Layoff Leads to Full-Time Entrepreneurship, Creation of Timeless Cookware for Cultured Hosts
When families share holiday meals, the special time offers a chance to celebrate heritage, to pass down stories, and to keep the spirit of special bonds alive, one dish at a time. Dr. Chanel Fields, founder and Chief Culinary Officer of Fields and Jackson, believes that cooking does not end at the stove. It extends to how food is presented, shared, and experienced. Additionally, Dr. Fields believes that the table is just as important as the recipe, and cookware is the foundation of the cooking experience.
“You can have the highest quality ingredients, but if the cooking vessel is sub-par, the ingredients will be impacted. Quality tools allow you to cook with confidence, consistency, and care. When cookware performs well, it frees you to focus on creativity and connection,” she said.
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Fields and Jackson’s Creole Roots
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 90px;}}Fields’ collection of elegant bakeware and cookware and glasses was created to honor the way food, culture, and hospitality shaped her upbringing. Some of Dr. Fields’ earliest and most meaningful memories were formed in the kitchen watching meals come together, stories being shared, and traditions being passed down.
“I wanted to create a brand that celebrated those moments while elevating them. I’m inspired by women like my mother; bonus mom; aunts; grandmothers; Martha Stewart; Ina Garten; and the generations of women (especially Black women) who turned kitchens into places of beauty, nourishment, and connection, often without recognition,” Dr. Fields added.
Although Fields and Jackson was founded in 2024, for Dr. Fields, food has never just been food. It intertwines history, love, and tradition on a plate. Her mother — a Jackson from Shreveport, Louisiana—was her greatest inspiration. She passed away from breast cancer.
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 90px;}}“This brand absolutely honors her. She taught me that the kitchen was a sacred space, and that the tools and ingredients you cook with matter. My father’s side of the family is Fields from St. Landry Parish (hence the “Fields”). I intentionally named the collections after parishes my family is from in Louisiana for that added personal touch,” Dr. Fields stated.
Part of the reason Dr. Fields founded Fields and Jackson is that she grew up using cookware that had history, memories, and stories.
“After my mom passed, I found myself with three generations of beautiful, high-quality pieces that I couldn’t let go of. That experience shaped my belief that cookware should last, not just physically, but sentimentally, as my mother and grandmother had pieces that literally outlived them physically.”
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 90px;}}Fields Self-Funded Her Business
Fields started off part-time while maintaining her career in education as an executive leadership coach/consultant. However, she was laid off earlier this year in 2025.
“This pushed me into full-time entrepreneurship when I’d just launched Fields and Jackson only nine months before,” Fields explained.
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-4{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-4{min-height: 90px;}}She remarked that her self-funded business is a blessing, but it can be stressful at times. Dr. Fields reinvests strategically and is very intentional about growth to build a scalable business model, rather than rushing. One of her biggest challenges has been creating brand awareness in a space dominated by long-established retailers.
“As a newer, e-commerce-based brand, I’ve had to work intentionally to earn trust, visibility, and credibility, but I look at challenges as opportunities for growth. It’s pushed me to lead with storytelling, quality, and community, and to be very clear about what makes Fields and Jackson distinct rather than trying to compete on scale alone,” Fields added.
Why do Fields and Jackson stand out?
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-5{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-5{min-height: 90px;}}Fields emphatically noted that the company’s cookware is made to last.
“Our Dutch ovens are crafted from enameled cast iron, designed for durability, heat retention, and versatility. We only carry products with non-toxic ingredients, so the other pieces are ceramic, porcelain, stainless steel and lead-free crystal.”
Fields’and Jackson’s Dutch ovens are the most popular items, followed closely by the company’s bundt pans. Fields and Jackson’s cookware sits at the intersection of performance, design, and cultural storytelling. Diversity in the cookware industry is represented while Jackson pays tribute to her Creole heritage.
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-6{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-6{min-height: 90px;}}“We don’t want to be carried in a store. We are the store; a store for cultured cooks. We pride ourselves on sourcing products from businesses created by people who look like you, whoever you are. We curate collections with intention, centering quality while celebrating culture—something that’s been missing in the industry,” Fields stated.
Fields and Jackson is available online at https://www.fieldsandjackson.com.
