S P O T L I G H T RUTH JACKSON

Ruth Jackson is a Deaf Black woman who wants to bridge the gap between the Deaf and hearing worlds by teaching people how to bake (whether you are fluent in ASL or not) while showing them that Deaf people are simply a group of people who want to be treated equally and fairly -- just like you In addition to being a small business owner, she is a published author of a few short stories, currently working on a novel and a children's book series as well In her free time, she loves to explore new beaches, hiking trails, and cities

This business started with God gently pushing her to pursue her YouTube channel - The Sassy Baker On it, she made new and old recipes and shared "Food for Thought" on topics related to Deaf culture, Black culture, and being a Deaf Black Christian All of these identities she holds are not easy to juggle

She recently launched Bake it With Sass with two subscriptions: New Sass on the Block for beginners and Beyond Sassy for more advanced In each subscription package, you will receive a library of video recipes: cookies, brownies, cakes, and allergy-friendly recipes as well If you want access to both video recipe libraries, subscribe to Beyond Sassy Also included in both subscriptions is access to the community of Sassy Bakers, where you can ask questions, share pictures of your baking successes, show off your sassy dance, and learn from each other Every video is in ASL with English captions

There are also blog posts featuring baking tips and Deaf culture tidbits Ruth will be adding videos every month, so what you see now is not the end

Who is Ruth Jackson in five words? sassy, funny, ambitious, adventurous, sweet

How did you get your start in entrepreneurship?

My big dream is to build a community center for Deaf children I realized last year that my job as an ASL teacher wouldn't be able to keep a roof over my head AND fund my dreams I realized I needed multiple streams of income for my dream to become a reality An opportunity to go to LifeSurge in Westminster last October arose, and through that, I took classes in real estate, the stock market, and online businesses I started a YouTube channel two years ago My thought was to build off of that by starting a bakery Still, my coach at the online business class suggested using The Sassy Baker channel and turning it into a business As he gave me some ideas and my mind started popping I knew at that moment this was what God was building within me When I started The Sassy Baker -- I was just a bored 20something during the lockdown looking for ASL baking videos, but I couldn't find any So I decided to make my own Before I knew it, people were asking for more My love for baking and ASL came together in a way I wasn't expecting I needed this push to get started, and from there, I created Bake It With Sass.

How did your story with ASL impact the way you do business?

I was born with moderate/severe hearing loss but wasn't introduced to ASL or Deaf culture till high school Growing up, I felt isolated and left out of everyday conversations I was bullied from 1st grade all the way through high school I didn't realize it at the time, but I was pretending to be someone I wasn't for most of my life I don't want that for anyone else All of my videos are in ASL because that is the language I cherish, and they all have English captions because I don't want anyone to feel left out Whether you are just scratching the surface of learning ASL or you are fluent, I want everyone who is interested in learning more about my culture and language to have access

Tell us about your published book What do you hope women take away from your short stories collection?

I have published short stories but not a book (yet) I have written stories about my life growing up, as well as fictional stories The last two stories I have published have centered around Deafness and showing people the positives of being different I want women to see each other as people who deserve kindness and respect regardless of their abilities

You have dived into the YouTube world Can you share a little about what your audience can expect from "The Sassy Baker"?

My audience can expect to learn how to make some scrumptious desserts with a whole lotta sass! I also want my audience to learn some ASL and Deaf culture along the way My blog posts aim to educate people with baking tips and Deaf life tidbits Deaf culture is deeply rooted in pride, and I want to showcase that however I can

What do you hope women take away from your brand?

Baking is nothing to be intimidated of -- it's fun, especially in the company of others who also want to learn I also want women to feel empowered to be sassy and messy Last but not least, I hope that women see the value in knowing another language and, in turn, create an inviting and inclusive space for the Deaf community

Where do you hope to see your brand in the next 3-5 years?

I hope to see my brand scale to the point of having an overflowing library of baking videos in every category so people all over the world can learn how to bake it with sass!

What is your definition of a Pretty Woman Who Hustles?

To me, this means a woman who is not afraid to get their hands dirty - doing the work that is required to succeed It also means being determined and tough and not letting anything get in the way of dreams and desires We are more than just a pretty face - we have grit to get the job done https://wwwbakeitwithsasscom/

Written by: Latasha Ramsey-Cyprian