Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Gomez.
Hi Alyssa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hello everyone! My name is Alyssa Gomez and I am the proud owner of Elisa’s Sweetest Legacy. A little bit about me is that I was born and raised here in the vibrant city of San Antonio, which is home to the best breakfast tacos and the Spurs. I am the oldest of four girls and a first generation college student currently in pursuit of my masters degree. Elisa’s Sweetest Legacy is a small baking business that I officially launched a couple of months ago after I decided to take a leap of faith. I have always had a love for sweets and having a sweet tooth appears to run in the family, but my passion for baking didn’t begin until my grandma Elisa taught me how to make her infamous carrot cake years ago. For those that may not know me, family means the world to me, especially when it comes to my grandparents. So in honor of the ones I hold near and dear, I wanted to create a business that would allow me to continue our baking tradition for generations to come. Baking is an outlet for me because there is a moment in which I am transported back to a simpler time. I remember when I was little I would spend hours watching Cake Boss and all those baking shows while creating may own creations in a little notebook that I carried around everywhere I went. For a school project, I even designed my own bakery. All of this was just a hobby for me and as I grew up, I realized that it is my happy place. I would be the one offering to bring desserts to family gatherings. It just so happened my grandma’s carrot cake was something I baked when I met my boyfriend’s family for the first time. So I like to think that’s what won them over, even though he disagrees and says it was my personality. Anyways, I am a firm believer that food brings people together and is a way for us to connect with one another. There is something about homemade treats that is comforting and nostalgic, so I like being able to share this feeling with others. I understand we all are unique and have different walks of life, which is why I tailor every order specifically to the customer. Whether that is considering dietary restrictions or accommodating special requests. I am learning to step out of my comfort zone. It is important for me to go above and beyond for those that place an order since it is not necessarily about the money. To me, it is about striving to do my best and being grateful for the opportunities to be a part of these special memories vicariously through my sweets. Hearing testimonials and seeing pictures of others enjoying my creations is what makes my heart happy. Unlike most individuals in this line of work, I do not have any culinary arts experience nor have I attended any formal classes. My baking knowledge has primarily stemmed from my loved ones over the past two decades as well as YouTube tutorials. The pandemic had an effect on all of us in some capacity, however, in 2020 my family and I experienced it. Thankfully we were all okay physically, yet mentally I was not. This served as a catalyst for self-reflection as well as to start learning more about what I was experiencing. Ever since then, I have wanted to advocate for mental health, especially in the Hispanic community. I soon joined the student organization, Bobcats Breaking the Stigma during my undergrad. And I ended up completing my honors thesis at Texas State University over mental health and college students, in addition to working with the Office of Disability Services during Suicide Prevention Week on campus. When I was in the planning stages, I knew that I wanted to incorporate mental health within my business and utilize my platform to spread awareness. The color green is what I have chosen to represent my business. It serves as a reminder to not only mental health but to the armed forces that our city is known for and for my grandpas who both served. As my business continues to grow, I would also like to give back to my community and support local nonprofits in the area. I currently work at the Youth Center of Texas which is a transitional living facility that provides a multitude of services for female identifying adult survivors of commercial sexual exploitation of youth. It is places like these that need our support to continue fulfilling their respective missions. With the community’s help, I would like to offer my baking services to these organizations while showcasing their work on my page. I’m excited to see what the future has in store! Thank you again for this opportunity to share my story and I hope this can inspire others to follow their passions!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
If I am going to be completely honest, it has been a bit of a rocky road. I wish I could say it has been easy, but there have definitely been challenges along the way, especially being a first time business owner. There is a lot of trial and error involved though. Which is something that I have had to get used to which has proven rather difficult as a low key perfectionist. Thankfully my aunt previously owned her own craft store and my boyfriend’s dad has his own construction company, so I have been able to turn to them for advice. This whole experience really is like a rollercoaster with highs, lows, twists, and turns. Yet none of this would not be possible if it weren’t for my support system. My family and friends have been there since the beginning, offering guidance and encouragement every day. My boyfriend of four years definitely deserves a shout out since he knows exactly how to ground me when I am surrounded by baking chaos. I tend to be quite an over thinker yet he is able to calm my nerves and help me not overly obsess about something. My baking business is something that I do in my free time when I am not working on graduate studies or at my full time job. Therefore, that work/life balance is currently one sided. But it is something that I am definitely working on. I often forget that I am only 22 years old, so I am trying to be more mindful of that fact while factoring self-care into my routine. Once I find that rhythm, I know everything else will begin falling into place. Having to navigate through uncharted waters is and has been daunting, yet the end result of my baking and remembering the why behind it all keeps me going.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As mentioned before, my baking business is currently something I do part time. I am halfway through my social work master’s program at the University of Texas at Arlington and I just completed a year at the nonprofit organization I work at. Before that, I was at H-E-B for a couple of years where I learned a great deal about customer service and people just in general. Elisa’s Sweetest Legacy is all about creating homemade desserts for everyone in the San Antonio area and nearby communities. My business has a mission, vision, purpose, and values that can be found below. To sum it up though, it embodies a multitude of things but family is and will always be at the heart of it. As of right now, I would say that there is nothing in particular that I specialize in, however, the carrot cake is a staple item. It is the first thing that I learned from my grandma and truly is the reason behind all of this. When I receive inquiries, the carrot cake usually finds its way into the conversation. Since I am in the beginning stages, there are no set prices for items yet and I am really open minded when it comes to fulfilling customer requests. I will say that I like to be transparent with everyone and enjoy collaborating with others. Something that sets me apart is that I value my customers, so I like to make each experience special. Being personable goes a long way and I like being able to prioritize the little things. One of the nice things about having a small volume of customers, is that I have the ability to focus on quality wholeheartedly while getting to add those personal touches. I do my best to ensure that all of my sweet treats are made with the freshest ingredients and completely from scratch. I strive to ensure that customers get the freshest products, so when time permits I will make everything a day in advance. It may sound cliche, but love goes into all the sweets I make. I am most proud of myself for putting myself out there and being able to show my younger sisters and cousins that anything is possible if you put your heart and mind to it.
Mission: “To provide the highest quality of homemade treats and services to every customer. To ensure each product is affordable and accessible to all. In addition to educating others about mental health, helping break the stigma in the Hispanic community.”
Vision: “To see a successful company that continues to grow and improve. To bring people together to enjoy sweet treats while giving back to the community.”
Purpose: “To carry out the legacy of my loved ones through homemade treats. To bring smiles to people’s faces and be a part of those special memories.”
Values: Customer-centric, professionalism, passion, dedication, communication, integrity, family, community, respect, and care
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
That is a great question but it is my belief that there are many definitions of success. Success is subjective, meaning it really looks different for everyone and we each have our own personal definitions. The beauty of this is that there is no one-size-fits-all answer. I respect others’ ideas of success, yet I have been trying to only focus on what I feel is a success to me. It is easy for most people to envision success as becoming verified on social media, or the amount of money you may have, or even the clothes you wear, and so forth. But ever since I have stepped into this new entrepreneurial role, I have had to reframe the way I define success. Because it took me starting a business to realize what it is like on the flip side of things. As a self-taught baker, I am trying to practice affirmations and being kind to myself. Furthermore, I find success in all that I do, no matter how small. It may take me some time, yet I am gradually beginning to see how people in this craft feel at times and how much hard work goes into baking. Success is not defined by the number of orders I have coming in but rather achieving the goals I have set for myself for that day. It is looking back and realizing that it was worth it. I would say that young me would be proud of how far she has come and all that she has accomplished.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisassweetestlegacy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091992799428
- Other: https://linktr.ee/elisassweetestlegacy
