There’s no shortage of success stories in Nashville, and many of those stories belong to the incredible women who are paving their own path and opening doors for generations to come.
Whether they’re building an idea from the ground up, crunching numbers, or working to make a difference in the lives of others, these are the trailblazing women of Music City — and their stories are sure to inspire you.
Chelle Baldwin Founder & Chair SweetAbility
STEPS TAKEN
SweetAbility was created out of a high-end custom cake-making business that I did on the side while working as a massage therapist. At the age of nine, my oldest daughter, Rosie, was diagnosed with an intellectual disability on top of her autism and apraxia of speech, which were identified at the age of three. Given the statistics of extremely high rates of abuse, I felt compelled to create a safe work environment for her when she reached adulthood. I turned that cake business into a model that would provide a successful environment for people with disabilities to work. We make sweets for wholesale, corporate, and direct-to-consumer orders. Any given day, we are baking cookies, brownies, lemon squares, granny rolls, cinnamon rolls, or creating custom-decorated sweets with company logos.
ADVICE FOR OTHERS
There is no “right path” to success, and success looks different for everyone. Even when things look uncertain, do not take no for an answer. A ‘no’ now does not mean you give up on your vision, it just means that scenario wasn’t the right fit. Persistence is paramount to achieving your goals, no matter what they are. Fear is not your friend and will not help you move forward, so don’t give into it. I got my degree in furniture design and fabrication, and spent many years during and after graduating from college in a male-dominated work environment. You have to learn to hold your ground and not allow someone else’s perception of who you are to define you or determine your path. Be assertive, be bold, and be kind. Doing for others will come back to you in ways you cannot foresee.
DEFINING SUCCESS
Success, to me, means people who otherwise would not be working get an opportunity to do so. That could mean they are working in our bakery, or perhaps some other company was inspired by what we are doing and decided to try employing people with disabilities in their organization.