Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Cwick-Acevedo.
Diana, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
What started as an experiment to raise money to pay off a parking ticket turned into a wild baked ride into entrepreneurship! Late one night in 2012, I decided to go out in the Montrose neighborhood of Houston and sell my fresh-baked oatmeal cookie sandwiches with cream cheese frosting.
I walked up and down Westheimer and hustled my treats to all the folks enjoying the nightlife at Poison Girl, Boondocks, Catbirds and Anvil. I was totally blown away by the amazing response. I continued to go and sell night after night, creating a following. One night, a customer said to me, “You’re like some kind of Renegade Baker out here hustling your goods in the streets!” The name instantly stuck.
I quickly found out that hustling baked goods on the street wasn’t exactly legal so I took a break and focused on the rest of my life. I met my now husband, got married, made some babies and settled into family life. That high of creating something and selling it to people on the street never left my brain. I would always come back to that feeling and say to myself, “I’m not done with Renegade Baker.”
After being diagnosed in 2015 with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), I found out my body was extremely insulin resistant and nearly pre-diabetic. As a lover of sweets, breads and all baked treats, I could no longer enjoy the desserts and baked goods made with traditional sugars and flours. I began experimenting with gluten and grain-free options and non-refined, low glycemic sweeteners.
Renegade Baker was back! This time with a healthier mission!
I brought homemade batches of paleo and vegan cookies to local farmer’s markets and had an overwhelming response of custom orders that required healthier ingredients for special diets. What started as a healthy lifestyle change quickly morphed into a specialization in keto, vegan and paleo baking. From bread to cakes and pies to donuts, I absolutely love being able to create healthier copycat versions of people’s favorite desserts!
I get to do what I love everyday and meet people who enjoy my products. I am so fortunate and so lucky to get to pursue what I love.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Entrepreneurship is scary! It’s a total leap of faith. In the beginning, I was so pumped, but there are definitely bumps in the road. As my business has grown, I have had to try harder to find balance between work and family. There have been many late nights of baking to fulfill orders on time or super early mornings where I have only gotten 3 hours of sleep.
My business comes in waves. Some weeks are full or non-stop orders, other weeks are quiet and I may get only one order for the entire week! It grows my patience and strengthens my mental game. If anything, when business is slow, or there is uncertainty, I am constantly reminding myself of why I started Renegade Baker and my passion continues to blossom. There is no better moment when a customer comes to me and says, “Because of your treats, I was able to stay on track with my diet and I’ve lost 50 lbs.”
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Renegade Baker – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am an alternative baker specializing in keto, paleo and vegan baked goods. I bake breads, cakes, pies, cookies and cheesecakes. My best-selling items to date are my keto hot-chocolate glazed donuts with keto-friendly sprinkles and keto blueberry muffins. I am most proud of the passion for customer service that I have and desire to make sure that each and every customer has a fantastic experience when they come to Renegade Baker. I would say what sets Renegade Baker apart from everyone else is that we are a delivery-only business. I deliver to home or office and use only the best, highest quality ingredients.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
The pie-in-the-sky plans are to buy a warehouse and set up a kitchen and distribution point in Houston. I will continue to deliver all around the Greater Houston area, but I also hope to focus in on some of my best-selling items and ship them nation-wide and possibly sell them in local stores.
Pricing:
- Custom Keto or Vegan cakes $50-$85
- Keto Donuts $25
- Paleo/Vegan Brownie Bites $16
Contact Info:
- Website: www.renegadebaker.com
- Phone: 2817029855
- Email: diana@renegadebaker.com
- Instagram: @renegadebakerusa
- Facebook: @therenagadebaker
- Twitter: @renegadebakerusa
Image Credit:
Shana Hamid
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