We recently connected with Diana Acevedo and have shared our conversation below.
Diana, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
I didn’t come up with the name of my company. It was given to me by one of my customers!
I had been going out each night with different baked items and selling them to people coming out of the bars along the street I lived on.
One evening, a fairly inebriated gentleman said, “You’re like some kind of Renegade Baker out here slanging your baked goods!” I knew instantly that was my name. It was too perfect.
I hope I see that guy again one day so I can thank him.
Diana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Baking has always been a passion and hobby for me. I love being able to follow a recipe, get a result and share it with everyone. It’s truly fulfilling.
I stumbled into the baking business after receiving a hefty parking ticket and deciding to go out into the streets one night and sell my baked goods to folks coming out of the bars.
After that first night I was HOOKED.
There was no better feeling than running around pushing my treats on people and watching them enjoy what I made.
It was too much fun. It was a HIGH.
I made enough money to not only pay off that ticket, I ended up meeting a lawyer who got me out of said ticket!
I soon found out that what I was doing was completely illegal. Cue sad music.
I decided to put Renegade Baker on the back burner, however I knew I that would return to it because there was something in it that I would never be able to ignore. I had never felt so impassioned.
After finding out I had insulin-resistant PCOS, I began to make healthier changes to my diet and my baking.
I decided to revisit Renegade Baker with a better-for-you twist and keep it legal.
Everything I bake is Plant-Based, Gluten-Free and Refined Sugar-Free.
Some of my most popular products include Brownie Bites, Banana Chocolate-Chip Muffins and Quiche.
I began selling at local Farmers Markets and making deliveries in the Greater Houston Area.
The city of Houston has embraced me with open arms, and I am so humbled and grateful for the people who have supported me during this entrepreneurial journey.
Literally every product that I make has been a result of a client reaching out to me and asking for a specific flavor or catering to a specific allergy. My customers have been forming this business since Day One.
What I love the most is being able to make something for someone that would not normally be able to enjoy a regular baked treat.
I want potential fans to know that I understand how difficult it can be to find high-quality snacks that don’t have tons of processed sugar and junk in them.
My goal is to make delicious treats and eats to foster a healthier lifestyle.
I want to solve that problem you have when you’re away from home and cannot find a snack to eat that you feel confident about.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I started this business with a 6-month-old and a 2-year-old. It wasn’t the most practical decision, but I was determined to make it work. I worked in and around the kids’ naptimes and would bring them with me for deliveries. There were many late nights spent baking into the wee hours and I definitely burnt the candle at both ends.
There isn’t one story to illustrate my resilience.
This whole entrepreneurial journey has shown my resilience. It’s a numbers game. I’ve had people turn me down over and over again. I’ve been told I would fail.
Some of the hardest days were when I thought I had secured a kitchen to bake in, only to find the deal had fallen through. That happened over and over and really gutted me for awhile.
However, when a door closed a window would open. Someone would come through with an opportunity. I have had dark days but sticking with this business has been the most rewarding thing I have ever done. It’s grown me in ways I never thought I could grow.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
If there is one thing I have learned, it’s that ANYTHING is possible. No matter what anyone says or does in your life, YOU are the creator of your future.
I am capable of great things and my success is inevitable.
I used to think life was happening to me. I used to think I was trapped in certain situations.
Now I believe life is happening FOR me. I have the freedom to do anything I want and I am in control of my life.
Everything is impossible until it’s done.
Renegade Baker is going to to be found in premium retailers nationwide one day.
I can’t wait for you all to be grabbing my products and telling your friends about them.
I have a big picture of Lizzo on my vision board that I look at everyday.
She’s going to be a fan of my Brownie Bites. I plan to have lunch with her one day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.renegadebaker.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renegadebakerusa/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therenagadebaker/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-acevedo-0abb6a103/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/renegadebakerus
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWPMwDrOFuhMxFO6tXDJQEg
Image Credits
Face Shot in Red by Bethany Brewster