From baker to entrepreneur, how this high-school grad built up his $100,000 business

  • Date: 18-May-2022
  • Source: CNBC
  • Sector:Economy
  • Country:Jordan
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From baker to entrepreneur, how this high-school grad built up his $100,000 business

Justin Ellen found himself at a difficult crossroad when he was 17 — should he pursue his passion for baking full-time, or go to college to further his education? At that time, the youngest contestant of Netflix's popular baking show was making custom cakes from home as a side-hustle, while also juggling with school. He was bringing home at least $5,000 a month, but he couldn't help but compare himself to his peers. "The thing that got me down was like, I was seeing all my friends [apply for colleges]." Nonetheless, the young celebrity baker stuck to his guns, believing that "everyone has their own path." Just two years later, the full-time entrepreneur and owner of cake business, Everything Just Baked, is earning more than $100,000 a year — and he's not turning back. In March this year, he made his debut on Netflix's "Is It Cake?" — a baking contest where cake artists create edible replicas of everyday objects, such as bowling pins and sewing machines. The show, which premiered on the streaming service on March 18, was in the for four weeks. It also raked in more than 100 million hours of views from around the world. But