Today we’d like to introduce you to Giselle Martinez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Vegan Schmegan Bakery began as a hobby/fundraiser for a medical mission trip through Global Brigades. The goal of the mission trip was to provide much needed medical aid to children/teens/adults in need in Honduras. The fundraiser was based out of my alma mater, Florida International University, which was void of any vegan treats at the time. Although my superiors of the Global Brigades Fraternity were skeptical over the possibility of selling out of our vegan cupcakes during our first fundraiser, they basically entrusted me with giving it a go. And within two hours of my first fundraiser, we were sold out of all of our 125 cupcakes! Proving to everyone, including myself, that there truly was a need for vegan treats in a market that had no options.
After the fundraiser, I began taking personal orders which were made out of my small apartment kitchen, at the time, with a barely functioning oven. It was truly a very arduous task, as the apartment complex also had an elevator that broke down frequently. This meant that I had to climb/descend four flights of stairs just to get to my car and make a delivery. Sometimes, with two-tiered cakes in my hands, which was an anxiety-inducing experience, to say the least. But all of the troubles would simply vanish once I got to see the looks of total happiness from all of my customers. And it was that satisfaction that came from giving people something as simple as a vegan cake or cupcakes that made me feel as if I was making a difference in their lives.
What started out as a hobby, slowly turned into a passion for providing handmade, quality, organic, gluten-free, non-GMO, baked goods and doughnuts. This business slowly began to flourish, and soon after taking personal orders, I began selling to my first wholesalers Splurge Juice Bar & Cafe and Holi Vegan Kitchen. With the help of their consistent business, I was able to move operations out of my small apartment kitchen, and into an actual warehouse. And I was also able to turn this “I” business into a “we” business with the help of my two wonderful employees. Now, we are happily providing sweets both to customers as well as our Wholesalers (of which are as follows: Vegan Fine Foods, Splurge Juice Bar & Cafe, Holi Vegan Kitchen, Love Life Cafe, Mina’s Mini Farm, and White Rose Coffee).
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t. Even in the slightest.
I faced a lot of familial backlash because of the fact that I had fallen in love with what was supposed to be a hobby and turned it into a business. Everyone in my family, including my parents, thought that it was just going to go south simply because I was pursuing something other than medicine/science.
Besides the lack of support/backlash that I faced from those closest to me, I also had to deal with working in a cramped, small kitchen apartment. The oven CONSTANTLY broke down, the electricity wasn’t solid because the apartment wasn’t built to support so much electrical baking equipment. Making blown fuses a constant problem. Not to mention the elevator. I once had to carry a large catering order down the four flights of stairs, because the elevator had broken down for a second time that day. That order alone, along with plenty of others after that order, required multiple flights up and down the stairs in order to get the cake/treats out to the customer.
Lastly, the biggest struggle has definitely been my mental health. I had suffered from anxiety for years before I started this business, but it wasn’t until I went forward with Vegan Schmegan that it turned into depression. Although, I’ve been to therapy, there are still days when my anxiety/depression get the best of me and I just feel down, out, and unproductive.
Vegan Schmegan Bakery – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Vegan Schmegan Bakery does everything. We’re talking cakes, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, pizza rolls, cookies, and yeast-risen doughnuts.
We specialize in extravagant cakes (whether or not they are gluten-free). As well as our cinnamon rolls, and doughnuts.
We are definitely known for our cupcakes and yeast-risen doughnuts! Especially, since we were the first to provide yeast-risen, fried, vegan doughnuts in South Miami. (We started making them in January 2018). Due to this, we provided more than 32 varieties of doughnuts to our customers and wholesalers!
I am definitely proud of the company’s growth. There will always be days when things go awry, but thankfully, we have two wonderful people that are basically an extension of our work-family.
What sets us apart, is that fact that we provide indulgent sweets that truly taste like their non-vegan counterparts. Other vegan bakeries/restaurants tend to make their items (particularly sweets/desserts) a little healthier, and the non-vegan demographic may find it hard to accept. We aim to make our vegan goods indulgent or as rich as their conventional counterpart (while using quality ingredients), appeasing conventional eaters, and perhaps making a long time vegan feel nostalgia tasting something in a way they haven’t remembered since before they made the switch in lifestyle.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There have so many proud moments that its hard to choose! But I would say that the proudest moment has been forming these wonderful business relationships with both my employees and my wholesalers.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.veganschmeganbakery.com
- Phone: 786-525-1993
- Email: order@veganschmeganbakery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vegan_schmegan_bakery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veganschmeganbakery
Image Credit:
The buttercream floral cake picture was taken by our customer who goes by the Instagram name of @veganinclined
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