Story & Lesson Highlights with Selena Salazar of Kalamazoo

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Selena Salazar. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Selena, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
I just love getting out an exploring. Whether that be a new town to explore, going to a festival downtown, or just getting in nature. I especially love going out to the beach and can easily spend the whole day there. This past summer, I made it a point to visit and explore as many new spots on Lake Michigan as possible as the beach is definitely my happy place. It allows me to re-charge so that I am able to continue to bring fresh and creative ideas to my business.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Selena. I have a master’s degree in Human Resources, and currently work in Compensation and Benefits at Western Michigan University. When I am not at work, I am managing my business Bonita Conchitas. Bonita Conchitas brings pan dulce favorites with a modern twist. I am passionate about serving people and honoring my heritage. Bonita Conchitas allows me to connect to my roots while serving my community.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
Becoming a mother and the relationship I have built with my child has easily made the most impact on how I see myself. I am a single mother of a soon-to-be 10 year old. As he gets older, it is very apparent that he looks to me as a role model in his life, often asking about my college experience, work experiences, and aspects of owning a business. While my family has always pushed me to be the best version of myself, I hold myself to high standards, especially now as a mother. To me, it is important that I model that you are capable of achieving goals as long as you put the work in. Personal and professional development are both important to me, and I believe there is always room to grow. I ultimately aspire to model that life is what you make it, and no dream is too big.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
This is kind of an interesting question because this is a struggle I am currently working through. After having a very successful year in 2024 with my business, 2025 has been a bit more rocky. It has become obvious that the current state of the economy is affecting my customers. There also have been personal challenges, such as increasing stress at my day job, and my health starting to take over my everyday life. All of these factors combined, my business has been placed on a bit of a back burner. Good pan dulce is hard to come by where I live, and because of this, I quickly became familiar face at my local farmers market and in the community. I am currently battling what is suspected by my medical team to be lupus, which causes pain throughout my whole body most days, and I have quite honestly become very burnt out trying to juggle work, my business, managing my health, and being a mom. Over the summer, I made the extremely tough decision to drop from my local farmers market for the rest of the year due to the battles with my health right now. I almost considered giving up my business altogether. For a while, I had the mindset that my body is betraying me, and I am just going to be miserable forever. I slowly gotten back in the kitchen more and more each week. While it is a struggle sometimes, I have learned it is also a huge mental battle I must tackle. I have been working on changing my mindset from giving up, to recognizing that I cannot let this battle take over my life and everything I have worked so hard for. While it is important for me to prioritize my health, I know I have something very special with my business, and I cannot give it up just yet. Fall and winter are particularly most busy for my business, especially with the upcoming holidays. I want to show others that may be battling autoimmune diseases that you are still capable of pushing through the physical and mental battles that come with these diseases and still come out on top. I am currently working on my rebound for my business, and have already been busy partnering with many local businesses and organizations, and doing planning for the upcoming holiday season.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
I am Mexican-American, and as I get older, who I am, and my cultural identity has becoming increasingly more important to me. I come from a bloodline of very hard workers. Most of my grandparents and great-grandparents worked in the fields as farm workers, harvesting food for American’s to put on their table. The idea of working hard is a very big value in hispanic culture. Most of us grew up with the motto of “si se puede” which translates to “yes you can”, a movement well associated with Cesar Chavez. The whole idea is that we can do what we put our mind to, we work hard, and we have the ability to make impact. I hope to especially inspire other latinas that we are capable of doing anything, and we do indeed belong in the same rooms as everyone else.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
While I make a variety of different pan dulce, I am most well known in West Michigan for my conchas. Pan dulce is hard to come by already, and finding good conchas is even harder. I am very well known for producing soft, fluffy conchas homemade with love. After coming back from taking a break from my business recently, I was overwhelmed by my customers with excitement and gratitude. Many of my customers who have relocated from Texas often tell me how my conchas remind them of home. I think it is safe to say, if you asked my customers, the common sentiment would be that they would miss my conchas the most.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonitaconchitas
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/selena-salazar/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonitaconchitas

Image Credits
Personal photo – HD Creatives