Before Author Squared there was Chance Hansen. Before Chance Hansen there was Barrhead Bakerboy for a moment but more prominently there was A.K. Square Cookie Man. I was a kid baker at Farmers' Markets for 7 years.
My life has been interesting and really I feel like I've already lived two lifetimes with a clear divide of when one ends and the other begins. The life I had before turning 18 and the one after turning 18. Today I want to cover what happened before. Back in 2004 I left Elementary school and became Homeschooled. In the same year I started baking for the Alberta Beach Farmers' Market.
Pascha wanted me to take on a business role. As I have been at this market since I was 2 years old she asked me what I liked. Like any 10 year old I replied, “cookies” and that's how it all began.
(I should also note this was before health regulations and rules that would have destroyed any potential today.
Although I want to point out apparently Buttercream Icing can be displayed openly without a cooler now. Which was not the case in my time)
I started with 3 different types of cookies; Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Chip,
and possibly Multi-chip or Mocha Almond Crunch.
At that time being young I never realized how hard baking would be. I couldn't even make it through a single recipe without having sore feet and getting tired. One of my fondest memories was with a particular vendor that sold fabric sewn projects and painted rocks and such. I remember playing Tic Tac Toe with her as that was one of the products she had for sale. After a few years she brought her son to the market. He had a Gameboy connector and we would play Mario Bros and such until the market would start. Even if it's only a vague memory I even had a small birthday recognition. I was called up on stage and given a cake.
As I was homeschooled I used some of the money for things to help with my schooling. I purchased some cool school projects and courses but the one that I remember the most was saving for a large tub of K'nex. Not only did I save but I was able to build and display them at the table. I still remember having the Swinging Chair (which was nice as It casted a breeze on those hot market days and a Ferris wheel spinning on the table. (Never did build the roller coaster) I also recall purchasing a science kit.
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At 13, people even started taking me more seriously as a baker. Around that time my little spot expanded to such a degree I started kicking my Mom off her own table. We ultimately asked the Manager for my own table. After a week or two we realized it wasn't enough. The week after I had 2 tables full of baking. It wasn't until then when I felt like most customers actually started taking me seriously. Within me that didn't feel like enough though I have to do more. Create that, Wow factor. I was also aiming to be a deep thought provoking writer. That same year was when I wrote The Unspoken Side from the Silent Reality. I was excitedly telling everyone it was going finish writing the book that year. ha ha ha ha! How naïve I was about the entire writing and publishing world.
There was a personal slogan I applied to myself.
Bake to impress everyone but if they aren't impressed at least I impressed myself.
The reason I created this slogan for myself was because as there are fond memories there were also disheartening moments.
I strongly remember many times in the early years when I would say I made these cookies, people would either laugh as they walked past or call me a liar as they would walk past. More specifically they would say, "I can see the flour on your nose." I still remember the first time I was told that as I looked at my mom confused. She explained that it was a, I believe Pillsbury Commercial where a person purchased some cookies and to pretend that she was baking all day covered herself in flour to pretend she had been working all day for her guests.
Sometimes back to back people would tell me this as if I hadn't heard it multiple times on multiple days already. At that age the laughing stung and I told myself the only way to silence it was to push harder and make more baking. If I can make a serious table they will take me seriously. And it worked, once I was filling two tables the scoffing died away.
I also recall one person swearing me out at my claim. Understandably Mom and my Grandmother were about to jump the table outraged by his crude retort. I recall spelling out how our baking process went. I made the cookie dough, Pascha panned and did the oven and my Grandmother would package and tag it. At the end of my explanation he shook my hand and purchased a package.
I find it interesting, as I'm reminiscing about the past I'm noticing how history repeats itself. At recent book signings I've noticed as I say my slogan people walk past laughing. No doubt it has to do with the presentation but I then point out the number of books we’ve released the chuckles turn into impressed expressions.
Fun Fact!
(Believe it or not we still use the black box and dark secondary table cloth in the original picture. meaning both are no more than 20 years old.)
To fill 2 tables of baking takes a lot of work and one of the key points we made known was that it was always made fresh for that day. We never carried baking week after week. So every Friday and Saturday night we would make everything for that day. It became too much quickly. On Friday we ended up doing Cookies, Squares, Pies and Butter Tarts and throughout Saturday night we would make, sticky buns, doughnuts, and Bread.
There were so many things that we made. This is what you could have expected to see on our table.
We had; Cookies, Squares, fruit Pies, fancy Bread, decorated Cakes, Cupcakes, Muffins, Dessert Pizzas, Doughnuts (with and without icing), Bismarcks, Puff Pastries, Butter Tarts, Butter Horns, Croissants, Danishes, Turnovers, Pizza Buns, Sticky Buns, Cinnamon Buns, Machine Made Bread, plates and tin baking displays, Chex Treat Bags, Chocolate, Eat Mores, Fudge, Gluten-free Playdough, homemade dog biscuits, snap activated heat pads, Tupperware, Honey, various types of candy, (Winter we had Gluten-free gingerbread houses and men.)
I wanted to also start selling Pampered Chef but never took the proactive steps into getting into that commercial product.
Sometime around 2008 we stepped away from Alberta Beach due to Farmers' Market politics. It was one of the biggest eye opening moments that became a really hard lesson.
I still remember how everything fell apart. That corner spot had been my area for years with Pascha's 2 tables of chocolates then gift cards being right behind the camera right next to the front doors.
As the former manager viewed us favorably, the new manager did not. I still remember stepping into the hall to see where our table had been for literal years completely void of tables. Another veteran vendor that was forced to move told the manager what she thought and reclaimed her spot. The reason we were pulled from our spot was because we were accused of causing a gridlock, so our tables were sent to the back of the where we created the ultimate gridlock. There wasn't nearly enough space for foot traffic between the table and stage. Absolute chaos for customers trying to pick up baking at our table. One of the biggest shocks was vendors that never purchased from our table actually bought baking. A couple weeks into the new layout there was a vendor meeting.
I recall opening my mouth at that meeting and saying something about some people being out of character purchasing baking from my table. To this day I regret and recognize my pride and arrogance, and I noticed the next week those vendors didn't come around our table. I personally viewed other bakers as competition and with the goal to win their customers to my table. It was a burning desire to prove myself, to make a name for myself, and a solid reputation. I pushed myself to be an example of what Homeschoolers can do to anyone that saw my table. I never voiced this opinion nor acted out in it or held myself in an arrogant manner. In my mind I did view our table as the best baker at the market week to week. I kept it to myself until this one meeting.
I recall them also doing a customer review jar. Ironically not all reviews were read publicly, but one a customer consulted us on. It was a day that the manager was watching us closely and read that comment before disregarding it adamantly. What was the request?
I wish the card table was back next to the door. (or something like that.)
It might have been the next week or the week after but it was settled with my Mom and Grandmother that this was going to be the last day working at the Alberta Beach Farmers' Market
I still remember crying throughout that day. I practically called that place a second home, and it was over because a new manager wanted us out.
If there was any reason for the animosity between the manager and myself I have no idea why and even before she was in that position everything was civil and pleasant.
Thank you for your time Chance Hansen Keep Smiling!
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