Flour dusts the air as junior Gianna Gonzalez carefully mixes ingredients for her favorite treat, swirling frosting onto a batch of freshly baked cupcakes. With each motion, her beloved cupcakes come to life, bringing her passion together one creation at a time.

In late 2023, Gonzalez put her baking passion and talent into action with Made With Love by Gianna, her self-grown baking business offers an assortment of scones, brownies, cupcakes, and more. What started as a hobby quickly developed into a rewarding and ambitious journey for Gonzalez, allowing her to grow as a young entrepreneur.

“I started baking when I was 4 years old,” Gonzalez said. “Growing up, my family didn’t have a lot, so my mom would make birthday cakes for my brothers. I saw my mom making a birthday cake one time. I helped her, and I just got really into it. I knew it was gonna be my thing.”

Gonzalez primarily promotes her business through social media, with the support of her family and friends. Her father, Justin Gonzalez, who is a realtor, is a source of Gianna’s success as he encourages his clients to buy various items from his daughter. Justin encourages her to manage her time and money wisely.

“My dad always inspires me to do things out of the ordinary,” Gianna said. “My dad was one of my biggest supporters throughout starting my business, he knows what it’s like to try and create something, he’s always there to guide me, help me communicate, and deal with funds.”

Additionally, her grandmother helps design custom stickers, this network of support has contributed to the growth and success of Made With Love by Gianna. Although she has an extensive support system, she prefers to manage her business independently,  primarily through Instagram, where she receives orders via Direct Messages.

“I think her passion for baking is amazing,” Justin said. “The fact that she didn’t just talk about it, as most kids her age do, she actually made a business of it.”

Although Gianna has a deep-rooted love for baking and sharing her desserts with the community, she has chosen not to turn baking into a professional career.

“I just want to have fun, and I don’t want baking to become something stressful,” Gianna said. “I realized that I didn’t want my passion to feel like work, but I’ll still continue baking on the side in college.”

Gianna’s aspirations for Made With Love by Gianna are driven by her desire to make a positive impact rather than to meet a financial target. She sells a variety of products ranging from $10 to $25, adjusting prices for custom orders. Through Gianna’s first year of her company, she made around $400 in sales.

“I don’t have a money objective with my business, my intention is to just be there for people,” Gianna said. “Through anniversaries and birthdays, my goal is just to bring my treats into people’s everyday lives.”

As her Made With Love by Gianna took off, Gonzalez found herself balancing schoolwork and extracurriculars with the responsibilities of running her company. Despite her busy schedule, Gianna stays committed to distributing high-quality products and has never missed a deadline.

“I’ve learned that communication is key,” Gianna said. “When people tell me what they want to order, there are so many additional questions they have to answer about their order, such as different flavors, shapes, frostings and detailing. So, being able to communicate with the customer is important.”

Gianna is part of the baking program at Bowie, which means she participates in organizing and creating bake sales for students on campus. In daily classes, they expand their baking knowledge by experimenting with new treats. Recently, Gianna has learned how to make croissants and macaroons, which she plans to incorporate in her sales.

“I’d say having her own baking business makes her unique because she brought some experience and knowledge before starting the program,” Culinary teacher Ric Howard said. “I try to talk a lot about product standards and how customers experience our work, that in combination with the detailed planning we do for bake sale production should be a big help to her now and in the future.”

Additionally, in the baking program, Gianna has learned new techniques and gained hands-on experience in a professional kitchen setting. Howard was one of her supporters and mentors when growing her business.

“I think it’s wonderful that she had enough interest and talent to start her own endeavor,” Howard said. “As a first-year Baking student, Gianna caught on very quickly and has done a great job being a part of our team.”

This story was originally published on The Dispatch on April 17, 2025.