An Exchange with Marilyn Baker

This week on ZEC Exchange we spoke with Speech -Language Pathologist turned Pretzel Lady, Marilyn Baker. Our discussion centered around the value of non-traditional workers.

Marilyn’s long career as a speech-language pathologist took an unexpected turn when her hobby of cooking pretzels for her co-workers at Drake Rehabilitation Center took off! The hospital gift shop started carrying the pretzels and that was the beginning of her wild ride.

“I still recall the days of filling orders in my kitchen and sealing the bags with an iron. We’ve come a long way!” She says.

In becoming the “Pretzel Lady” she has also become a community leader in equal opportunity employment. As the owner of Yankee Doodle Deli, Marilyn hires second chance workers and non-traditional workers, including Point Arc and ZEC students.

In our interview, Marilyn discusses the importance and value in hiring employees with physical and/or learning differences. She also provides tips for job seekers and she breaks down the common misconceptions when hiring people with disabilities.

We hope you enjoy the video and found this exchange helpful.