Meet AJ DeDiego | Dessert Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with AJ DeDiego and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi AJ, what do you attribute your success to?
I feel like everyone has their own definition of success since we all have our own goals and aspirations. Something I’ve noticed about a lot of different people with big goals is that they’re open minded, goal oriented, and organized. On top of that, they’re continuously trying their hardest to reach their goals and set new ones. Success is all about your mindset, and you have to have to right attitude about it. So, I think the most important factor behind the success of my brand is my attitude and work ethic. Without a strong work ethic and good positive attitude, it’s very difficult to get going and grow.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I own AJ’s Baking Company, formerly known as Bake it with AJ. As of today, I sell custom cake and dessert orders, wholesale baked goods for other businesses, a variety of baked goods at occasional pop-up tables at Williams Sonoma Ponce City Market, as well as the Virginia Highland Farmers Market every other Thursday. I also sell baked goods for nationwide shipping and my gourmet handmade dessert mixes on my website. On top of all that, I still create recipe videos on all social media platforms for myself, and for The Fresh Market. Needless to say, I do a lot. I am always busy. To achieve all of this, it has taken years of work, learning, and growing up. Each individual part of my business came to be in separate ways. This all started with my social media videos. As those became my specialty, I decided to create a business and sell my dessert mixes, since those clearly set me apart and were a unique thing to offer to my audience. I always wanted to be unique and provide things that people couldn’t find elsewhere, and that soon branched into my custom dessert orders. The videos led to the mixes, which led to the baked goods, which led to all of the places I now am able to sell everything. This is clearly a lot for one person to be handling, but because I focused on each thing individually and learned how to sell them, improve the quality of them, and create a market for them, I was able to bring them all together now that I have ample experience doing everything that I offer to my customers. Each thing provided plenty of challenges, creative, technical, financial, etc. That’s why I spent time focusing on one aspect of my business at a time, so that when the time came to bring it all together, I not only wouldn’t have all my eggs in one basket, but I could be proud of every single thing I have to offer. That is what I’m most proud of. I have learned how to do so many different things and become very versatile in my craft to be available to a wider range of potential customers. None of this was easy, but that didn’t hold me back. I want the world to know that my business is all about originality, authenticity, and quality. The commitments I’ve made over time have led to my products being unique, high quality, and above all, delicious.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have less and less free time as things continue to grow, so free time is highly valued and I want to spend it wisely. I personally love going to farmers markets, good restaurants, bars and parks when I have free time. There are so many great restaurants in Atlanta that it’s hard to choose because they’re all so different and bring unique things to the table. I love going to Cypress St Pint and Plate because the food is always good and the drinks are always good too. It has a great casual atmosphere and it’s easy to have a good time there. If we wanted to be fancy, I’d definitely go back to Kevin Rathbun Steak or Bones. Both of these places had truly special menus and the food was next level delicious. As for farmers markets, there are so many great pop up markets throughout the week in different neighborhoods, like the Grant Park Farmers Market on Sundays. The vendors are fantastic and there is something for everyone. After that, a trip to the park, whether is be Piedmont, Chastain, or one of the other parks around the city, is a great way to sit and enjoy the weather or a nice walk.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are two people I would like to dedicate this to, and those people are my mom and my boyfriend. My mom introduced baking to me and taught me the basics, giving me the tools, tips, and tricks I needed to venture into the world of baking on my own. Throughout my journey, she has only been supportive and optimistic, lifting me up when I needed it most. As for my boyfriend, there is so much I could say, because he has watched all of my biggest accomplishments happen, and has constantly provided his support and assistance even when I swore I didn’t need it, in ways I didn’t even realize.

Website: www.bakeitwithaj.com

Instagram: ajdediego

Facebook: A.J. DeDiego

Youtube: Bake it with AJ

Other: TikTok: bakeitwithaj