We were lucky to catch up with Harley Larson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Harley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

I worked as a restaurant manager for many years in a few different states. In 2020 my daughter passed away from suicide. I took some time off to focus on my family and candlemaking. In 2022 I went back to restaurant management in town slowly. After a year and a half of that I came to the realization that I Was no longer meant to do that. I focused back on my candle making and in that time I joined the Local Farmers Market. The farmers market had a booth called Mybakery. Then the market Shared a job post on their Facebook for My Place. I then looked in and discovered what Myplace was. I applied for the job to be a House liaison and even though it was less than what I was used to making, the mission fit perfectly. MyPlace is a home for young women. I had a big void in my life and that job helped fill it. I started there in November 2023. In the beginning of the next year, I was approached about Mybakery manager position. Seeing as I had restaurant experience and business experience, mixed in with my rapport with the young women, I was a good fit. I am now able to directly impact young women in the home and the community. Whether it is life advice, or the proper way to make a recipe I am with them step-by-step until they get where they need to go.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

We are a bakery that sells that are local farmers market 2 to 3 times weekly making sure to let the young women who work for us have creative control and feel a sense of ownership in their work. It’s not only about getting the young women hours and experience, but also about providing a community for them and boosting their self-confidence. We make cookies, rice, crispy treats, mini waffles, and Stroop waffles regularly. We also cater and make cupcakes for large occasions.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Not only our mission but the consistency of being at our local market mixed with delicious goods. The public gets to meet with me the manager or the young women weekly. We have hosted many volunteers also which makes the community feel part of our mission even more.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

We make sure it is a place of kindness and honesty. Everyone goes through ups and downs we are here for it. And not all the women have work experience. It is my job to make sure they know how they are doing and. Able to give advice. Having the tough conversations is the biggest part. I set expectations and when those aren’t met it’s up to me to sit down with the young women and provide honest feedback. I only want to see each one grow as a human and be the best version of themselves. It is well-known that this position at the Bakery is just a steppingstone to bigger and better careers. I hope the women with their résumé building skills interview skills and what quality of work will be expected in future careers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.myplacejackson.org/mybakery
• Instagram: Mybakeryjackson
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/mybakeryjackson/

Image Credits

Myself on my iPhone