We recently connected with Eme Aqua and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Eme thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

The origin of Eme’s Baked Goods wasn’t a formal business plan. It began in my kitchen as a mom trying to solve a real problem for my family. My children struggled with food allergies, and I became determined to recreate the treats they loved in a clean, gluten free, safe way. I didn’t expect how much joy those recipes would bring to the people around us. Friends, coworkers and even strangers who tried my cookies would light up, and that reaction planted a seed I couldn’t ignore.

At first the idea was just a whisper. What if I built a brand that made wellness feel luxurious. What if clean ingredients could still feel indulgent. I didn’t know where to begin. I was working in the ER, juggling long shifts, motherhood and a creative spark that kept growing louder.

The very next day I remember writing down everything I felt qualified to do and everything I didn’t. That list guided my first steps. I started researching gluten free flours, shelf stability, packaging requirements, labeling laws and co packers. I tested recipes before every ER shift and after every shift. I was exhausted, but I was also on fire with purpose.

A month later I began sharing my bakes with more people. Healthcare colleagues, neighbors and local events. People weren’t just buying the cookies. They were buying the story, the intention and the feeling behind them. That was my confirmation.

The turning point came when I was invited to bake for Clean Living Magazine’s Oscars Experience. I was still a one woman show, but that event pushed me out of the idea phase and into execution. Suddenly I needed packaging, branding, product consistency, a website and a professional presence. I had to learn everything from supply chain basics to directing photo shoots. My brother and his production team stepped in, my niece styled the photos and together we created the first iteration of the Eme’s Baked Goods luxury visual identity. It became a true family built brand.

Then came the Hollywood momentum with DPA gifting suites, celebrity placements and a new level of visibility. Each opportunity forced me to scale, refine my recipes, create dry mixes and transition from home bakes to a retail ready product line. I had to set up my supply chain, find a co packer, build my Alibaba storefront as a Verified Global Supplier, onboard to Faire for wholesale and create the systems required to turn a great recipe into a scalable business.

None of this happened overnight. It was a series of very brave next steps. Researching, testing, redesigning, asking questions, failing, restarting and showing up again every day. But the heart of the story is simple. I started by solving a problem for my family, and I kept moving because the world kept confirming that the product mattered.

What began as a kitchen experiment became a wellness luxury brand now featured next to Rolls Royce and Cartier. And looking back, the business didn’t launch on the day I opened my website or printed my first pouch. It launched the moment I decided to execute even before I fully knew how.

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

My name is Eme Aqua and I am the founder of Eme’s Baked Goods, a luxury wellness lifestyle brand built from a very personal place. I did not enter the food industry through traditional training or a corporate background. I entered it through motherhood, through necessity and through a desire to nourish my family with clean, safe and beautiful food during a time when allergies and dietary restrictions made that difficult.

For years I worked in the ER, caring for patients while also caring for my own children who struggled with food sensitivities. Baking became my creative refuge. It was also where I realized how many people were searching for gluten free treats that tasted indulgent, felt elevated and did not compromise on ingredient integrity. What started as recipe testing for my own family became a mission to prove that wellness can be luxurious and that gluten free products can stand on the same stage as the finest brands in the world.

Today my company offers gluten free baking mixes that are crafted with premium ingredients like Guittard fair trade chocolate and organic coconut sugar. I also offer curated dessert experiences, event catering, digital recipe books, branded kitchenware and wellness focused lifestyle content. The brand is built to serve people who want simple, clean baking solutions without sacrificing flavor, texture or visual beauty.

A core problem I solve for my customers is the frustration that many gluten free consumers experience. They want ease. They want trust. They want something they can serve at a dinner party, a holiday gathering or a special event and feel proud of. My mixes allow them to create bakery quality treats at home with ingredients they can recognize and feel good about. For retail buyers and boutique shops I offer a premium product line that aligns with the luxury wellness category, packaged in a way that stands out on shelves and tells a story.

What sets me apart is the combination of wellness, luxury and authenticity. My brand is rooted in real family experiences, yet it has grown into something that resonates on a global and Hollywood level. Being featured in the Hills Views and Valleys Magazine Art Basel issue alongside Rolls Royce and Cartier, participating in events like the DPA Emmy and Golden Globe gifting suites and receiving support from leaders in media and entertainment have elevated the brand into a realm that many gluten free products never reach.

But beneath the glamour is the heart of why I do this. I am most proud that this brand stayed anchored in purpose even as it scaled. Every recipe I create is tested in my own kitchen. Every photo shoot includes my family behind the scenes. Every product reflects my values of clean ingredients, mindful indulgence and a belief that everyday people deserve to feel a touch of luxury in their lives.

What I want potential clients and followers to know is simple. Eme’s Baked Goods is more than a baking mix company. It is a wellness lifestyle brand that blends nourishment, beauty and joy. Whether I am creating a gluten free mix for a home baker, speaking on a panel for women entrepreneurs, or showcasing my products at a Hollywood gifting suite, the mission remains the same. To inspire people to live well, to treat themselves with intention and to experience the connection that food brings when it is made with care.

This brand is growing quickly with retail expansion, Alibaba global supply partnerships, celebrity exposure and new product lines on the way. But at its core it will always be a family built, heart led brand committed to elevating gluten free living into something both delicious and unforgettable.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One of the clearest examples of my resilience happened right before the Clean Living Magazine Oscars Experience event. At that point my brand was still very new and I was essentially running everything alone. I had never baked for hundreds of people at once, never coordinated large scale logistics and never carried the pressure of representing a wellness brand at a Hollywood level. I was excited, but I was also terrified.

The week of the event I was working full shifts in the ER while testing recipes into the early hours of the morning. My packaging had not fully arrived. My labels needed last minute changes. I had to figure out transportation, food safety, timing and presentation. It felt like everything that could test me was testing me all at once. I remember standing in my kitchen at three in the morning with trays of cookies cooling, knowing I still had to be at the hospital in a few hours. My feet hurt, my eyes were burning, and a voice inside me whispered that I could say no, that I could pull back. No one would blame me.

But I knew that moment was bigger than the exhaustion. It was a doorway. And if I stepped through it, everything could change.

So I kept going. I baked through the night. I redesigned packaging. I trusted my intuition about flavors and textures. I showed up to my ER shift with no sleep and still took care of patients with the same compassion I always had. Then I came home and baked again.

When I finally arrived at the Oscars Experience event, running on pure purpose, something shifted. People connected to the brand immediately. They tasted the cookies and told me they felt different. They asked to follow my journey. And from that single event came the invitations to the DPA gifting suites, the Hollywood relationships, the media exposure and the momentum that truly launched my brand into its next chapter.

What might look like a glamorous milestone from the outside was actually the product of a quiet, stubborn resilience behind the scenes. It was a moment where I learned that vision requires endurance, that dreams demand discipline and that the most meaningful breakthroughs often happen in the moments when no one is watching.

That experience taught me that if I can push through exhaustion, uncertainty and fear while still honoring the integrity of my work, then I can navigate anything this journey brings. And to this day, when opportunities come that feel bigger than me, I remember that night in my kitchen and remind myself that resilience is my superpower.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots in my journey happened when I realized that my brand could no longer grow if I continued treating it as a side project. For years I worked in the ER while building Eme’s Baked Goods in the early mornings, late nights and any spare moment I could find. I thought I could keep both worlds balanced forever. But when the Hollywood invitations began to arrive the Clean Living Magazine Oscars Experience, then the DPA Emmy and Golden Globes gifting suites, then the brand placements next to Rolls Royce and Cartier in Hills Views and Valleys Magazine, something became very clear. My business was no longer something I was building on the side. It was becoming the center of my professional life.

The true pivot moment came when I received confirmation that I would be the only luxury gluten free brand showcased at the DPA Emmy gifting suite. It was a massive opportunity for visibility, investor interest and retail expansion. But it also required time. Production planning. Recipe refinement. Packaging updates. Event preparation. Media coordination. I looked at my ER schedule and I knew I could not continue at the same pace without burning out.

Making the decision to reduce my hospital hours was emotional. I had worked in emergency medicine for years. It was stable. It was familiar. It was meaningful. But I also felt a deep inner knowing that my next chapter was calling. My business had reached a point where it needed more of me, and for the first time I allowed myself to prioritize the brand I was building for my family and for the people who believed in my mission.

Pivoting meant shifting my identity from healthcare worker to founder, chef, creator and wellness entrepreneur. It meant learning supply chain logistics, negotiating with a co packer, understanding global wholesale platforms like Alibaba and Faire and stepping into opportunities that once felt bigger than me. It meant trusting that the brand’s growing momentum was not accidental, but a result of intention, alignment and purpose.

That pivot changed everything. The more space I created for my business, the more the world responded. Suddenly I was speaking on panels, being featured in magazines, expanding into retail and preparing for global distribution. It taught me that sometimes the most important pivot is giving yourself permission to grow into the person your next level requires.

Looking back, stepping back from the ER was not stepping away from something. It was stepping toward the life I was meant to create.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://emesbakedgoods.biz/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emesbakegoods?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eme-aqua-8641a137a?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Image Credits

Labs PDX
Ime Etuk
Natalie Zemu