[music] -What does b.. Hello, I'm Peter Noll, the general manager and CEO of Channel 11.

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This Tennessee author grew up on a dairy farm in Madison County, but made a name for himself with coffee and food.

If you've ever eaten the frickin' sandwich or ho-ho egg rolls or had a dirty snowman, you know what I'm talking about.

You know him as the owner of Green Frog Coffee, but did you know he's also an author?

Straight ahead on Tennessee Writes, we're sitting down with Timm Johnson.

We'll find out how his Grandma Flossie's donuts and coffee started his obsession with food and drinks, his devotion to family and faith, and about his book, Chainsaw Preacher, and more.

Pour yourself a big old cup of coffee, get a Dirty Snowman, and your favorite comfy chair.

Tennessee Writes starts right now.

-Books about Tennessee.

-Books that come from Tennessee authors.

-Books and stories with a Tennessee twist.

-West Tennessee PBS presents Tennessee Writes.

[music] -Welcome to Tennessee Writes, the show that gets up close and personal with Tennessee authors.

My name is Peter Noll.

This is the show that goes beyond the book to learn about its author, from their childhood to where their stories come from.

They even offer advice if you want to write a book yourself.

Plus, we put the authors on a stopwatch as they try and answer questions in the lightning round.

-Tennessee Writes welcomes Timm Johnson, the owner of the Green Frog Coffee chain, an inventor of the Dirty Snowman, but he's also an author of several books.

He grew up on a Madison County dairy farm that's influenced his life and how he's able to balance his business, faith, and writing books.

Tennessee Writes welcomes Timm Johnson.

-Timm, thank you for coming in today.

-Hi, Peter.

Good to be here.

-We appreciate you sparing some of your time as a small business owner.

Your schedule is very busy, but you find time to do a lot of different things.

How do you balance it all?

-Schedule is important.

Technology helps.

I try to just take it one day at a time.

The business, I've got great people who work for me, so that really helps.

It runs pretty smooth.

Then I have some free time because of the great people who help me manage my locations and who work for me.

Then I take my free time and invest that in my church, and in writing, and family.

I just take it one day at a time.

-Now, your story starts at the dairy farm here in Madison County.

Do your folks still run the dairy farm, or is it s.. -We got out of the dairy business in the '80s.

They actually came to me while I was in high school and asked me if I wanted to take over the dairy farm.

I told my father, "No."

I wanted to add another word in front of that.

It starts with an H. I was not the greatest fan of the dairy business at the time.

Looking back, it was instrumental in my childhood, and I treasure it now.

-If you could go back, would you-- -No.

[laughs] I still wouldn't do it.

No way.

We just celebrated my dad's 90th birthday.

-I saw that on Facebook.

That looked like a great family gathering.

-Just a week ago.

Mom passed away a couple years ago.

The farm's still intact.

It's still in the family.

Now it's owned by my dad and his siblings.

Typically, it's just row crop now.

We went to just beef cattle back in the '80s, and row crop.

Pretty much everybody who worked on the farm is retired, and we lease the land out now.

-How did that upbringing shape you, who you are, the man you are today?

-100% was my experience on that farm.

There's no doubt about it.

Growing up with the family I grew up with and surrounded by the community in Madison Hall was absolutely a big influence.

Just the experiences of the chores that came along with farming, learning what I learned at an early age, driving a truck when I was age 11, learning how to grind feed, feed cattle, and just the environment of being in the outdoors.

I was always one for chores were almost finished, I wanted to find a fishing pole and take off and go over to the lake.

At the time, my dad certainly taught me hard work and work ethic.

He worked two jobs his whole life.

Worked for the Madison County Fire Department and farmed full-time.

At that age, I was a typical child and wanted to escape when I could.

-You were eating Grandma Flossie's jelly donuts -and sweet coffee with a lot of cream.

-Oh, yes.

That absolutely influenced me.

My Grandmother Flossie and my Grandfather Frankie.

Grandfather Frankie was a coal miner.

They lived in southern Illinois in West Frankfort.

We would go up there to see them, my mom's parents.

My Grandmother Flossie, there was a donut shop there in that small town.

They had these wonderful jelly-filled donuts.

Then she would always give us coffee, which we were never given coffee at home.

Of course, it was about that much coffee and about that much sugar.

I fell in love with the taste and have ever since been a coffee drinker.

Really started at the age of about four.

-Fast forward to Green Frog Coffee.

Since I've been a J, I thought it was a staple.

When you really research and hear your story, it's not been an easy road.

-No, it has not.

After about 10 years in ministry, Young Life ministry, I had started in Young Life as a volunteer here in Jackson.

Had gone on staff in Dyersburg, and that was coming to an end.

I found myself in a small coffee shop that had just opened in Dyersburg, Tennessee, called Java Café at the time.

I'd heard that the store manager there was looking at leaving.

Ironically, I was writing my first book at this time.

-I read that you were actually writing a book at the coffee shop.

-At the coffee shop.

They approached me and came up to me and said, "Hey, we realize you have a project in front of you, but we need some part-time help.

You know a lot of people in the community.

Are you interested in working part-time?"

That part-time step behind the counter at that time led to a full-time position.

In a rapid succession of choices, it really, really just snowballed into something much bigger than I thought.

In a period of two years, I learned the coffee business.

Then the Starbucks in downtown Jackson closed at that time, and I saw that as an opportunity.

At the same time, I had bought a small shop in Bells, Tennessee, at Green Frog Farm.

That's where the name Green Frog comes from, is there in Green Frog, Tennessee.

We developed the LLC name of Green Frog Coffee Company, LLC.

I owned three shops, all of a sudden, from one to three in a period of about two years.

Really still finding my way in a lot of ways.

Before I knew it, the economy crashed in 2008, 2009.

I was about $500,000 in debt and thought I was going to go out of business.

That's how quickly that happened.

A fascinating story is, I was literally praying one day about how to tell my father, because that farm I talked about, I had talked him into putting that up as collateral.

I was about to have to tell my father, -"Hey, I can't make a payment."

-That must have been scary.

-It was absolutely just heart-wrenching for me to think, number one, I was going to disappoint my father.

Number two, my dream for Green Frog Coffee was really in trouble.

I prayed that day.

The next morning, it's hard to believe this, but a brand-new white convertible Mercedes came driving up my driveway as I was sitting on the porch trying to think about how to tell my father.

This gentleman got out, had white hair.

I thought, "Man, this may be an angel."

He came up and he said to me, "God sent me to you."

I thought, "At least God's going to give me a check or something."

He said, "Hey, I want to talk to you about starting a church."

[laughs] I thought, "The last thing I want to talk about right now is starting a church."

He was from Bible Fellowship Church and the Hoopers.

It was a Hooper family.

He connected me to his nephew, David Hooper.

After we talked about church things for a while, I explained to him my financial dilemma.

He said, "You need to talk to my nephew.

He just sold the family business.

He's looking for something to do to help somebody."

David helped me restructure my debt to help me survive.

I was able to pay him back.

That little, people talking about praying, that's a very-- What's the word?

A very small version of a very large story, because to me, that's probably one of the most critical times in my life.

[music] -Timm, let's dive into your books.

One of the reasons we started this show, Tennessee Writes, is because we meet so many people, and you don't even know they're an author.

I knew you when I first moved to town because of Green Frog Coffee.

I love coffee, good coffee, good local coffee, and it's Green Frog Coffee.

You remember when you opened up the South Highland location.

I just thought it was an iconic West Tennessee restaurant.

Then somehow, I found out you've written books.

Tell us about that.

-I've actually always loved writing.

It's something that I really enjoyed even when I was in elementary school.

My mom was actually a math teacher, but that teacher in her really pushed us to do well in school.

Out of all the subjects that I enjoyed, writing was the number one, which is funny because I also struggled with spelling.

[laughter] -We all do.

-Yes, but I loved to write.

That followed me through.

Actually, when I found myself in ministry, it almost was a tool that I could use to write letters of encouragement and things like that.

I realized how powerful those letters were.

One time, a gentleman that I had worked with, befriended, I remember when he got married, a letter I had written to him in high school as encouragement.

He was having some trouble with his father.

This was in his mid-20s, so this had been about 10 years.

He had that letter in his pocket when he got married.

That really impacted me.

-The books we have here are Chainsaw Preacher and The Chicken Whisperer.

Tell us about those.

-The first book I decided to put together is Chainsaw Preacher.

It's basically a collection of stories about my life from childhood into ministry.

-They're very personal.

-They are very personal.

One of the things that I talk about in the book is transparency and how transparency really makes us have the opportunity to really be accepted and loved.

A lot of people think when they're running around in life that most people only love the version of them that they know.

They're like, "If they really knew me, they wouldn't love me."

Part of the experience, I think, of true community is where we feel comfortable enough to be completely transparent.

Really, what I'm doing is just setting an example.

What does it look like to be transparent?

How does that feel?

What happens when you are?

I've had a lot of people who've read the book who have been impacted by the book.

They've written me back, emailed me, sent letters.

It was hard at times to talk about some of the things I talk about because I really don't skirt the issues.

-Then the second book is-- -The Chicken Whisperer?

-Yes, The Chicken Whisperer.

It's a book about how to be in relation with other people in community and how to really make it work well.

Again, it's a collection of stories.

Both books, you can pick up any book, and you can read a chapter in about 10 minutes.

You can set it down and pick it back up.

You can turn anywhere in the book, honestly, and just read a chapter.

I hope you would enjoy it if you chose either one to do that.

-How has it made you feel when you get feedback about your books on like, "Hey, this really impacted me, this changed my life, this has helped me grow my relationships"?

-It's really been encouraging and at the same time challenging.

In the first book, I had to get permission from people to tell their stories.

Some of the feedback I got from that experience wasn't so easy to hear.

They're like, "Hey, I have a different version of how that went down or how that happened."

I had to be open to hear and understand.

The first book, I've actually had people come to me and say, "Hey, so-and-so said, before I get to know you, I need to read your book."

Sometimes I think they were saying that in a positive way, and sometimes I think it was a warning.

[laughs] You never know.

Out of everything I've done with my life, I enjoy writing the most, which is sad because I'm writing the least I'.. I usually get on social media and share some stories.

I enjoy that aspect of it still.

[music] -Timm, we've come to the part of Tennessee Writes we call the lightning round.

We put two minutes on the clock and we ask you a series of questions about writing, literature, books, and see how many you can answer.

If you can't think of an answer, just say pass.

We'll move on to the next one.

The clock will begin ticking as soon as I ask my first question.

Estimate how many audiobooks have you listened to in your lifetime?

-Three.

-How many pages would the book about your life be?

-About 300.

-What animal best represents your books?

-Raccoon.

-When was the last time you checked out a book from a public library?

-35 years ago.

-Favorite movie based on a book?

-Forrest Gump.

-How many pages is the last book you have written?

-Around 250.

-What's your least favorite book of all time?

-Pass.

-What celebrity would you want to n.. -Morgan Freeman.

-Name a book you're reading right now.

-21 Ways to Success.

-Name a food or drink that helps you write.

-Coffee.

-If you could have a book signing in any city in the world, where would it be?

-New York.

-What author, living or dead, would you most like to have dinner with?

-Thoreau.

-Where would you go for dinner?

-I would let him choose.

[laughs] -Do you write your books on a computer or by hand?

-On a computer.

-What book have you read multiple times?

-Better pass on that one.

-Do you prefer paper books or e-books?

-Paper.

-What actor would you want to star in.. -Pass.

I don't know.

-On average, how many books do you read in one y.. -Four.

-What book has most influenced your life?

-The Bible.

-What magazine is your favorite to read?

-It's actually an online magazine, Restaurant Business Online.

-How many books are on your nightstand right now?

[buzzer sound] [music] -Timm, we always love to hear the authors speak the words that they created and put down on paper in their books.

Would you mind reading from one of your books?

-Sure, I'd love to.

Out of the book The Chicken Whisperer, I think I've got a chapter here that's pretty appropriate for this time of year.

As I share it, I think you'll understand why.

It's called Teach Me to Burn.

"I must confess there is a sincere desire in me to watch things burn and roast, especially chicken.

It feels good to say that.

It feels good to be honest.

I don't enjoy watching people get hurt or losing property.

I'm just mesmerized by the rhythm of the flames.

A lot of people are.

In a city where there are life-saving surgeries being performed, where the cornerstones of the community are being buried, and where at any given moment 100 important people are doing 100 important things, everybody would rather follow a fire truck.

Even the human story begins with God hanging a big ball of fire in the sky and calling it a day.

According to Exodus, not long after we arrived, this day, fire rained down on our heads, accompanied by a little brimstone.

Ironically, God also used fire constructively when He made a bush talk and when He led a confused nation to the promised land.

Fire, it seems, is woven throughout the fabric of our heritage from Sodom to Chicago.

In childhood, it was my security blanket.

Who can blame a child for wanting to play with matches?

Our ancestors devoted themselves to the very task of finding a way to bring fire into the home, first to keep warm and then to light torches and candles so we could continue to shell purple hull peas past sunset.

It didn't take long to learn that fire is an incredible resource with an incredible liabi.. They fought to keep it from burning their homes, their schools, and their farms.

They built fire stations, fire extinguishers, fire alarms, and told their kids, "Don't play with matches," but then turned around and put candles on their birthday cake.

This was like celebrating an alcoholic sobriety with a six-pack.

Personally, I could have cared less about making a wish on my birthday.

I just wanted to watch the candles burn.

When my family went on those camping trips, like the Israelites, a fire followed us.

The last but best thing we always did in setting up camp was we built a fire.

We even built one that we were camping in July for the simple reason that mosquitoes don't like smoked human flesh.

I learned to properly sit around the campfire.

I didn't need a chair.

I just needed a long stick.

A stick around the fire was the equivalent of a pole while fishing.

You just have to have one.

These sticks kept me entertained for hours as I poked the fire, threatened to burn my sisters with the end, and made neon circles with the red tips in the dark.

I tried to do other things with them, like roast marshmallows, but even these succumbed to becoming mini torches, setting the stage for a tiny version of a medieval war.

Try getting a flaming marshmallow off your chest.

As I grew older, I had less supervision and began to unwisely experiment with throwing various items into the fire to see what would happen.

Plastic bottles, old cans of soda, cheese whip, and empty cans of bug repellent.

Interestingly, the can of cheese whip gave me the best boom.

I just had to watch out for hot cheese landing on our heads.

Eventually, I learned I had to respect the things I love, including fire.

My first brush with death by fire came the nights my parents put my oldest sister in charge of the house while they went out to dinner.

Terry decided to cook popcorn and started heating some oil on the stove, pre-microwave days, and then joined us in the living room to watch Love Boat.

A few minutes later, we saw the shadow of flames dancing on the walls, followed by an encore of thick black smoke.

All three of us rushed into the kitchen to see our popcorn pan turned into a fire-breathing dragon.

With the lid, it was easily slain, but its friends, black pot and black ceiling, were alive and well.

Crying, Terry took an SOS pad and started scrubbing the blackened pot, but there was no hope for cleaning the ceiling.

She had failed my parents, and she had failed me.

No popcorn.

I had told her I wanted cinnamon toast anyway."

[music] -Timm, one of the goals of this show is that everyone's got a story to tell, and you're going to meet people right here, your next-door neighbor, the coffee store owner who's written books.

What advice do you have to those people?

-Do it.

Please do it.

The oral tradition and the written traditions that we have in this country for storytelling, for passing along the information and valuable information, I can't begin to tell you how much I have learned from other people's writings and how much other people's writings have inspired and helped me in my own life.

They say a picture's worth a thousand words.

I always like to say, 10 words can paint a picture, and it's a picture that even the blind can see.

I encourage people, just get it down.

Get it in a format with a pen and paper or on a computer, and worry about getting it published later.

Get the story written and then go find a publisher.

You can always self-publish.

There are lots of companies out there who you can call, shoot them the manuscript, and they can print you books at a pretty reasonable price.

Now with technology, good grief.

You can get them on Amazon, all kinds of different places.

They're relatively easy.

Get it down, and it's important.

People don't realize every story is an important story.

I believe that.

-You're working on another one right now, you s.. -Yes.

Hugging the Cactus.

I've been working on it for about seven years.

This book, first book, was written in about four months.

The second book was written in about six months.

Hugging the Cactus, I've been working on it for seven years.

It's like that project car you have in your garage.

You're trying to restore and put it together.

It's all in my head.

It's all here.

With business now, honestly, I just don't have as much time as I used to.

My goal and where I really want to get to is a place with my business where I can really pull back in about five or six years and honestly focus on writing.

-If people want to reach out to you, have questions for you, find out more about your books, ministry, or Dirty Snowman recipes and what's coming next for that, and Green Frog Coffee, where should they reach out to you?

-The easiest way to reach out to me is probably Facebook, Messenger, or they can go to our website,.. Through that, there is a contact place there, where you can just shoot me an email.

-What website is Green Frog Coffee?

-It's www.greenfrogcoffeeco.com.

-On Facebook, how can they find you?

-Timm Hammer Johnson.

The Hammer is a nickname.

People west of the Mississippi only know me as Hammer.

That's from running a camp.

I was in charge of a bunch of high school kids in Colorado.

I approached it basically as a German sergeant because I heard you can go tough and then you can back off, but you can't back off and get tough.

They nicknamed me Hammer over that.

-Timm, we can't thank you enough for coming on the show and sharing your story about Green Frog Coffee, growing up on Madison County Farm, and your books.

We really appreciate it.

As a thank you, we have a Channel 11 All About Home Writing Kit with a briefcase, a latte mug, notebook, and pen to help for your future writings or taking orders for more Dirty Snowmen.

-Thanks a lot.

-Before you leave, would you sign your book for us?

-Absolutely.

I just want to thank Channel 11 and PBS.

Growing up, it had a big influence on my life.

I appreciate all you guys, PBS family.

[music] -For comments about today's show or to suggest a Tennessee author for a future program, email us at tennesseewrites@westtnpbs.org.

Tennessee Writes, on air and streaming now.

[music] -The program you've been watching was made possible through the generous financial support of West Tennessee PBS viewers like you.

Please visit westtnpbs.org and make a donation today so that we can continue to make local programs like this possible.

Thank you.