Meet Diana Ayala | Home baker

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

Hi Diana, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I always think of the saying “Without risk there is no reward.” I have learned that in order to be successful you have to take risks and “go for it.” There was a time in my life when I felt like my life had no direction. I had graduated with my Bachelor’s degree but I struggled to find a job in my field. I felt sad and wondered if I had chosen the correct path for me. In my feelings of no direction I stumbled across a video tutorial of macarons, I decided to try them out. I thought, “how hard can they be to make?” To my surprise, they were a challenge. I failed a lot in the beginning but I was determined to get them right. One day, I finally got them right! I haven’t stopped making them since. I started posting about them on Instagram and Tik Tok and eventually I had people asking me if I was selling them. Without having a large background in baking or business I decided to start Dayala Treats. I took the risk of putting my degree to the side and pursuing what was making me happy. I risked failure with taking on a business on my own without nothing but my own research. Looking back I don’t regret it one bit. The risk has paid off. I fell in love with making macarons and fell in love with my small business. What began with a risk is now my dream. I continue to learn and grow and have so many plans for Dayala Treats.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
To be honest, I never thought that I would own an at home baking business. I majored in Biology and thought that one day I would be working in a laboratory. Now that I think about it, my kitchen is my laboratory. I like to tell myself that my Biology degree wasn’t in vain because baking technically is a science. Baking is not just throwing some ingredients together and putting it in the oven and forgetting about it. Every time I bake something I think of it as an experiment. I decide on what I want to bake, I research, formulate recipes, gather ingredients, etc. Sometimes the end result is not as I hoped and I have to figure out what went wrong. When that happens I have to put in the work to figure out for example: why my macarons didn’t rise as they should have, why the texture of my treats is off, what can I add/change to make a recipe better? I take pride in all of the work that goes into my baking and it’s exciting to know that what I make is enjoyed by people and they think of my business for their special occasions. Starting a business is no easy feat. It definitely comes with challenges. It takes a lot of research, planning, and TIME. What I struggled the most at the beginning was time management. I work my corporate job 9am-6pm. I had to find a working balance between my day job and my baking. The way I approached it was to plan orders at the beginning of the week and stick to a schedule. A typical day for me is my corporate job 9am-6pm and Dayala Treats 6pm-12am.
What I want the world to know about me is that I am a simple girl who at the age of nine came to the US from El Salvador and is now hoping to bring happiness to others and herself through baking.

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.
We would first take some time to ourselves for pedis and manis. My favorite nail salon ever is Pink Mango Nail Lounge in Irving, TX. The girls there are so nice and it’s the most sanitary nail salon I know. Next stop would be Epic Waters Indoor Water Park in Grand Prairie, TX. The water park has many fun slides and pools. It’s enclosed so we wouldn’t have to worry about what the weather is like. I would definitely have to take my friend to local Salvadorian restaurants to taste some delicious pupusas. There is many to choose from it’s hard to pick a favorite.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family 100 percent. My parents who have been understanding of my baking materials taking over their kitchen. My siblings and cousins for taste tasting my treats and always cheering me on. My friends who have shown their support by sharing my page and making purchases. Many local small businesses who have shown their support by sharing my page and referring my business. So many people who have believed and encouraged me from the very beginning- THANK YOU!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dayalatreats/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg3ongCftUD4epgZ4p-9zEw/videos

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dayalatreats?lang=en