We recently connected with Deni Azucena and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Deni, thanks for joining us today. Any thoughts around creating more inclusive workplaces?

In today’s day and age, it’s all about being inclusive. Most of us have to work to make a living, and one step to make it comfortable and stress-free (not including the stresses that come with the job) is to be inclusive and respectful of everyone. Everyone comes from a different walk of life – we have our own beliefs and ways of maneuvering through life based on how we were brought up or from our culture. So we shouldn’t judge each other, but rather accept who they are and be uplifting and supportive. We’ve all got our own life, and you never know what the other person is going through.

In the local business community, it’s been great to see so many people from the minority community who are turning their hobbies and passion into a side hustle/small business!

Being able to support one another is so uplifting despite the challenges we have to face.

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

I’m Deni, founder, CEO and creative director of Desserts by Deni! During Covid, I was laid off from my job (I was a restaurant manager). During that time, I took the time to return to my roots of why I wanted to go into the hospitality industry – food! There was always something about the taste, texture, and presentation of food that made the saying “good food is sweeter when shared with good friends” more accurate.

Desserts by Deni specializes in dessert grazing boxes, cake pops, and cakesicles and works towards perfecting other sweet and savoury desserts. We offer a unique product of a dessert grazing box – we have a second stomach for dessert, so why not have a bite of everything?

As the business grows from hobby to small business, there are factors to consider, such as bylaws, licenses, insurance, incorporation – the list goes on! It’s been an enormous learning curve. At times, it feels challenging to push through and persevere, especially finding a mentor who has been on a similar path and is willing and able to teach. I hope to be the mentor that other hobbyist-turn-small businesses can lean on when they want to pursue their dreams into a reality!

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’m sure, like many others, that others had taken the time during the pandemic to take a closer look at their life to dig deep to discover what it really means. One, a job change in search of a better work-life balance; and two, learning more about myself and reflecting that into my small business.

I hustled through university since I worked to pay for school. After graduating, I kept that hustle mentality and the drive to work hard, and I spent less time than I did with friends and family. Though it’s extended beyond that to pivot into a job change in search of a better work-life balance.

With the time I now have for myself, friends and family, I’m learning more about myself too. Things about my personality, how and why I function the way I do, and life topics that I profoundly relate to. I also spent more time with my dog, Bailee, a Yorkshire terrier, who was an adorable and loving Yorkie for a dog her size (the smaller, the feistier!). We knew her health had been declining since last year (16 years old, kidney and liver problems, arthritis), and the time was coming when we knew we had to put her down. After her passing, I learned she was much more than just the family dog; I treated her as a therapy dog to help me through my quarter-life crisis moments. Using this as part of the foundation of the business, and while I can’t reveal much, I plan to grow my small business into a friendly, safe, comforting, and therapeutic space!

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

My side hustle is not (yet) my primary business. Still, it’s been an incredible journey from turning it from a hobby to a side hustle! As you may know, Desserts by Deni was born in the covid-era. Still, the everyday learning curve and my support system have helped me scale up my business to where it is today.

One late night, I talked to some friends about making this hobby into a side business and asked them what steps are involved in getting to that stage. Since a few of them were on the same page about starting their own small business, they shared their resources with me and encouraged me to make the jump (what was there to lose?). After making sure

Some critical milestones from my hobby to an official business were:
– Registering the company
– Passing health inspections, officially becoming a Dine Safe certified business,
– Approval for shelf space at The Nooks, Urban Markets, and Markets by Dream day (marketplaces for Canadian Makers), and
– Listing the business on Google Maps!
– Businesses wanting to collaborate and partner with me!

In all honesty, each and every referral is also part of the process of scaling up the business!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dessertsbydeni.ca
• Instagram: @dessertsbydeni
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dessertsbydeni
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/emelynedanielle

Image Credits
Headshot photo by Nicole Purugganan