Meet Catherine Blatnik | Stay-at-home mom and Disability Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catherine Blatnik and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catherine, what do you want your legacy to be?
Since turning 6o this past July, I have done a lot of self-reflection. I made the decision to be a stay-at-home mom when I was 33 and to put my career on the “back-burner.” I would like my children and husband to know that I have always tried to live my life with kindness and compassion. My 19-year old son, Dominic, has Autism, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, ADHD and Epilepsy. No one ever plans to be in the disability “world,” but my son has totally changed my life. You can choose to be bitter and say, “why me?” or you can move forward and say, “how can I help my child and others?” All but one opportunity have literally landed in my lap! My husband is very supportive of everything that I do and that is HUGE. Especially, since starting our baking business, “Baked Goods By Dominic.” Since our goal is to have a free-standing bakery and only hire those with disabilities, I would like my legacy to be that I was a good wife and mother and that I helped start a business for those like my son!!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I made the decision to stop working in 1996, I mostly did volunteer work with my daughter’s school and at church. Right before I got pregnant with Dominic in 2003, I had been thinking of going back to work (I have a bachelor’s degree in business). After Dominic was born and we learned of his disabilities, I naturally fell into aligning myself with organizations that served those with disabilities. I am currently part of nine different organizations! I sometimes wish I had more than 24 hours in a day, so I could be doing more! We did our first order for Baked Goods By Dominic on November 28, 2020. On December 17, 2020, my beloved dad unexpectedly passed away back in Maryland. My family and I couldn’t attend his funeral because of COVID. Definitely one of the worst experiences of my life. It was worse than finding out I had Malignant Melanoma Skin Cancer in 2017. My dad and I had become very close after the death of my mom in 2018. Since his passing was so close to Christmas and New Year’s, I didn’t start the business back up again until mid-January 2021. As soon as I put the “word out,” about Dominic’s business things naturally started falling into place. A met with a banker at a local bank, we started the Facebook page and started building a “community,” a friend said her father-in-law worked at the local newspaper and did we want to be in it (we ended up being on the front page). Friends in the media who I had met through the Mid-Michigan Autism Association, asked if they could interview us.!! I don’t know of any other businesses in the Lansing area like ours. We are showing what those with disabilities can do, when given the chance!!!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I became a Certified Tourism Ambassador through “Choose Lansing,” in 2018. I would say one of the best things to do is walking around the campus of Michigan State University. You could spend a whole day on the campus. The MSU Dairy Store has the best ice cream in the world!!! The MSU Museum is phenomenal and FREE. Impression 5 in Downtown Lansing is a hidden “treasure.” They have so many things to look at. The Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center is FREE and showcases the local artists. If it’s warm weather, you can watch the Lansing Lugnuts play baseball. Batter Up Bistro has yummy food. Strange Matter Coffee and Blue Owl Coffee have delicious drinks! The Potter Park Zoo is a great place to explore (even in the Winter)!!! I love the penguins!!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First, would be my family!! They 100% support me in everything that I do. Second, would be my close circle of friends. Last, would be the Mid-Michigan Autism Association (MMAA). The MMAA is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2008. The Board of Directors are all volunteers, and we all have a connection to someone with Autism. Through the MMAA, I have made life-long friendships. It has also given me a “platform” when given opportunities to help those with Autism and other disabilities.

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