We recently connected with Laurel Ronchetti and have shared our conversation below.

Laurel , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

I have been extremely fortunate to have not one, but two incredible bosses. Both said bosses, exemplified “lead by example”, and were fully committed to leading, sharing, and teaching, and truly wanted me to succeed. There was no ego, no superiority complex; just respect, guidance, and sharing wisdom.

One of the aforementioned bosses, who was like a surrogate father/uncle, not only took the time to teach me, but also instilled the value of honesty and integrity within the workplace and business world (of course in all of life, too), and taught me how to advocate for myself and what was right and just, and not back down; to be confident and assured, even when it felt scary. And, often reminded me of the necessity of balance in life with work and personal life.

Both of this incredible bosses/people, went above and beyond, and they made significant (positive) lasting impressions on me.

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

L.Maria’s BakeShop was a many years in the making business stemming from my health issues 25+ years ago, and my resulting inability to consume gluten. Like many others, we do not want our health issues and dietary restrictions to interfere with the opportunity to eat delicious baked goods and miss out on the joy of eating (and having options)!

Over the years, and after trying countless store-bought gluten-free alternatives for bread, cakes, cookies, etc., my eating/dining experiences always ended in disappointment. I made it a mission to create gluten-free items that paralleled the same great flavor and “as close as possible” texture to traditional gluten-filled items. My creations appeal to both gluten-free and gluten eaters alike! Friends and family always enjoyed my items, as well as being the taste-testers for my items. With additional encouragement, and a much needed push, I took the leap to extend my items beyond our homes and to the public…and L.Maria’s BakeShop was established.

My BakeShop specializes in gluten-free baked goods, mainly cookies, biscotti, muffins, and custom orders for dry waffle mix, cakes, pies, bread, and misc—other items. My gluten-free items are loved and requested by both gluten-free and non-gluten-free consumers. I consistently get feedback: “I can’t believe this is gluten-free!” All recipes are my own (after years of experimenting; some experiments were much more successful than others.

I am a self-taught baker and the least “tech-savvy” person out there. Yet, I was able to create my recipes, build my website, and turn what was a negative side-effect of years of health issues (gluten intolerance) into a business and something positive. Seeing all my efforts come to fruition is incredibly rewarding! I am most proud of creating something all on my own, which pushed me out of my comfort zone, taught me new skills, expanded my world, and connected me with new people.

What sets me apart from others is my absolute passion for baking and commitment to creating delicious products that everyone can enjoy. I firmly believe that the energy one puts into their baking is noticeable in the quality and taste of the products. While cliche, when someone asks what I add to make items taste so delicious, my answer is love. I truly pour my heart and passion into baking, and when someone consumes my products, my goal is for them to feel all that good energy.

Gluten-free items can surely be a strong competitor to traditional food and sometimes taste even better! I have been unwaveringly committed to continuing to create, and eat, alllll the things I enjoyed before going gluten-free. And, as a result, my BakeShop has a growing menu of delicious items that can be consumed without adverse effects, no skimping on taste or quality, and with the ability to break the stereotype that all gluten-free baked goods (or gluten-free food, in general) are less than delicious.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The path that lead me to developing my recipes, and creating the BakeShop was not an easy one as it stemmed from health issues (that persisted for years).

Over the years, some challenges included accessibility to alternative ingredients (and lots of waste of the poor-quality ones!), minimal financial resources and increased costs associated with the non-traditional ingredients, the openness of others to try the gluten-free items and my lack of confidence that what I was creating would be accepted by others beyond family and friends.

My early years of creating recipes and all the trial-and-error experimenting with such also came with time and energy obstacles. And, there were challenges with having consistent physical stamina to dedicate to being in the kitchen, given that my health issues were the impetus for my quest to create delicious gluten-free foods.

As with anything, though, the struggles along the way were worth it and demonstrate my tenacity and resilience to overcome challenging circumstances.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Hands down, without a doubt, the most effective strategy for growing my clientele thus far has been word of mouth from family/friends/customers, Personal recommendations are always a trusted referral, and the best compliment to me!

Coming in a close second for effective growth strategy is being a vendor at events… WITH samples. My first experience at an event as a vendor was incredibly eye opening, and showed me just how crucial handing out samples was. I found that giving samples resulted in more on the spot purchases, or returns to purchase, of my products. There was an immediate, “This is delicious!”, and then a purchase versus having someone walk by the booth and see the items, but unfamiliar with the brand, and keep walking.

I know social media can be an effective strategy for reaching larger audiences and growing mg customer-base;; so that’s an area that I’ve been trying to improve (as the marketing and social media presence doesn’t come quite as naturally as creating recipes and baking).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lmariasbakeshop.square.site
• Instagram: @lmariasbakeshop
• Facebook: L.Maria’s BakeShop