We recently connected with Aja DeVaughn and have shared our conversation below.

Aja , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?

The most important lesson I learned in my last job that has also shaped me as a business owner, is learning how to be content in all seasons.
I worked in healthcare for over nine years, starting at 19. On the outside, the job offered stability and opportunities for growth, but behind the scenes, it was a very demanding environment with poor work-life balance. There were highs where I felt like I was in the right place, but there were also many lows—frustration with policies, challenging workplace dynamics, and seasons where my mental, emotional, and even physical health were affected.
At one point, I realized I had been circling the same mountain and experiencing the same frustrations over and over again. That’s when I had to shift my perspective.
I learned that no matter whether you have a job or you’re a business owner, there will always be a mix of good days and difficult ones. While we should never stay in environments that harm our well-being, I also had to develop the ability to remain grounded and steady through life’s natural highs and lows. Contentment, for me, became less about circumstances and more about how I chose to show up within them.
That lesson has carried directly into my journey as a business owner. Every day in business is different. There are seasons of growth and momentum, and others that are slower or more uncertain. There are days filled with clarity and excitement, and others where I have to navigate challenges in real time.
But what my job experience taught me is how to stay anchored. To not be overly focused by the highs or discouraged by the lows. As a business owner, this mindset allows me to move with intention, stay consistent, and continue building even when things aren’t perfect.
My last job taught me that stability doesn’t come from circumstances, it comes from being grounded in how you choose to move through them.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Aja, and I’m a business owner, baker, and content creator behind Lavender Lane, a baking brand centered on creating comfort through intentional, from-scratch baked goods that feel grounding, warm, and worth slowing down for.

My journey into this space wasn’t something I had planned out. I spent over nine years working in healthcare, and while it provided stability, it wasn’t fulfilling.

Over time, I began to feel the effects of burnout and realized I had built a life that looked secure on the outside but didn’t feel aligned on the inside.

That season led me to reevaluate what I valued, and begin to learn how to build a life that felt more intentional.

Lavender Lane was born out of that shift, but also in response to something I began noticing in the food space itself.

Over time, I noticed how modern baking culture had shifted. Baked goods began to prioritize appearance over experience, speed over care, and trends over tradition. Desserts started to look impressive online, but often lacked the warmth, softness, and familiarity that make baked goods truly meaningful.
Lavender Lane was created in response to that.

Through Lavender Lane, I create small-batch cookies and cinnamon rolls that are meant to feel like real comfort you can taste. At its core, Lavender Lane is about restoring a sense of authenticity in food. Everything is made from scratch with the belief that baked goods should feel real, comforting , and deeply satisfying.

In addition to baking, I’m also a content creator, where I share my journey of faith, personal growth, and entrepreneurship. My content reflects the same foundation as my brand: slowing down, being present, and building something meaningful in every season.
What sets my work apart is the level of intention behind it. From the way dough is prepared, to how products are released, to how the brand is presented every decision is made with purpose. I prioritize authenticity, quality, warmth, and simplicity, and I believe restraint is just as important as creativity. Lavender Lane doesn’t exist to compete for attention; it exists to create trust through consistency and care.
What I’m most proud of is having the courage to walk away from what was familiar and build something that reflects not just what I do, but what I value. This journey hasn’t been perfect or linear, but it has been intentional. That same intention is carried into every product and every piece of content I create.
If there’s one thing I’d want people to know, it’s that Lavender Lane is more than baked goods, it’s an experience built around warmth, comfort, and care. It’s an invitation to slow down and return to something real.

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

Because Lavender Lane is still a newer business, I’ve found that my best source of new clients has been a combination of social media and word of mouth.

Social media has been especially important because it allows me to visually tell the story of the brand. Through consistent content, I’m able to show not just the final product, but the story behind it.

This content helps build trust with people before they even place an order.

At the same time, word of mouth has been just as powerful, especially for a product like mine where people are indulging in something familiar like a cookie.

When someone has an overall positive experience, from the ordering process, to exceptional customer service, to the quality of the product they’re naturally more likely to share it with others.

For me, the focus has always been on creating an experience that feels memorable. When that happens, customers don’t just come back, they also become a natural extension of the brand by sharing it with people they know.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to unlearn is the belief that faster means better.
For a long time, especially coming from a healthcare background where everything was fast-paced and high-pressure, I was used to operating in a constant state of urgency. Productivity and speed were often tied to value, and that mindset carried into how I approached work in general.

When I started building Lavender Lane, I had to actively unlearn that.

Baking, by nature, has forced me to slow down.

Especially with products like cinnamon rolls that require time and precise measurements.

I quickly realized that rushing the process actually compromises the quality of the final product.

The key takeaway is that making the shift from trying to move quickly and produce more, to slowing down was actually what made the product better.

This lesson didn’t just change how I bake, it changed how I’m building my business overall. Now, I’m more focused on intentional growth rather than fast growth. I prioritize quality, consistency, and customer experience over urgency or volume.
Unlearning the need to rush has allowed me to build something more sustainable and something that actually reflects the kind of experience I want people to have when they interact with Lavender Lane: something warm, thoughtful, and made with care.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ilovelavenderlane.com
• Instagram: @ilovelavenderlane
• Youtube: @ilovelavenderlane