We were lucky to catch up with Eva Horner recently and have shared our conversation below.

Eva, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I had been working at farmers markets with my sauces and spices for a few years. On the hottest day in 2020, I apparently had a small stroke and was then diagnosed with diabetes. My granny had just passed from complications of a stroke and it scared me. I was still too young for such a serious thing! I wanted to make sure I stuck around to be able to enjoy my future grandkids and I had a 5 year old niece that I love more than life and I want to get down and play with her. So I changed my diet. I went hardcore and went on a health journey. Learned how to bake and cook without the sugar. It’s definitely a learning process, but I was determined.

Eva, 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?

I originally was making wing sauces and spices, and peddling my wares at local farmers markets. When I had a health scare, back in 2020, I decided to change my lifestyle. Eventually, that led to me pivoting with my business. I still make the sauces and spices (because people love them) but now I am more focused on baking low carb and sugar free foods. There is a lack of options out there for people wanting fresh baked goods, not full of chemicals and preservatives, that are also good for you. I bake fresh breads and treats every Sunday and Monday and you can come get them inside a bakery. My really good friends that own Panaderia La Esperanza, in Downtown Wylie, are so amazing and let me operate out of their bakery (the most amazing pan dulce!) on Mondays. They have a mission of helping out other small business owners and this is one of the ways they do this! They also have items from other small businesses all throughout the bakery!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

The key thing that has helped me build my reputation is my customers. And providing a good product to them. Without the people who love my food and support me, I couldn’t do this. Sure, I would be baking and cooking still, for me, but I never would have even thought to try and make this into something bigger. But there is a need for it and hopefully I’m reaching the people who do need it, one loaf at a time.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Funding. The big hurdle with any business is funding it. Thankfully, with my friends letting me use all their equipment, all I had to do was the ingredients and marketing. That is stop A LOT, especially when it’s not regular everyday ingredients. Because I use a specific low carb flour and a sugar alternative, those get pricey. So I saved up tip money from where I had been working, and took birthday money I had saved from the year before. I made a social media post, kinda joking. You know how you see people post “for my bday this year, I’m raising funds for…..”, we’ll, jokingly, I did that and said it was for my start up funds. A few friends donated. I got a wholesale account with the company that I get my flour from and just placed a giant order. And dove into the deep end.

Contact Info:

• Other: As of right now, I only have Facebook, Insta, and now Threads, all under SnarkyGirl and Co.