Conversations with Fareedeh Afiune

Today we’d like to introduce you to Fareedeh Afiune.

Hi Fareedeh, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Muncheese Cake is a story of migration and self-love. This idea arose from the need to create a work for myself and the desire to test my creative and entrepreneurial skills. It’s a local and women-owned cheesecake business inspired by the women in my family and all their cooking skills passed by through generations. It’s their story, and mine but told through a simple dessert, yet the favorite here in the USA. The cheesecake has had many transformations over time and its own migration, but this recipe I use for my cheesecakes my mother, Luz Pompa, used to cook when she started her hustling journey when getting divorced. I managed a way to layer it in a jar, making it sustainable to carry and the perfect personal size, using Mexican cookies in the crust (called Galletas Maria) and different delights, such as strawberry, blueberry, pineapple, caramel-oreos, or others with a twist like baklava (inspired in Carmelita, my Lebanese grandmother), churros (inspired in my tias), and many more.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a path with many challenges, from creating my company to obtaining permits and passing inspections. Cheesecake is a special dessert that requires particular care and temperature as it contains dairy products. At first, I thought I could do it from home, but the health department does not allow it. It has so many regulations, and I´ve approved absolutely all of them. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. And I feel very proud to be able to offer a dessert that is safe to eat and enjoy for the entire community. Being an entrepreneur is a path of continuous challenges; when you have already overcome one, 5 new ones arrive. This pushes you to learn and continue growing. On this path, I have had the support of Local First, a nonprofit organization here in Arizona that helps entrepreneurs like me. Thanks to them, I’ve been able to rent a commercial kitchen, thanks to them I´ve been able to enter several places to sell my product, thanks to them I´ve taken different workshops that help me train as a businesswoman, and in general, starting Muncheese Cake has been easier than if I wouldn’t have their support.

I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have my bachelor’s degree in communication from UABC in Baja, California, and for many years (approximately 15), I worked as an events organizer, such as music festivals or forums for independent artists, and later as a producer and radio host within commercial radio stations and college radio in Mexico. This career led me into the music industry, developing in positions from personal assistant through tour management and as public relations specialist and label manager, allowing me to tour with different artists throughout America (the continent, obviously). It has been a beautiful journey! I often miss producing radio and traveling a lot! I like meeting new people and listening their stories. Each one is unique. The more I travel and meet people, the more I see that migration is a natural part of being human. Even cheesecake has migrated for centuries! I wish we were all more supportive of people who migrate. You asked me what makes me proud of myself, and it´s the fact that I can decide to take risks to do the things that make me happy and take me to a better place. I am also proud of daring to explore different professional and creative areas of my being. I am a multipotentialite. And why not be? If Aristotle could do so many beautiful things in different places, so can I!

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Books to recommend: lately, I’ve been reading “Starting a Business for Dummies” by Eric Tyson & Bob Nelson. And “In The Flo” by Alisa Vitti. This last one has been essential in my development as a woman. To be well with the outside, we first start with the well-being within ourselves. This book by Alisa Viti talks about all the hormonal processes in our bodies as women and the actions we can take to keep that entire system in harmony. It is a revealing book that has changed many paradigms about my nature as a woman. It has made me fall in love with all the magic inside myself. I could also recommend an APP that has helped me immensely as the owner of Muncheese Cake and can be very useful to other entrepreneurs. It´s the Canva app and it enables you to answer all your graphic design questions. It’s wonderful! You can make logos, flyers, posters, labels, complete books, and more. The free edition is enough for someone starting their business, but feel free to pay for the premium version.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muncheese.cake/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muncheesecake.official
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/muncheese-cake-phoenix

Image Credits
Personal photo, by Local First. Pictures of the muncheese cake jars on a white plate are from Esain Pereda. The image of me receiving money is from Local First.