We were lucky to catch up with David Huffman recently and have shared our conversation below.
David, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
When I first went vegan over a decade ago, I was appalled by how poor many of the vegan desserts were that I’d buy from bakeries and cafes. The things I was baking at my home were much better. I hated the idea of inferior products giving vegan baking a bad name. I wanted to make sure people knew that it was possible to create delicious treats without any animal cruelty.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Bitchy Vegan Homo started as a YouTube cooking show. I decided to do public events to sell my baked goods to promote the show. From the immediate response I got once people tasted my brownies and other goodies, my focus shifted away from the show and onto promoting my growing line of products.
When I started out sampling my brownies to lure in potential customers, I quickly realized that this was going to be the corner stone of Bitchy Vegan Homo. So many people told me that it was “the best damn brownie” they ever had that I just started using that as the name. My Best Damn Brownies are now what I’m most known for but I always offer other amazing vegan baked goods that are just as delicious.
Obviously with a business name like Bitchy Vegan Homo, humor is a big part of the brand. From tongue in cheek product names like Size Queen Cookies and social posts that don’t shy away from double entendres, Bitchy Vegan Homo wants people to have fun and not take everything so seriously.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
Building a relationship with a customer is the best way to keep them coming back. I do this through many ways including social media, email campaigns and direct interactions at events.
Maintaining social media accounts require a tremendous amount of time and it can be tiring. Even so, it’s critical to monitor comments and note when someone has tagged or shared your content. Commenting back or sharing their post to your story after they have tagged you is a great way to keep them engaged.
I have also been building my e-mail list and frequently make offers that are exclusive to my subscribers. Nothing makes someone feel more special than having access to an exclusive deal or item.
When I work events or pop-ups, I know my regulars and make sure I talk to them about what product of mine they have liked the most. It’s great feedback, shows that I care about what they think, and keeps them wanting more..
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
Bitchy Vegan Homo truly started out as a hobby. The original concept was to just be a YouTube cooking show. After my first few live events at which I sold products, I quickly realized that there was potential for this to be a real business. Like many people, my career was being sidetracked by the pandemic in 2020. I decided to ramp up the profile of Bitchy Vegan Homo and started booking more events and pop-ups. Much faster than I would have expected, my bakery business was requiring full-time hours to meet the demand and interest in my products.
Contact Info:
- Website: bvhbakery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bitchyveganhomo/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/bvhshow
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bitchyveganhomo
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/BitchyVeganHomo
- Other: https://www.happycow.net/reviews/bitchy-vegan-homo-cleveland-206613 http://pinterest.com/bitchyveganhomo
Image Credits
Bitchy Vegan Homo