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I am a big fan of listening to podcasts. In the car, I am typically listening to one, and the topics vary from true crime to business. During the fall, I started listening to Bethenny Frankel’s podcast called Just B. One of the guests on her show was Mark Cuban, one of the sharks on the show Shark Tank. He is an entrepreneur, investor, and owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team.
I love to listen to people who are successful and learn from them. Anyone with real success will tell you the bad as well as the good. I can agree with many of their sentiments; I am just missing out on the millions, or billions, in the bank. In this particular Just B podcast, Bethenny and Mark discussed how many new businesses will come out of quarantine. That there will be people who have kept their jobs, or lost their jobs, and started working on their dream. Mark said, “I tell people when we look back in 20 years, there are going to be 10, 20, 50, 100 world-changing companies that were created right now because people had a vision for the future. They took advantage of apps and, boom, they became huge companies. And we're going to look back and say, ‘OK, you know, there is this business reset in 2020. And there were a bunch of kids that came out and said, I have a better idea, let's go in that direction.’ And it worked.”
After listening to Mark and Bethenny, it dawned on me I was ready to start another business I have put on the backburner for some time. For as long as I can remember, I have loved to host parties and be involved in events. Over the years, The Queen’s Cups has catered hundreds of weddings, and I always loved the process of getting to know the couple and seeing their vision come to life. Because of COVID-19, all of our weddings were canceled, and many visions came to an end. That’s when I remembered maybe micro weddings and events were the next big thing, and my love for hosting and the small details of events could complement this well.
I planned my own wedding to my husband in less than three weeks, and we had only 30 of our closest friends and family in attendance. I did not have to go through the obligatory invites of guests we really did not want there or pay tens of thousands of dollars we didn’t have. At the end of the day, what mattered was every little detail of April 28, 2018 was about my husband and me. We got married at Smokestack Urban BBQ, where we met, had amnesia roses from La Jolie Fleur at every table setting because that was what he brought me on our first date, and did everything our way. For years now, I’ve been told people envied that type of wedding. So, with COVID-19 and my love for these types of things, why not start a new company? Diazsta Designs was born in September 2020, and I have been loving the thrill of starting something new. Diazsta is a play on Fiesta, which means party or celebration, so mixing it with my last name seemed perfect.
For the foreseeable future, life is going to look different. We may never attend a wedding of 100 people or more. It may take years for us to be able to attend a normal holiday party with our family and friends. It could be awhile before we can attend that big summertime cookout we have gone to our whole life. But this does not mean that we cannot celebrate life’s greatest moments. You can still marry the love of your life. You can still have a small birthday party. You can still have a date night at home; but even better, you can stay in your comfortable clothes, eat your favorite foods and drink your favorite drinks.
I take pride in planning gatherings for those I love and hope to do it for you as well. Just this year, I have safely planned a surprise party for my sister-in-law, who was named one of the top five interior designers in New England, a Tupac-themed 30th birthday for a lifelong best friend, a boho-inspired 40th surprise party, a double date at deadhorse Hill, two New Years’ Eve gatherings and more. If you are looking for someone to plan a detailed, small event for you this year, I’m your girl!
Renee Diaz is the owner of The Queen's Cups bakery in Worcester.
In 2017, Renee Diaz moved her upstart cupcake business The Queen's Cups from Millbury into a larger space in Worcester's Canal District. With a year of lessons learned, she wrote the monthly advice column The Struggle is Real to help entrepreneurs and business owners navigate their own trials and tribulations. In 2020 she rebranded the column as The Hustle is Real to reflect that her business had moved out of the startup stage.
Read the The Struggle is Real columns:
Entrepreneurship isn't wonderful all the time
A beauty queen and a BBQ king saved my soul
Being a baker is not my dream job
Guacamole, pink cookies and why I provide extra paid maternity leave
Why I know all of my staff's birthdays
The Christmas party I always wanted
Want vegan cupcakes or fondant wedding cake? Check out my competition
The man who gave me hives doesn't get enough credit
Your hurtful reviews have human consequences
Stop micromanaging your life. I mean it.
What comes after success? I don't know.
Construction, WooSox & regulation are killing Canal District dreams
I put the world on my shoulders, and it broke me
Being the good guy & bad guy to employees
I lost my entrepreneurial drive. Therapy helps me get it back.
Speaking my mind & standing my ground: My evolution as a boss
You create your company's culture, so make it a good one
Find kindness in the coronavirus chaos
Read the other The Hustle is Real columns:
Allen Iverson guided me into post-COVID happiness
The rebirth of my business started after I let go of my dreams
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Worcester Business Journal provides the top coverage of news, trends, data, politics and personalities of the Central Mass business community. Get the news and information you need from the award-winning writers at WBJ. Don’t miss out - subscribe today.
Worcester Business Journal presents a special commemorative edition celebrating the 300th anniversary of the city of Worcester. This landmark publication covers the city and region’s rich history of growth and innovation.
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