Market also offered Collette their kitchen, which is fully outfitted with the industrial equipment that Collette needs to produce massive amounts of her cookies. Some of the market’s employees have also volunteered to help Collette use the equipment.
Collette also received letters from around the country from people who wanted to help her. They offered to provide their professional skills and services to help her set up her business correctly and keep it running.
Orders are pouring in from as far away as California.
Many other businesses have contacted Collette to ask about selling her cookies, and it seems like the sky’s the limit for this talented baker.
“I haven’t slept at all,” said Collette in an interview with WBZ-TV. “I am really amazed at the support for my company and my cookies.”
She’s currently looking for her own warehouse and distribution facility, which should allow her to sell cookies across the country. Most importantly, she hasn’t forgotten about her struggle to find a job; her dream is to employ other people with disabilities, providing them with a chance to make a living.
Collettey’s Cookies is running a crowdfunding campaign to open its first distribution facility.
You can find out more about the campaign here. You can also visit Collettey’s Cookies online here. While the company had trouble keeping up with the initial stream of orders, they’ll ship out all orders as soon as they are processed starting in February.
This story is an incredible example of the power of dreams, and we can’t wait to try Collettey’s Cookies for ourselves — we just placed our order! Be sure to share this amazing story with friends to help this business get a strong start.
