JORDAN ANDERSON
By Sharon Ishimwe
YOUTH ENTREPRENEUR
Photography by Paul Adams
Eleven-year-old Baker Launches Business In the Spring of 2020, it wasn’t uncommon to see or hear about people picking up baking. Social media was awash with images of sourdough bread and other baked goods. This period may go down in history books – joining only a few other momentous events such as the First World War – as a time when baking supplies were hard to come by. Eleven-year-old Jordan, like a myriad other people, found comfort in baking in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. But unlike many, she had been baking almost her entire life and this season only catapulted her to the launch of her business, Jordan’s Delights. From turning all her sleepovers into baking contests; to astonishing her classmates with very elaborate Science projects titled Baking as a Science, or The Chemistry of Baking, Jordan has always been passionate about baking. Her mother traces her passion back to when she was just about three years old. They both fondly recall a kitchen stool that Jordan guarded so jealously. It was the stool she stood on to work on the kitchen counter with her family as they cooked and baked. With schools being closed early last Spring, Jordan turned her attention to making pretzels, doughnuts, pizza, and cake. “Baking makes me feel calm.” When her dad posted one of her cakes on social media, the response was overwhelming. “People were surprised and they started asking me to bake for them.” From there, she got her first order – a cupcake bouquet. Jordan’s greatest challenge at that point was pricing. “I didn’t know how much to charge.” With the help of her parents, however, she now sets her prices with confidence. For her, opportunity met preparation. Jordan credits her move, in part, to Business Is Jammin’s Girls with Ideas Program led by Ariel Gough. Hosted in Jordan’s community of Hammonds Plains, the program encourages young girls to pursue their dreams. “If you have an idea, don’t be afraid or let anyone say you can’t do it. Kids sometimes think they are not good enough or their idea is not good enough,” reflects Jordan who believes the right mindset and support from friends and family are very important for starting a business. Although baking is relaxing for her, the admitted perfectionist also finds the process stressful at times. “Creating unique designs is difficult. I try the more complicated ones on a plate several times before I recreate them on a cake”. The self-taught baker dreams of becoming a pastry chef, owning a ‘fancy restaurant with a bakery’ and hopes to someday polish her skills in Montreal and France because she believes they make the best pastries. “That means I have to step up my game in French.” Jordan attends French immersion at Madeline Symonds Middle School and for now, she finds inspiration from an Aunt who is also a baker, YouTube videos, and baking shows. Committed to the success of her business, Jordan has learned to make sacrifices. “Sometimes I am at my [grandma’s] house playing with my cousin and the only reason I have to leave is to bake,” she says, adding that she never wants to disappoint her customers. “Even when I am tired, I push myself because I know it’s an order and I must finish it.” Nevertheless, the reward at the end of every job makes it all worthwhile. “I feel really happy when my customers are pleased.”
25
Jordan Anderson Jordan’s Delights Guardian: Kesa Munroe-Anderson (902) 412-3270 rissy7@hotmail.com
Jordan’s Delights has grown steadily over the last months and Jordan is now working with her best friend to develop a logo. BLACK to BUSINESS
Jordan Anderson, Youth Entrepreneur
Winter 2021
