Jade McLellan is a senior at Michigan State University majoring in business management with a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation. She is the founder of Baking By Jade, a custom cookie and cake business. With help from the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Dashney Women’s Leadership Accelerator, and her experiences in professional bakeries and as a product development intern at Dawn Foods Global, Jade has grown her business while developing the skills and confidence to pursue her entrepreneurial goals.
For me, baking has always been about more than just creating something sweet. It’s been a way to turn passion into something tangible and eventually into a business.
I was born into a family of entrepreneurs, so I grew up watching the people around me turn what they loved into something of their own. My dad is an entrepreneur, as are many other family members. From mortgages to boutiques, I’ve gotten to see people do what they love and be successful. I’m grateful for this because seeing it gave me the courage to just go for it. Having an amazing support system was also a huge part of the process, helping me build the confidence to pursue my own ideas and build Baking By Jade.
When I came to MSU for Admitted Student Day, I got my first glimpse of what entrepreneurship could look like on a much larger scale. I watched a Shark Tank–style pitch through the Burgess Institute and saw students turning their ideas into real businesses. I was already building Baking By Jade and knew I wanted to continue pursuing it through college. Seeing what MSU had built around entrepreneurship showed me that I could bring that same ambition to campus and continue building Baking By Jade here.
Since coming to MSU, I’ve had so many opportunities to learn what it takes to grow a business. I’ve worked with and learned from professionals who know how to help businesses grow, while also meeting people who have challenged me to think differently. Building those genuine connections has been one of my favorite parts of the experience.
I’ve also been able to put myself and my business in situations I may not have otherwise pursued. I’ve competed in pitch competitions, hosted cookie decorating classes and even put on live demos. Each experience has pushed me outside of my comfort zone and given me the opportunity to learn by doing.
The Dashney Women’s Leadership Accelerator has also played a big role in my college experience. Being surrounded by some of the most driven, passionate and hardworking women I know has challenged me to think about my growth beyond my business. I am so grateful for Helen Dashney and this group of women for encouraging me to continue growing as a leader and challenging myself.
Through these experiences, I’ve gained a lot of insight and practice in translating my entrepreneurial experiences to a corporate setting. It has helped me see how the skills I’ve developed as an entrepreneur can translate into different professional environments.
My work outside of MSU has also changed the way I think about Baking By Jade. This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to look at the bakery industry from a different lens through my internship at Dawn Foods Global, where I worked as a product development intern on the Research and Development team.
I learned about formulation and ingredient properties for bakery products, giving me insight and knowledge I can consider as I develop my own products. Seeing a bakery business operate at such a large scale gave me a new perspective on what it takes to turn a product into a successful business.
As I look toward scaling Baking By Jade, I can apply those lessons to my own business. Understanding ingredient costs, supply chain, marketing and commercialization will help me make more informed decisions as I develop new products and think about how to grow the business.
As I look toward life after graduation, I don’t know exactly what my next chapter will look like — and I think that’s OK. The opportunities I’ve had at MSU and beyond have taught me to embrace the unknown, stay curious and trust the process of trying, learning and growing. I know what I’m passionate about, I know my values and I know that leading by those things will put me in the right place.
If I could give other students one piece of advice, it would be to follow what you’re passionate about and be willing to try. Creating unique, quality products is important, but showing your passions, values and personality through your business can be even more impactful. Staying true to those things as you grow can also be hard, but it is also what can make you stand out.
Personally, the best experiences and knowledge I’ve gained have come from jumping into something new and seeing how it goes. There is so much to learn, and getting to learn it hands-on, including learning from mistakes, sticks with you the most.
For me, entrepreneurship has never been about having everything figured out. It’s about being willing to try, learn and keep growing. Just like baking: Sometimes you have to experiment with the ingredients before you find a recipe that works.
