We were lucky to catch up with Kimberly Marks-Ball recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kimberly, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.
The mission at Zaman International & Rising Hope is to facilitate change and advance the lives of marginalized women and children by empowering them to become self-sufficient at meeting their own essential needs, the ones common to all humankind. We take a holistic approach. First, by offering basic needs services, like a food pantry, a resale shop, literacy classes, assistance with achieving a GED/high school completion, social services, and a health clinic, our clientele can build a secure, healthy foundation that they will need to grow and thrive. And second, through vocational education/workforce readiness programs, we invest into our clientele which will enhance skills they will use to support themselves in the workforce.
This is where I come in. As a Director of Culinary, I teach a wide variety of classes through which our clients develop skill sets and achieve certifications specific to the culinary industry. My main goal is their employability, and I work in tandem with our Workforce Development team to connect my students to the jobs that best fit their lives. One of the employment opportunities is with us in our Rising Hope Bakery of which I am also the director.
One of my favorite success stories is that of my right hand, Chef Sheri. Sheri came to Zaman through our client portal to get access to basic needs. Through that support she began our vocational education programs and excelled in Culinary. She did so well that she became the first ever Culinary Apprentice, a paid apprenticeship. She became an invaluable team member and was hired as a kitchen assistant following her apprenticeship. When we opened Rising Hope Bakery, Sheri was a natural choice to become our Bakery Manager. It was a joy to watch her grow from client to student to employee to leader.
Kimberly, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Culinary arts was not my initial career pursuit. I started in political science,working in small government, specifically elections. However, I always had a passion for baking and making cakes, so I started a little baking side hustle and became inspired to pursue my culinary arts degree. Because I was also raising three kids, I felt that I needed to pursue a culinary avenue outside of working in a restaurant. I happened upon a job in nutrition education at Eastern Market in Detroit while I was in culinary school. I quickly learned that this was the job I loved – cooking, baking, AND teaching.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we could no longer teach at the market; however, to fill the gap–and keep my sanity–I started teaching online kids culinary classes. Soon after, my mentor at culinary school reached out to me and said that she heard about job at Zaman international for which I would be a good fit. It combined all the skills I had become passionate about – cooking, baking, teaching, and helping those in need. After my interview at Zaman, I was sold. The mission spoke to me. Now I get to go to work every day, teaching and empowering bright and resilient women. Together we create beautiful food and serve it in our little cafe and bake delicious cookies in Rising Hope Bakery.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
The mission of Zaman and Rising Hope Bakery speaks to me deeply. I grew up in poverty to a single, teen mother. My mother’s resilience and ability to pivot is my original inspiration. She was and still today is always open to growth, change, and learning. I was at her high school graduation and then she took me to college with her. I actually lived on a college campus for most of my childhood as my mom finished her degree. She faced many barriers, but through perseverance, she overcame them all.. It’s due to her resilience to rise above her circumstances that I have the life I have now. For me, helping the women at Zaman and Rising Hope Bakery feels full circle. It was a fire started by my mother and continued in me.
I often think about the concept of Ikigai. It’s a Japanese idea that essentially means your life’s worth or sense of purpose. A person can achieve their Ikigai by taking the thing they love to do (for me it’s cooking/baking), adding the thing the are good at (teaching), combining them with something the world needs (uplifting women), and turning all of that into job that can sustain you (culinary teacher). I feel so fortunate to have found my ikigai.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
For almost all of our clientele, trauma has made a very big impact in their lives. Many of them have come from situations where they’re needs and wants have gone unheard, their confidence unfostered, and their skills untapped.” In both the kitchen and bakery, lack of transportation and childcare present very real barriers to our clientele. Not only are we trying to produce excellent dishes and baked goods, but we are also working to learn important workforce readiness skills. For these women, they’ve often not been listened to and they’ve been told no and that they can’t so many times. I try to hold high standards and expectations in the kitchens without crushing their spirits. I am always looking for the bright spots in these ladies and how I can shine light on their special skills. They each have something incredible to offer. I often have to tell them that they need to redo something or they’ve mixed a batch of cookies wrong or there’s too much salt in their food, etc . And for these women a little criticism can feel devastating because of their prior experiences. I try to lift them up while still holding them accountable, being constructively critical and problem solving while also leaving a lot of space for laughter in the kitchen, as well. Nothing brings people together like food and laughter. My big mantra in our kitchens is “This is a safe space to fail.” When we fail, we learn and grow. Our mistakes don’t define who we are as people. I also keep three questions posted about communication – “Is it kind? Is it helpful? Is it professional?” The first two I want to apply to their whole lives. I want them to ask those two questions of themselves in regard to their self talk because they so often beat themselves up. The third we put in place when working on team projects together in the kitchen.
Contact Info:
- Website: risinghopebakery.com
- Instagram: risinghopebakery
- Facebook: Rising Hope Bakery