As a Type A, recovering perfectionist, life’s fluidity is hard for me. There is no doubting I thrive with structure and routine; just ask anyone close to me who receives a google doc full of plans for a birthday or vacation. And yet the work I love more than anything is constantly changing.

I have been an entrepreneur since I was eight years old. I wasn’t the kid standing on the side of the rode with a lemonade stand, although I did dabble in perfecting Crystal Light for my neighbors, I was always after combining things I loved together for a greater purpose. Growing up a theater kid, participating in community theater was not enough for me, rather I wanted my own theater troupe, so I went on and created one.

Now twenty years later, I am chasing that same fire to create something purposeful and bigger than myself, but in a way that hits even closer to home than my love for performing: mental health. I have lived with mental illness for most of life, probably since I started the Not So Off Broadway Theater Players (my theater troupe) but the world of therapy, diagnosis, medication and treatment came when I hit rock bottom in college. Struggling with suicidal ideation, an eating disorder and OCD-fueled anxiety when I started on my path to recovery, I thought it was going to be like one of my projects, a defined beginning and end. However, I have learned recovery is constantly evolving, as is my entrepreneurship.

My will to leave the world a better place than I found it has followed me through this journey and I am proud of what I have done. From organizations to events, a documentary and two published books, what currently is lighting my soul on fire is Beyond Measure Bakery.

Beyond Measure Bakery by Bake it Till You Make it LLC is the first of its kind mental health bakery. I combine boxes of baked goods with vetted mental health resources. The goal is to educate and empower the community to normalize mental health conversation and recovery. The baked goods menus are based on emotions and stages of recovery, and the resources span all aspects of mental wellness. I am currently a one-woman show with baking help from my mom and sister, but dream of what it would be like to continue to build.

Like you may have guessed it, the road to creating this unique home bakery is fluid. I have big ideas for this dream and I am noticing how hard it is to be patient. However, like I have learned in every aspect of recovery, building and nourishing over time is the way to create lasting impact. It’s not structured or routine, it is messy and grueling but it’s undoubtedly my calling and its evolution is beautiful.

To learn more about Beyond Measure Bakery by Bake it Till You Make it LLC and order your box visit: beyondmeasurebakery.com