Inspiring Conversations with Teeahnah Addison of Not Your Auntie’s Vegan Baked Goods

Today we’d like to introduce you to Teeahnah Addison. 

Hi Teeahnah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When you lose a parent, everything feels like it’s out of your control and it’s true. We as individuals aren’t in control of much outside of ourselves. So, 4 months after my mom passed away, I decided to change what I looked like and what I ate. In February of 2019, I cut off all my hair and went vegan. The food didn’t bother me too much since I’ve always loved veggies but the vegan desserts?? A different story. I hated them. Plain and simple. With a sweet tooth like mine, I need to figure out something fast or I was going back to dairy and Figure it out is exactly what I did. 

I started baking my own vegan desserts. Baking was something my mom and I shared when I was younger. We’d make brownies and cakes together on weekends and she’d sometimes let me eat batter off of the spoon. I started baking on my own in high school. I’d figured out a lemon-vanilla pound cake that my family loved but cookies were my money maker. I started selling them my senior year when the cafeteria stopped for just a short time before I gave them away as thank-you gifts to the people who supported my run for prom queen. They loved them! I knew I could recreate what I was missing, so I scoured the internet and tested recipe after recipe before sharing what I created with my family. 

The idea to sell my desserts came to me while I was working at the radio station. I had been praying to God for a “thing”, something that was mine and that I could build on. God sent Not Your Auntie’s Vegan Baked Goods and now I’ve shipped hundreds of cookies all over the country! 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There are so many ups and downs to entrepreneurship. Some of my biggest challenges have been time management and maintaining my confidence in the business world. Since I started Not Your Auntie’s in 2020 there has always been a push and pull between doing what I need to do for work/my personal brand and what I have to do to maintain my business. There are only 24 hours in a day and figuring out the best way to balance my radio job, DJing or hosting events & teaching is a little tough. Now, some of those factors aren’t distractions for me anymore but I’m still learning what’s best for me and the success of the business. Small things have been making a difference like batching social media posts, scheduling when to make dough to stay on top of inventory, purchasing bookkeeping software, etc. Those small things are also helping to boost my confidence in this industry. In the past couple of years, THOUSANDS of companies have launched vegan desserts which makes it easy to feel like the market is over-saturated, that there isn’t room for little old me and that giving up wouldn’t hurt anyone. That feeling changes when my business is running smoothly and orders are still going out. God gave me this idea so I have to keep going! I may not be the biggest or most popular company yet, but my customers like what I have to offer and that’s good enough for me. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Not Your Auntie’s Vegan Baked Goods?
My goal is to make desserts that remind you of the ones your aunt used to make… except they’re vegan! I specialize in cookies and right now I offer four signature flavors: Simply Snickerdoodle, Classic Chocolate Chip, Perfect Peanut Butter, and Big Deal Oatmeal. They can be ordered alone or in combination on my website. I love them all but one customer told me that the Snickerdoodles “could end gang violence”! They are a fan favorite. 

I think what sets me apart from other companies with similar offerings is the amount of love and care I personally treat each batch of cookies with. There’s a homemade taste and quality that you can’t get everywhere else. I’m really proud of my products and I am very excited about the potential growth for Not Your Auntie’s Vegan Baked Goods. 

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
If you’re just starting out as an entrepreneur, please remember that people can’t buy your product if they don’t know about it. Develop a marketing strategy! Do it early. Then make sure that you have your systems in place so that you can fulfill all the orders your marketing strategy has earned you! Systems and Strategy are major keys to success. 

Contact Info:

• Website: Notyouraunties.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/notyouraunties
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notyouraunties