Our pretzel passion goes way beyond pretzels….
Don’t get me wrong, as pretzel bakers we are super proud to have developed the world’s first ever grain free pretzel - that by the way, tastes so good you won’t even know it’s gluten or grain free!
But there’s much more to our story than that….
When our daughter Kelly was diagnosed with autism, it was hard to see beyond what was right in front of us. For years, we struggled with endless hours of therapy, sensory dysregulation, social frustrations and complex challenges in school. Then finally in 9th grade, Kelly was able to go to a school where they truly understood her, her autism and her needs. Kelly’s confidence blossomed.
As she transitioned out of that program, Kelly was excited about the possibility of working in a retail environment. She bravely went on several job interviews and was immediately hired at a well known women’s clothing store. Kelly was ecstatic about finding a place to belong and contribute! Yes I can do this, she thought.
Sadly, a few days later, Kelly was let go from that job. At first she was confused, not knowing what she did wrong. Then she thought about the glaring looks from her co-workers - how they seemed annoyed with how she asked so many questions. More questions than they asked or than anyone cared to answer. As reality unraveled, Kelly was crushed.
And so were we. Knowing that a large respected company lacked the willingness to properly train her, we had to face the fact that typical workplaces wouldn’t be prepared to accommodate Kelly’s differences. Furthermore, they most certainly wouldn’t be able to amplify her gifts, strengths, or superpowers!
