Episode 341-From Classroom To Kitchen: How A Las Vegas Confectionery Trains Neurodivergent Young Adults For Real Jobs

A box of chocolate peanut butter balls shouldn’t change a life—but in our Las Vegas kitchen, it often does. We sit down with Sugar and Spice founder Sherry Long, a former teacher who transformed a classroom skill set into a bustling confectionery that doubles as a paid training ground for neurodivergent and at‑risk young adults. What started as an accidental side hustle became a clear pathway to confidence, wages, and work‑ready skills.

Sherry walks us through the full system: 10‑week paid placements, job coaches in the kitchen, and close partnerships with Empower Us and VocEd to match young people to roles that fit their strengths. We talk real operations—food safety, labeling, invoicing, box folding, retail fulfillment—and the multi‑modal training that makes it all click: visual aids over the sink, verbal cues like fold in, fold out, and hands‑on practice until muscle memory takes over. The stories land where it matters most: a trainee crying happy tears at a first paycheck, a quiet teen leading a production line by week three, and families discovering that transportation coaching and consistent routines can turn anxiety into agency.

We also make a case to local businesses: stop saying “no one wants to work.” There’s a talented, motivated workforce ready to contribute if you offer clear tasks, patient coaching, and inclusive hiring. Whether your setting is back‑of‑house production or a public‑facing role, job carving and steady mentorship can unlock reliability, retention, and pride. Parents will leave with practical ideas to build independence at home—small chores, visual lists, and the space to try, fail, and try again.

Craving something sweet with substance? Grab the Valentine promo and taste what this team creates while supporting a model that deserves to spread. Subscribe, share this episode with a business owner or parent who needs to hear it, and leave a review to help more people find these stories and solutions.

www.sugarandspicelasvegas.com
20%OFF for Valentines with PROMO CODE PODCAST2026

Chapters

• 0:00 Warm Welcome And No-Frills Start
• 0:28 Meet Sherry Long And Her Mission
• 1:33 From Teacher To Workforce Builder
• 3:40 Sugar And Spice Origin Story
• 5:02 Scaling Into Retail And Online
• 6:03 Training Young Adults In The Kitchen
• 7:31 Partnerships With VocEd And Agencies
• 9:32 Confidence Gaps And Growth
• 11:36 Visual, Audio, And Kinesthetic Supports
• 13:22 First Paychecks And Pride
• 14:37 How To Enroll Through Empower Us
• 16:04 A Call For Businesses To Hire Differently
• 18:18 Clarifying Paid Work And Opportunities
• 19:25 Closing Thanks And Valentine Offer

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

Little jargon first. Hi, and thanks for joining the SJ Child show today. I'm so happy to have you here. For those of you jumping in, listening on Bus Route or wherever you're listening from, thank you so much for joining us. And I'm sorry there's no intro. Um, I'm gonna make a new 2026 season 15 intro song. So sorry about that. We're just jumping right in. But as you know, everybody likes that too. Everybody just wants to get to that conversation. So without further ado, I am have a wonderful guest. Everyone is going to uh understand right away the value, the service, the just overwhelming excitement of my guests today. So Sherry Long, uh she is the owner founder of Sugar and Spice, which is based in Las Vegas. Uh, it's so nice to have you here today. Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00: 0:54

I appreciate you having me.

SPEAKER_01: 0:55

It's exciting. It's so exciting. And I'm really looking forward to sharing what you're doing, you know, possibly giving um those that are there in that area an idea of something they can look forward to. And those that aren't, maybe an idea to put together in your own town or encourage someone you know to do the same type of work. So uh let us know a little bit about yourself, introduce yourself and tell us why you're here today.

SPEAKER_00: 1:23

Okay. Well, um, I'm thrilled to be here. I love sharing my story. I love um educating people about what the possibilities are that are out there. Uh, I am a former teacher. I spent almost 25 years in education in California. Um, my last four and a half years, I was working in an alternative high school diploma program with at-risk high school students. And the program was one-on-one. So it was the teacher and the student working towards completing high school. And these were kids that just had a hard time in mainstream. And um I was working outside the classroom and I was working to help them with just life skills, whether it would be finding a job, writing a resume, learning how to interview, finding housing. And what I discovered is that the I call them kids. I mean, some of them were young adults. We were ages 16 to 22. So, you know, a 22-year-old, not necessarily kid, but they were my kids. Um, I still call them my kids. Um, but what we were doing is we were trying to get them out in the world. And what I discovered while I was working with them is they were amazing kids, great kids, special needs, foster youth. Um, and they just had so limited, such a limited resource, resource supply, limited support, limited um involvement, limited contacts. And they wanted to get out there in the world just like anybody, but they just needed some guidance. Um, so fast forward, we left California. I left education, and this teacher side hustle that I had while I was in California became a full-time endeavor. And I now find those kids. I pull those kids in and I serve as a workforce development site for them to come in and learn uh the skills involved with working and time management and social skills and um everything that goes along with it. And they're wonderful. They're wonderful. I I joke that my classroom has just morphed into a commercial kitchen space for sugar and spice.

SPEAKER_01: 3:32

So tell us a little bit about sugar and spice. What do you do there? What does that mean to everybody who's listening?

SPEAKER_00: 3:40

So sugar and spice actually started as an accident. Uh, we we just like the bulb good things do, um make and package boxes of gourmet chocolate peanut butter balls. And it was literally an accident. I I had finished my master's program and had all this extra time on my hands, and I just started baking to just fill time and I would just drop things off wherever I went on any given day. If it was a chiropractor appointment, a dentist appointment, it didn't matter. I was just the post office. I would just make treats and bring them wherever I would happen to be going that day. And I made these peanut butter balls, and everyone always said, Oh, these are so good. You should sell these. These are so good. And I was like, oh, okay, well, sure. Um, and I had a friend that had a little shop and said, Why don't you put them in my shop? And I was like, okay, well, how do I do that? And it just sort of, you know, snowballed after that. And it became a full-time endeavor when we came to Las Vegas. Um, and I now work in a licensed commercial kitchen and we make them and package them and we push them out into retail venues uh all across Vegas. We're in coffee houses and independent grocers or event venues, hotels, casinos, the airport. Um, then COVID hit and I had to um attempt making a website. And so now they are also sold online, uh, sugarandspicelasvegas.com. And um these kids come in and they do it all. They make the peanut butter balls, they package, they learn food handling, they learn invoicing. Um, and it's amazing. It's amazing. They they come in and they start off and you can kind of just see them unsure. What am I doing here? What it's what's expected of me. And I always say, give it about two, two and a half weeks. And I stand back and these kids run the show. Like you walk into that kitchen and they are running everything. And it's it's just it's so beautiful. It's so beautiful to watch.

SPEAKER_01: 5:43

I love that. Well, how many employees do you have right now?

SPEAKER_00: 5:47

Uh, it varies based on I I work with I work with the state's vocational ed programming. Oh, that was what they're right. So they have a Vogue Ed counselor, and then I work with um community organizations. Right now, I'm working with Empower Us. I've worked with Grant a gift and Ackerman and their work experience programs. And um, they come in, they go through the intake process, and then I have they come in for 10-week sessions um and they work with me for 10 weeks. And the goal is that they can eventually go on to either competitive employment options, um, or they will they sometimes they'll stay with me for longer, and sometimes they want to try something different. They want to go from food handling to an entirely different field, working with animals or the library, or um, so it's a work experience. It is a paid work experience program, and they're with me for usually 10 weeks at a time. So, right now I currently have three. Um, I've had up to six. Um, they come with a job coach, so that's the kids are in the kitchen working, and there's myself and the job coach. Um, so it varies how many are in the kitchen on on any set number of week sessions.

SPEAKER_01: 7:05

That's amazing. I I like that you shared that too, because that was kind of what I was wondering is how you know you were able to set it up. But the fact that you were able to also um work within the state's kind of um disability framework, if you will, to help those that are looking and in need, it's something I've been thinking about. Somebody has asked me about, and I was never just really sure, like how would I even do that? So that's it's great to um to kind of discover all of these new opportunities that we can create. What do you think um your employees kind of uh as they're coming in, what are their biggest challenges that you see at the beginning of their time?

SPEAKER_00: 7:55

Definitely their lack of confidence. And I think it's because there's so many, there's so limited number of opportunities for them to build their confidence. Um, so they come in and you can see they're unsure of themselves, they're unsure of their skills, they're unsure of speaking up for themselves if they're verbal. Um so I definitely think it's just not having confidence in what they're capable to do or capable of doing. And um that I think is probably the most rewarding part to see the growth uh because they go from I don't know why I'm here and I don't know what I'm supposed to do, to, you know, I can pull out these boxes and I can put these peanut butter balls in and I can label them and sticker them and package them and box them up and I know what's up, you know. And so you just see that level of confidence just grow. And I don't, I don't know if they necessarily are aware of it, but they definitely feel it, you know. I I I I always ask them and I have them sign photo releases and um parents sign them. Sometimes they sign for themselves, whatever the case may be. And some of the best pictures I have, you just look at their faces and you can just see like the pride, you know. I mean, I I I one of my favorite pictures I have um just from a couple weeks ago, we were folding the boxes and it's it's tricky. I mean, you know, there's little tabs that have to fit in. It's it's not really, I wouldn't say it's an easy task. And um, one of one of my girls just she nailed it and she just put up her hands in like a big, I did it, you know, and I I just and I happened to get a photo of it and it was just you just look at that picture and I'm like, this is why I do what I do. Just um, but you know what else I wanted to add is working with VokEd, it's it's all inclusive, which is also important because they're coming to work with me and they're learning the skills that they're working on, but they also can get bus coaching. They, you know, where they will teach them how to, you know, map out their route from home to work. Um, they can get bus passes and they will actually put somebody on the bus with them to go from home to work, and then they will come back and they will go from work to back home. And they will, if they have to transfer or switch, um, they'll they'll teach them, you know, here's the nearest stop to get on, here's the nearest stop, you know, to get off. Um, so I feel like it's all inclusive too. And Vogue Ed really um sort of encompasses everything with them, which is important, you know, they're learning work, but they're also learning how do I get to work and how do I plan to get there on time. And so it's it's got a lot of different components to it.

SPEAKER_01: 10:41

I know this is just so silly, like not really meaningful in any way. But yours, I love that it's called Vogue Ed, because here it's Vogue Rehab, and that just sounds a little bit like you need to be rehabilitated for something, which isn't the case, like you need the education. I love that. So I'm gonna pass that on to Utah.

SPEAKER_00: 11:03

You know what? Maybe they do call it Vogue rehab. I've never even I've always called it vocal.

SPEAKER_01: 11:09

Well, then we're just taking that on from now on because I think isn't it much more like warming and structured sounding and not as scary sounding, like something is wrong and you have to rehab from it. Definitely.

SPEAKER_00: 11:23

Oh my goodness, it's interesting. Everyone needs to be educated. I mean, we're you know that's what life is, it's a constant learning and getting educated on different things. But now I'm actually gonna look that up and see because me, I don't know if that's my phrase or the phrase that Clark County uses.

SPEAKER_01: 11:39

I love it, I love it. So while you were talking, it really made me think, what can we do? And you'll know this being a parent and being this amazing business owner. What can we do as parents to raise that confidence, to start with small tasks at home? What do you what advice can you give us as parents to start helping in that department?

SPEAKER_00: 12:01

That's a really good question. Well, I think, you know, maybe it's the way I raise my own kids, but I think it's also the teacher in me. I think I think we have to let our kids experience independence. Um, I think as as parents, um we always want to rescue and we always want to do things for them. And we feel the need that, you know, this is too hard, you can't do it, I'm gonna do it for you, or let me show you, but I'm really showing you and doing it for you, not making you do it yourself. And I think we have to allow kids to learn by doing. And, you know, I think that's probably the teacher in me too. I I think that's the best way to learn is to learn by doing. There's a there's a saying, something about, oh gosh, what is it? I know I'm gonna mess this up. It's show me and I see, tell me and I remember, teach me and I do, or something. I'm gonna there's a saying, and it's basically if you do it, you will you will remember it and you will actually learn it. Um and that's how I teach them in the kitchen too. You know, I I will I'll I'll say this is what we're gonna do, and we will do it side by side. You know, I'm gonna teach you how to fold the box, I'm gonna fold it, you're gonna fold it. We're doing it side by side. And I think we have to give kids the ability, the, the time, the the opportunity. That's the word I'm looking for. We have to give them the opportunity to do things on their own. Yeah. Um, and that really is what pulls out the independence. And then when we feel independent, we feel there's that confidence that helps grow confidence. And I also think it's important to um, I think too many people think we get to a point where we've learned everything and we're done. And I think it's important for everybody to know that we are constantly learning, we're constantly evolving. And you know what? I'm gonna learn this with you. Let's get on the bus together and figure it out, you know. Let's let's do this together and look it up and and and figure it out, um, you know, to whatever capability, you know, they have. But I think that I think we I think we have a tendency to underestimate what these kids are capable of.

SPEAKER_01: 14:12

Yeah. And really giving them those opportunities to show their capabilities. You said is building that resilience and that confidence and that structure within themselves to be able to say, I can do things I thought I couldn't do. What about uh like visual aids? I you know, you're can you're can kinetically doing it? Yeah, I think that's what I'm like. Wait a second in my brain, just um and you're also giving them audio instructions. What about a visual instruction? Is there like a little um what do you call like a little pictures of how to put the boxes together, things like that? And you know, not to put you on the spot or anything, but I'm that just came to mind. Like, what a good idea that to if you had all of those pieces.

SPEAKER_00: 15:02

Again, I think it's the teacher in me. Yes, or walk into our kitchen, you know, you can go to the sink, and there are pictures and little little reminders how how we we rinse, we wash, we sanitize, and there's little pictures and words that go with each thing. Um, and you'll see it hanging right above the sink. Um, so I it is important because you some people are visual, some people are audio, some people are kinesthetic. So I do have actual visual aids in the kitchen. Um, and then for those that are audio, you know, that are that are learned by hearing, when we fold the boxes, there's always verbal cues like, okay, fold in, fold out, side, side, click, you know, things like that. So there's a one that they can associate with every every step of the process. Um, and sometimes it works and you'll hear them repeating it as they're doing it themselves. And sometimes it'll work until they've got it down and it becomes, you know, rote memory and they don't need to repeat it. Um, and then sometimes they're just not audio, you know, audio learners and we figure out another way. So between myself and and their job coach, um, we are always adjusting uh different ways. You know, the the job coach I have is phenomenal. And she is able to watch them do something, even when they're like scooping the peanut butter ball mix into a little scooper. She's able to watch how they scoop it and adjust them mechanically so that it works for what they need. And she'll say, okay, scoop, tap, drop, you know, so there's there's words that go with that. Um, so yeah, we we figure it out, you know, you we figure out what works and everybody's different.

SPEAKER_01: 16:52

Absolutely. What is it like um like when they get uh their first paycheck?

SPEAKER_00: 17:03

I've had one mom told me, one mom told me recently she said her daughter got a paycheck and started crying because she was just so excited. And like that's enough to make me start crying because it shows that like she's valued and she's making a difference. And um, and then sometimes I'll ask them, I'll just get in conversation, like what are you, you know, what are your plans, you know, and they're oh I'm you know, I'm gonna buy this or I'm gonna buy that or I'm gonna save this or I don't know, you know. So I I think it's it's like an adult thing, and they it they there's such a pride in that, you know, for them. Um so we'll always announce, okay, pay, you know, time cards submitted, or you know, you need to sign to sign your time cards. And um and I think it just makes them feel, I don't know, for lack of a better word, like normalized, like I'm like everybody else.

SPEAKER_01: 17:56

Yeah. And thank you for providing such an amazing space of belonging for a community that, like you said, is often left unsure of where they do belong. And so it's lovely to know that there's a place in Las Vegas. If any of my listeners are in Las Vegas and they're interested, um, getting in touch with Sherry, sugar and spice.

SPEAKER_00: 18:23

Tell me the exact website so that I don't the website is sugarandspicelasvegas.com.

SPEAKER_01: 18:32

I know that we're not doing this, um, but I'm still gonna do this so that I can read it.com. Sugarandspiclosvegas.com, just in case we ever decide to, you know, throw this video to the wind. Um the that is that's great. That's where you can find them. Uh and then how do you what is the process like? Do you generally have them go through the the voced? I love that, or is it can they apply directly to you? Kind of what does that look like?

SPEAKER_00: 19:06

Well, they would start with Empower Us, which is the community organization out here that works with Vogue Ed. So Vogue Ed basically contracts out with Empower Us to find the work sites. So they would start with Empower Us and they do an intake process through Empower Us, and Empower Us will connect them to a VocEd counselor who then they do their intake through through VocEd. And I always say, you know, I think sometimes get people get scared off and think, oh, I'm, you know, I'm not going to be eligible. And basically, the the to put it in a nutshell, the the requirement for the for the VocEd programming is a barrier to employment. So that can be autism, it can be Down syndrome, it can be a developmental, any other developmental disability, it can be foster youth, it can be mental health. I've I've got a kid now that is just dealing with some. high anxiety and mental health issues. So it's it's a pretty broad, it's a pretty broad spectrum. Nice. And so it's starting with Empower Us, going to VocEd, Voc Ed will kind of try to get a feel like what is it you want to do? You know, they're they're not going to place you in food processing if you really, you know, have an interest in something entirely different. So they'll kind of try to get an idea, you know, what is it that you want to do? What are your what are your goals? I had one kid that wanted to work in a pizza restaurant. So they said this is great because you're going to learn food handling here. You're going to learn the you know the rules of the health department. You're going to learn you know everything that's required of you for working in a commercial kitchen. And then you can go on and get a job at a pizza restaurant. So they'll try to kind of get a feel for what they're interested in. And then they, you know, get placed in um a work site that fits what whatever they're looking for. And sometimes the parents will have a say in that too. You know, this is this is where I think he would excel or this is where I think she would do well. So it's it's sort of a team effort.

SPEAKER_02: 21:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 21:09

You know my my hope is that more places can do the same thing. 100% I think since COVID there's been this big complaint I guess for lack of a better word that nobody wants to work. And I'm like we have this incredible workforce available to us. You just have to be willing to take them there they want to do well they want to be successful. They want to learn you know they're excited to be there. They they want to you know they're on time and and you know um and I think that if we can just get more businesses to jump on board and realize that you've got a workforce that's out there. You just got to be willing to take them in and yeah sometimes maybe they they need a little extra help but once they get it under their belt they're good to go. You know so yeah there's you know I I know that there's programs at the library there's programs at the animal foundation there's there's the food locations. I'm trying to think I there's just it's a myriad of experiences and they they can try different ones and see what you know what they like best. Sometimes I I I work with a lot of the the young adults that don't necessarily either have the skills or want to work with the public because I am not um you know I'm a brick and mortar location but we're not necessarily open to the public. I mean people can kind of take that product if they wanted to but I don't keep regular to me I think a lot of things be more nonverbal um or difficulty with social interactions. And I I think it just creates an environment where they know what's expected of them every day and they don't have to stress out about who am I going to talk to who am I going to have to see you know um and then there's other situations where they can be a greeter at a museum because they're very social and very you know interactive. So they just try to find a place that fits with what their needs are.

SPEAKER_01: 23:15

Yeah yeah you're such a great guest because I was you're like reading my mind that was my next question was what other titles I'm talking about I love it I love it um I think that there is let me see we have strange I think that there is such a need right now for um businesses to open their eyes to you know be open minded to a different type of workforce and so I'm so glad that you're doing things like this and please listeners reach out to your um state or cities uh workforce programs um and and find out more information so that you can get set up with these types of resources. You know you had also mentioned when we were speaking beforehand about you had gone to some Chamber of Commerce um things I that's a really great way as well to connect with um other businesses in your community and maybe see if they'd be interested in in joining um some type of workforce service like this.

SPEAKER_00: 24:28

It's like a hidden little gem you know it really is because I think that people businesses needing a workforce aren't all aware of the programming um and I feel like sometimes even families just aren't aware of what's available out there. And I've had people say well they're not paid you're using them they're working for free I'm like no they're paid they're they are getting the same pay that anybody else is getting anywhere else um it's not anything less you know so it's you know it's it's like a win-win I mean you they're you're getting a great workforce they're getting paid um but I feel like it's just this hidden little gem that not everybody is aware that's out there and available.

SPEAKER_01: 25:11

Absolutely and I'm so glad that you shared that information today. This is such valuable information for listeners, for business partners that might be listening. I'm sure if you are listening you probably already do uh you know give and tend to the uh special needs community so thank you so much for that um sherry it's been so much fun to get to know you and chat with you today sorry I keep muting and unmuting your mic there's just a little delay uh in the sound there but well it's just been so much fun to get to know you and I really look forward to staying in touch and you know finding out what's coming up in the future and things like that.

SPEAKER_00: 25:51

Absolutely I love sharing about the program. I love sharing about my kids. I'm always so I feel I feel so proud of them you know when I when I see them so my hope is that you know people learn about what's what's available and what's out there and um and buy some peanut butter balls because they are mass producing and I gotta get these boxes out. So sugar and spicelasvegas.com if you want to try what these kids are making they're like nothing you've ever had they're super unique um and I you know I I love what I do I I love being with them and I love everything I do with them.

SPEAKER_01: 26:29

You know I'd like to put a little challenge out there for my listeners right now. Valentine's is coming up and I challenge you to go to sugarandspicelasvegas.com order those peanut butter balls tag me in one of your posts so that I can then show Sherry that you heard this and that you um you know are on board with supporting this amazing mission that you know is so heart centered and so community centered we're just just honored and so grateful to have someone like Sherry in our community working for our special needs adults um and young adults that really need help and direction and a place to belong.

SPEAKER_00: 27:16

So thank you thank you so so much let's do a promo code um let's do a promo code if you want to put I'm sitting here thinking it how about podcast 2026 okay and 20% off of any purchase and I will go put that in to make sure it works right after we get off.

SPEAKER_01: 27:39

Oh what a blessing thank you so so much and thank you for that gift for my listeners uh that's podcast 2026 for 20% off sugar and spice losvegas.com go get your peanut butter balls for a special Valentine's gift and yeah support this amazing community and if you're in Las Vegas please get a hold of the empower empower us empower us empower us.org wonderful sounds like a great great organization as well so thank you for your time today i i'm excited to stay in touch thank you for having me i love it