Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Baselice.
Hi Sophia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I have always had a passion, and a dream to be able to feed the world my food. In March of 2021, I was tired and barely making ends meet. I was working long, hard hours in a medical office. After my kid’s daycare closed for two weeks due to several teachers testing positive for covid, my job could not accommodate my time off needed and ultimately ending up in me losing the position. I was tired of the robot 9-5, and used it as my opportunity to change things up. I started making and selling my empanadas at local barber shops, mechanic shops, and anywhere else out of the back of my Nissan Quest until I started booking pop-up events!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely been a bumpy road with lots of lessons learned along the way, but I’m grateful for it all. One of my biggest struggles was my battle with covid last July. I was finally up and running strong with 3-4 events each week. After an event, I was not feeling right at all and drove myself to the hospital. To my shock, they found out I had covid and pneumonia and was hospitalized for just under two weeks. I’m lucky I made it home, and now I’m just trying to rebuild my name and following.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I handcraft empanadas! Not just your normal empanadas you can get anywhere. While I still make sure to have the classic flavors on my menu, I have over 15 different types! I’m most known, and proud of the size of my empanadas. Even with them being as massive as they are, they’re still filled up so every bite has flavor.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
My biggest advice to anyone starting out is to just go for it! Be friendly, it’s all about connections and who you know. Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing, and do not compare yourself. We are all on our own journey.
Contact Info:
Otownform (@otownform on Instagram)
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