We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Charity Deleon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Charity below.

Charity, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We believe kindness is contagious and so we’d love for you to share with us and our audience about the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

About 13 years ago my fifth child was born with special needs and an array of medical complications, we were told she only had a 25% chance of surviving, and if she did she would be in a vegetative state, so we made the decision that I would become her caretaker full time. I resigned from my job and shortly after that my husband was laid off from his job, when he did find another job, it was making less than half of his previous salary; times were very tough. It was the hardest of times we had ever lived; we lost all our financial security paying medical bills and trying to stay afloat. We even sold most of our valuables to keep the bills paid and food on the table for our children. We found ourselves in a very difficult place and ran out of our savings and didn’t have money for food. Prior to this, we had always been the ones to help others, being on the other side was not a very comfortable feeling, especially because we found that those who were once present in our lives had fallen away.

We had a neighbor who is a very kind soul, she was dealing with her own grief from the loss of her husband but was always present and checking in on us; she was very aware of how we were struggling not just financially but mentally and emotionally at that time. One day she came over and asked if she could take my older children out for the day, she said she wanted to give me a break; I was very grateful for her kindness. A few hours later she returned with my children and a trunk full of groceries, she had taken them grocery shopping so that they could pick out the foods that I would normally cook and items that they liked. Until this day there still aren’t enough words to express how much hope she gave me that day, I will forever be grateful to her for her kindness and compassion because that day her actions restored a piece of me that felt broken at that time.

Charity, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Food has always been my safe place and a resource that I use to express love to my friends and family. For many years I had wanted to own my own restaurant but always found an excuse to not pursue that desire, I procrastinated about becoming a Chef and always saying “one day I will” but after the birth of my daughter who is differently-abled, my views on life changed. The importance of living the life I always wanted to became a priority for me so I decided to just go for it! I went to enroll in culinary school as a Chef but ended up feeling an energetic pull into the pastry arts, 7 years later I still find myself grateful for the intuition that guided me to make the decision that would ultimately change my life. I was 36 years old when I graduated from culinary school, I received certification from the International Baking & Pastry program from Lincoln Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida, President’s list.

I started my own business while I was still in culinary school, and have been building it for the last 7 years. It hasn’t been easy, especially because I’m not the social butterfly I used to be in my younger years. It helps to build when are able to connect with a lot of different people and businesses. It wasn’t until I transitioned to veganism in 2017 that opportunities really started to open up for me. Being vegan has brought a deeper meaning to my life and creating amazing food without harming any sentient being has become a mission. If I didn’t tell you my pastries are vegan you would never think that they are.

I believe what sets me apart from others in my field is what I personally bring to the table, I have my own unique skills as well as my own intention, my intention is driven by compassion and deep love. Food is a universal language and one of the most beautiful forms of expression. I focus on quality over quantity and I don’t take shortcuts with my pastries, I create my own recipes and create from scratch and use only high-quality ingredients. This dedication to detail yields a beautifully delicious pastry.

What I am the proudest of is that I haven’t given up even when I have wanted to, I’ve come close a couple of times, not because I don’t love what I do but because I felt burned out. Running the business is harder than I could have ever imagined, but it is also very rewarding when the joy it brings to others is so visible; I have amazing clients who remind me of why I do this, this keeps me grounded and present.

I want clients to know that I care about them, their feelings and that I take their feedback seriously. I have built some great relationships with my clients and have even made some great friends in the process, I don’t want my clients to just purchase a pastry from me I want them to trust that each time they come back I will always give 100% to help add to their special occasions,

Personally, I only compete with myself, I invest in myself to become a better version of myself each day. My growth benefits myself and my clients.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What helped build my brand’s reputation was authenticity. I wasn’t trying to be like any other business, I stayed true to the vision I had for my business and focused on building that. I am honest and work with transparency, integrity, and respect for my business and other local businesses around me. My biggest resource in helping me build my brand has been following my intuition and listening to my clients. I am in a business of service, my client’s satisfaction and feedback will always be my biggest resource as I wouldn’t have a brand without them.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients for me was getting out into the public, once I started doing events such as Vegfest, and Green Markets my brand began circulating out into the public eye. I got out of my comfort zone and put myself out there and began connecting with clients on a more personal level. This not only brought new clients but their positive experience created referrals which are critically important when building any type of specialty business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.v2baked.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/v2baked
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/v2baked
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/v2baked
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGrH6WHghO1GqGQgxb76Pog
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/v2-baked-vegan-bakery-greenacres-2

Image Credits
Yassiel Carmona Photography for the outside Wedding Cake Photo.