We had the good fortune of connecting with Aldis Arriola and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aldis, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?

I am first generation American, my parents migrated from Guatemala in their late teens. I grew up in a middle to lower class neighborhood in North Hollywood. We weren’t poor nor were we wealthy, we were privileged with more than the essentials. My parents had amazing work ethic, rarely missing a day of work unless they were very sick. My dad worked for the MTA for 35 years and my mom worked as a Nanny for 20+ years. At an early age of 32, my mom was diagnosed with fibromyalgia & 10 years later with rheumatoid arthritis. It was extremely rare to see my mom in bed, when she was I knew it was bad. She would experience intense flare ups that would knock her into bed. Somehow she managed to work through the pain, work full time, keep up with all of the house keeping chores.
My parents worked very hard to give us more than the essentials. Their drive and determination became part of who I am. They weren’t big on words but I learned a lot from observing them, day in day out. I learned to be strong and to aim for more. Because of their strength, I am driven and determined to succeed. I want my parents to be proud of who I am becoming. I also want my future children to be proud of me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

Well, I come from a clinical nutrition background. After college my goal was to become a dietitian. While I worked on my credits for graduate school I became a birth and postpartum doula. I enjoyed talking to my clients about the importance of healthy nourishing foods during postpartum. This led to cooking and meal prepping for many clients during their postpartum. I decided to step away from my doula practice to dive into the restaurant industry, I fell in love completely.  I loved the hard work, the adrenaline and the craft itself. I was in in out of the restaurant industry working in various bakeries and dedicating a few years to a private chef practice. It was not easy. Waking up at 3am, working 8-10hours shifts, sore back and aching carpal tunnel, all for minimum wage. My love for the craft and eagerness to grow kept me going. In 2019 I landed a position with Vive la Tarte, formerly in Silver lake. I was the store manager & head baker. I was in heaven, it was a position of growth and opportunities. It was short lived, 4-5 months later the pandemic hit. Furloughed, my industry was in the shits. It was the hardest breakup, many nights were filled with tears. I felt like the one opportunity I was waiting for was stripped away from me. I worked through that trauma and started to sell my products via Instagram.  I delivered all over town cursing through the empty streets. I received the best feedback from friends, family new people.
During that time I realized how much we are in control of our success and story. It was up to me to either sit around wait until our economy opened or build a brand of my own. It became clear that it was my job to look out for myself, stand up for myself and make something of myself. My business grew out of fear and determination to do what I love most. Our journey and success is in our hands, don’t wait on someone else, you are capable of more than you can imagine.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them to the Huntington library in San Marino. They have the most gorgeous space that showcases LA’s natural habitat. I would then drive them down to Osteria mozza by Nancy Silverton to have some amazing pasta made in house.  On a Wednesday morning, we would cruise down to Santa Monica farmers market, the best market in Southern California, were you can find the best lineup of farmers and local vendors. This market really brings light to southern Californias lush produce. Breakfast would take place at Milo & Olive, a wonderful restaurant that is committed to a “seasonal market driven cuisine”. Hang for the rest of the day in Manhattan beach to enjoy the nice weather. Our last stop would be at Lodge bread Co. LA’s best sourdough bakery and pizzas. On our way home we would pick up some good authentic natural wine from Good Luck Wine shop, located in East Pasadena.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My biggest encouragement has been my fiancé, Harlan. He has been my rock, mentor, support system and cheerleader. He lifts me up when I’m down, and knows exactly what to say to bring me back up. He is so extremely patient with me and my ongoing ideas to keep this business growing. He accepted the slow transformation of our apartment kitchen to become a micro bakery. His sense of security in my craft is such an encouragment. Thank you baby for keeping me sane!

Instagram: @nourishthesoul.bake

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.