Sweet Success
Fifteen-year-old Neven Stojadinovic started baking when he was only ten. He learned alongside his Serbian grandmother, who could often be found baking cookies and krofne, a type of airy Serbian donut. From there, his passion for baking continued to grow. Teaching himself through YouTube videos and cooking shows (his idol is Chef Buddy Valastro from Cake Boss), Neven now runs his own pop-up bakery, Beach House Baking Co. and specializes in made-from-scratch krofne.
Neven’s initial business came from supportive family and friends, but word quickly spread throughout the community. Not only did folks want to support a young man with ambition, they kept coming back for his delicious donuts. Using the proceeds from his krofne sales, Neven invested in a larger electric skillet that allows him to now fry six to seven donuts per batch. He does this throughout the day, keeping the donuts fresh and hot for each new customer.
During a recent pop-up during his neighborhood rummage sale, Neven sold 300 donuts. For his church festival, he made 1,000 donuts! These numbers are impressive and are backed by a lot of hard work. Neven is awake by 5:30 in the morning in order to have the dough made, risen and ready to fry for his first customers at 10:00 a.m. After making his inventory, he still has to sell them and clean up, meaning each pop-up event is no less than a ten-hour commitment. While some may scoff at the extensive physical labor, Neven wishes he could do it every day. For Neven, baking is his stress relief; it’s where he finds joy.
Although his parents are there to help guide him, Neven’s success is all his own, and he means serious business! Now with his own Employee ID number and a checking account, he is learning firsthand how to price product, how to scale recipes, as well as how to account for and minimize overages. Through this process, he has learned how much labor goes into producing high-quality, made-from-scratch baked goods.
Neven truly believes that if you have a passion for something, don’t be afraid to pursue it, no matter what other people think. If you follow your heart, you’ll benefit greatly. Some sage advice from a 15-year-old.
