Meet Brenda De Leon | Business Owner – PicaSweets by Leoncita

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brenda De Leon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brenda, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I have taken many risks in my career, a couple turned out to be wins and most turned out to be learning experiences. The biggest risk I took less than a year ago was to leave my very secure and stable teaching job to start my own home-operated candy shop on Shopify. I was 100% financially responsible for my family so there was little room for making mistakes. Many people close to me told me to not do it and told me it was a mistake. They were scared for me, which scared me too, but I didn’t listen to the little voice of fear in my head telling me to do the “safe thing” and I did what I believed to be the best choice for me and my family at that time. I am SO glad I did it. I have been able to almost double my teaching salary while creating more freedom for myself. It was the best decision I have ever made and I am so glad I did it.

I did my research though. I didn’t jump in blindly. I was READY. I had been preparing for this change for months and I had all my ducks in a row before quitting my job. I do not recommend or encourage anyone to make such a huge decision without doing the necessary research and putting in the work beforehand. My business was 100% ready to go and generate income for me before I ever put in my resignation. I would have been in big trouble had I quit before making sure my business was ready to open. I didn’t have to wait on the many delays and waiting periods that come with starting a business because I had all of that taken care of in the months prior to my resignation.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
PicaSweets by Leoncita is a home-operated candy shop. The candies I make are artisanal candies inspired by my favorite Mexican sweets. I use minimal ingredients and natural preservatives to bring my customers the best quality of products with honest ingredients they can trust. I make the candy fresh throughout the week and try my best to use organic and natural products.

My business started kind of by accident. I started posting videos on TikTok in my classroom while I was a teacher. They had nothing to do with candy, it was mostly dancing videos. I grew my page to 100k followers and had been wanting to jump into making recipes because I went to culinary school for a while, I cooked professionally in a few different kitchens, and food had always been where my heart was.

In October of 2020 I made a TikTok video showing people how I make my own Mexican inspired spicy candy at home and it went viral. I then started recreating my favorite Mexican candies at home using quality ingredients and no artificial preservatives. People started asking me to sell my candy and I thought, “No way! I’m a mom and a teacher…I have no time to make that happen.”

But owning my own business had always been a dream of mine, so the summer of 2021 I said to myself, “If this is your dream, why don’t you make it happen? Nothing is stopping you.” I decided to give it a real shot, and here we are!

It wasn’t easy. I put it in SO MANY hours of research in between working and being a mom. Every second I wasn’t taking care of my family I was researching, filling applications and paper work for the business, and brainstorming. I went non-stop for a few months until it came to fruition. I was often scared of taking the leap, but kept telling myself that I was the only one who could make my dream come true. It was worth it.

I want people to know that dreams do come true when we put in the work and when we WANT it with all our heart. It can be scary to leave comfort and security behind and take a risk, but it will only be a failure if we don’t try. The rest will either be success or a learning experience, so welcome change with open arms.

I also want people to know that when it comes to my business, my goal is to be able to do what I love but prioritize the things that matter most in life before money: other people, the planet, family, and mental health.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Food! I love food so much and I’m always exploring new restaurants. I am originally from Mexico but lived in Nebraska, Denver, and moved to North Carolina six years ago. I spent some of my years before having kids in Chapel Hill and although I know a couple of fun places to visit, I mostly know good restaurants to visit.

I would take my best friend to some of my favorite restaurants:

The Phoenix Bakery in Pittsboro for some amazing baked donuts
Merritt’s in Chapel Hill to try their famous and finger-licking-good BLTs
Open Eye Cafe in Chapel Hill for some delicious coffee and awesome atmosphere
Carrburritos in Carrboro for some thick burritos or fish tacos
Garnachas in Carrboro for some authentic Mexican tacos with handmade tortillas
Allen & Son in Pittsboro for some North Carolina barbecue and some delicious fried pickles
Left Bank Butchery in Saxapahaw to get some top notch meats and charcuterie
Bull City Burger and Brewery in Durham for amazing burgers, beer, and fried pickles to die for
Jubala Coffee in Raleigh for some more coffee and sandwiches
Barcelona Wine Bar in downtown Raleigh for some tapas and yummy cocktails
Curry House in Raleigh for some delicious Indian food in a casual atmosphere
Asuka in Raleigh for some sushi
Bida Manda in Raleigh for some Laotian quality cuisine

I could keep going but I’ll stop right there

I would also take them to the Saxapahaw farmer’s market for the goods and the live music, the State Farmer’s Market in Raleigh, Cat’s Cradele in Carrboro for a good concert, the children’s museum in Raleigh if they have kids like me, and Bynum on Halloween night to see the pumpkin carving competition at the bridge.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My business would not have come to fruition and it would not continue to be successful now without the continuous support of my followers on TikTok and Instagram. I will be forever in their debt and feel so incredibly thankful to have a platform where I can do what I love and have so many people who want to be a part of my journey. They are what keeps me going and wanting to keep creating content and products that they’ll love.

Website: picasweets.com

Instagram: leoncita_b

Facebook: PicaSweets by Leoncita

Youtube: leoncita.b

Other: TikTok: leoncita.b