Written by Abbie Walker | Photographed by Joe Ellis

Of the 17 employees at Campbell’s Bakery in Fondren, eleven are women. “They are Campbell’s,” says owner Mitchell Moore.

From Valentines and Halloween, to Easter and Thanksgiving, the ladies of Campbell’s Bakery are hard at work, baking favorites and icing delicious masterpieces.

General Manager Bethany Case, 28, joined Campbell’s just nine months after Moore and Robert Lewis bought the bakery in 2011. Moore describes Case as a “born leader” who pays attention to details.

“I enjoy the problem solving and the creativity,” says Case, who got her start decorating cakes. “The hardest part is not eating all the sweets.”

Head Decorator Yolanda Brown, 40, came on a year after Case. She began prepping cookies and working in the front of the store, but Case says when they discovered Brown was “hiding her cake talent,” they soon got her decorating. Brown now reigns as the Fondant Queen at the bakery.

“It’s a talent I didn’t even know I had,” says Brown. “I like that I get to do something different every day.”

She says she originally wanted to be a fashion designer and is now getting to use her creativity in an unexpected way. Some of her favorite cakes she’s decorated include a dragon and an artist’s cake with a little man sitting on top. Brown says her four children are also artistic. “They come cut cookies with me and watch me decorate.”

“Yolanda is someone who is dedicated to art,” says Moore. “She’s been able to grow as an artist.”

Kaley Farris, 27, has been with Campbell’s for the past year. She works up front, helping customers and refreshing displays, but has also begun learning cake decorating from her coworkers.

“I really enjoy it,” says Farris. “We all get along so well.”

“I love that I’ve become friends with my coworkers,” adds Case. “We have a no-gossip policy that makes everything run smoother.”

Brown says, “I love coming up here, playing music and acting crazy with them.”

The ladies credit Moore for allowing them to grow their skill sets.

“He’s seen what everyone’s capable of, and he’s given us more leadership and created roles that fit with each person,” says Case.

“My job is finding people who are amazing and letting them do what they do,” says Moore. “I trust them to do their job, and I want them to have a good time. I am constantly amazed by their talent.”