Meet Ana Martinez | Mom, Baking Enthusiast, & Everything else you can think of

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

Hi Ana, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Honestly, I’m still trying to find the balance between kids, homeschooling, being a wife, keeping up with the house, cooking, cleaning, having an actual job, and baking. I somehow make it happen every single day. There’s never a dull moment but I always make sure that my priority, which are my kids, are taken care of. Thankfully, I was blessed with kids who love to help, even when they like to act out. At the end of the day, I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Through this process, I’m still teaching my kids that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think what sets me apart is that I truly was not intending to make a business out of this. I started baking from scratch at age 18. I’d bake the most simple cakes but always from start to finish. I started making cakes for just my family on their birthdays and with time, I really started to perfect them. My family is the one who encouraged me to make a business out of it. Something I’m proud of is actually pushing myself to get creative with the decorating process. That’s not something I’d ever done before so I was hesitant to try because I was afraid to fail. But once I actually made an effort to get out of my comfort zone, I was able to see that I could get pretty creative and even exceed my own expectations. Failure is part of life, what matters is that you keep moving forward.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I’m honest, I’m a bit of an introvert myself. I do have 4 kids aged 9, 7, 5, & 3 and it’s difficult to get them all together all the time but if I do decide to go anywhere, it’s definitely to Costco lol
My choices would probably be chuck-e-cheese, chick-fil-a, the park to ride bikes, & maybe fishing out at the ponds. Anywhere that’s kid friendly. Pretty simple life for me.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Before anything, I’d like to thank God because truly wouldn’t be here without Him. Secondly, I’d like to thank my husband for providing in many ways, including financially, but also in encouraging me to work as hard as I can so that I am able to leave my 9-5 job & be my own boss. I’d like to thank my family for being my support system throughout this journey. Especially on the busiest seasons like the holidays. They are always there to either lend a hand or to help take care of my children while I prep the orders. Yes, I basically do all the baking (from scratch) but they never turn away when I need the help. I never knew that my business could take off the way it has & it continues to grow, as I perfect the art of baking. I did want to include here that I’m grateful for social media. Word of mouth helps BUT I was truly able to expand through social media. So, thank you to everyone who reposts, likes, comments, shares my work. I am extremely grateful for where I am and for the future of my business.

Instagram: Instagram.com/Homemadegoodiesbyana

Facebook: Homemade Goodies by Ana

Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/Anaperea1101

Other: Pinterest.com/Homemadegoodiesbyana Tiktok.com/Homemadegoodiesbyana