after high school gideon did some odd jobs here and there, but had trouble getting work because of his reputation. ma ma, the local baker, decided to hire him as her helper. first driving and delivering, cleaning, shopping, all kinds of jobs, then one day asking him into the kitchen to help with prep. slowly and gradually, she gives him more challenging tasks, and teaches him to bake. he notices he likes it and she can see he has a talent. he starts to experiment on his own, and his recipes turn out to be popular. she would joke that he needs to open his own place one day. this would always make him scoff and laugh it off awkwardly.

one year after he started there, he walks in in the morning to find she passed away in her sleep. he's so devastated he doesn't leave his room for a week. then he goes to bonnie and stu and asks them to help him figure out how to apply for a loan, so he can open his own bakery. they've been watching his progress all year under ma ma, seeing his demeanor gradually change. they convince the loan officer gideon, despite his reputation and being a fox, can be trusted and they vouch for him. so gideon opens up his own place and becomes business partners with the hopps family.