Mom, son business in Okemos is ‘baking’ an impact

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WILX) – According to the National Autistic Society, around 70% of adults with autism are unemployed. One Mid-Michigan mother and son duo is taking a bite out of that statistic, one cookie at a time.

With his mom, Cathy, as his mentor, Dominic Blatnik has turned their kitchen in Okemos into a cottage industry called Baked Goods By Dominic.

They took their first cookie order on Nov. 28, 2020, for a friend who was having a birthday.

A product of the pandemic, Cathy says baking helped keep Dominic busy and learning while school was shut down.

Now, three and a half years later, Baked Goods By Dominic is 31 orders away from hitting 600! Thousands of cookies, cakes and brownies for birthdays, bridal showers, weddings and funerals. 26 different items, everything from peanut butter brownies to the customer-favorite chocolate chip cookies. Most of them are from family recipes. And baking runs in the family; Dominic’s great-great-grandfather owned a bakery.

“So it’s in our blood, it’s in our genes,” said Cathy.

What isn’t in the family genes is autism.

“When he was diagnosed at two and a half, I had no idea; all I knew was Rain Man,” Cathy said

Besides autism, 19-year-old Dominic lives with anxiety disorder, ADHD and epilepsy—disabilities that are now overshadowed by Dominic’s ability to bake. Along the way, Cathy says Dominic has learned many life skills, such as organizing cookie orders.

“This has taught Dominic how to add and subtract,” says Cathy.

Dominic is also in charge of keeping track of profits and filling out bank deposit slips. Cathy says they recently baked 500 cookies for an event at Potter Park Zoo!

According to Cathy, the main reason they bake is not to make money but to spread the message that people with disabilities, when given the chance, can do just about anything.

Their next big goal is to take Baked Goods By Dominic from the dining room table, and into a commercial kitchen.

“Our end goal is to have a brick-and-mortar and employ people with disabilities,” Cathy said.

A delightful determination with a recipe for success.

Email BakedGoodsByDominic@mail.com to contact or learn more about Baked Goods By Dominic.

Read more: Make an Impact

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