Story & Lesson Highlights with Amber Baker & Andrew Simkins

We recently had the chance to connect with Amber Baker & Andrew Simkins and have shared our conversation below.

Amber & Andrew, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
When Andy & I have “writer’s block” coming up with new donut flavors, we tend to bounce ideas or unique flavor combinations off each other until we land on something truly unique. This process can be so fun for us that we don’t even realize how much time has gone by and then see how many new flavors we’ve developed- it’s incredible. It’s what motivates us to try new things.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, my name is Amber and my fiancé, Andrew & I hand-craft vegan, gluten free, soy free donuts. Everything we make is also free from artificial dyes, flavorings, yeast & preservatives, making them nearly universal for anyone to eat.
We had friends that were either vegan or gluten free, had diet restrictions or allergies, and we wanted to make something that everyone could consume. And we landed on donuts. We love what we do and can’t thank you all enough for the opportunities to learn and grow into something so much more than we expected.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Without a doubt it would be Andrew, my partner. He has put so much confidence and support into my life goals and dreams. He has seen me for the person I truly am before I even knew myself. To see everything we’ve been capable of doing because of his actions has been jaw dropping and I wouldn’t replace those early on risks we took. We would never be where we are today without them.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
When Andrew & I had to close our brick ‘n’ mortar due to an unexpected illness, we took a major loss to all the growth our business had over the past few years. It was heart breaking and we weren’t sure what we had to do next. We didn’t know if we needed to sell the business or not- if I was going to be able to work again.
But, with a miracle in tow, I got better and we were able to continue our journey with YO! DONUT.
That whole process taught us so much more than ANY success could. The lessons are irreplaceable and we would not trade who we are as individuals for any amount of success that our brick ‘n’ mortar would have gained us then.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Andrew & I have not and will not ever put on a fake front for our customers. We love being able to relate to you guys and hear about your life updates. We hope you can feel the same support and appreciation back.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
We would continue to make donuts until our very last breath. We are fortunate to be able to do what we do. We wouldn’t trade this for anything.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://yodonutbakery.com
• Instagram: yodonut_az

Image Credits
None