Meet Paige Welch | Entrepreneur & Artist

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

Hi Paige, the decisions we make often shape our story in profound ways. What was one of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to make?
The most difficult decision I have ever had to make was ironically not too long ago. I decided earlier this year to close down our warehouse operation and go a different direction with my business. My name is Paige, and I own a vegan, gluten free, and raw cake company called Empowered Plant Cakes located in Virginia Beach, VA. As a single mom with not much money to invest in my start up, I began my business in 2018 out of my home kitchen. The goal of the company was to provide vegan and gluten free, frozen desserts to restaurants and local businesses. By 2023, we had grown tremendously. Our product was available in around 200 locations. Around year 5, I started to reflect on our growth. Was I happy with where we are? Am I where I expected to be in my business? My mindset prior to this was always growth, next steps, and how do we get bigger. Suddenly, I found myself reflecting and becoming aware of just how unfulfilled I was. My job role became so far detached from what I loved about the company in the beginning.This was very scary to sit with.

What else would I do? How could I shift this? These thoughts consumed me for so many months. I was in fear mode.

During this time, I found myself deep diving back into my artwork however. This has always been a passion and something that makes me feel at home with myself. This felt good to me. Could I make this a career? How can I make money doing this? I started to make some effort down this road but would always end up feeling guilty that I was not working on my “actual business”.

In January 2024, I got back into meditation. Despite my long to do list, I started taking the time to sit with myself daily. It felt so backwards to me to sit and reflect versus acting on how I feel. But nonetheless, it was working. I started to feel the best I had felt it a long time. It felt really good to be truthful with myself and others around me. Sitting with myself and inner thoughts, gave me the confidence to start over and chose a new path.

In June of 2024, I made the announcement that we are closing down our operation. I am currently working on relaunching my business on a smaller scale to incorporate cakes and artwork made with intention. I plan on releasing smaller batches of cakes which are more intricate that our previous flavors. We are able to do this since they will be made in much smaller batches. A long with this, I am also working on a greeting card line and other ways to incorporate creativity back into my business that is more authentic to me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Empowered Plant Cakes has always been about empowering myself. About proving something to myself. Proving to myself that i could do it. What do I mean by that you ask? Well this is my story.

Growing up I struggled with anger and depression. Literally, for as long as I can remember. At 13 my parents put me in therapy and I was prescribed anti-depressants and ADHD medicine. I was never really strong academically but one thing I did love was art. I would carry a sketchbook with me everywhere. And at 16, I started my first business making hand painted apparel. This started to take off and I was selling hundreds of t-shirts, and was even featured on Fox News for being a 16 year old entrepreneur. Unfortunately, my life went very downhill from here. Being a naive teenager, I was binge drinking and talking anti-depressants, which is an ugly mix. In August of 2009, I was black out drunk and arrested at a concert. I ended up with in Juvenile Detention with felony charges for assault and battery, plus a slew of other charges. I was released after a few days, but was sentenced to house arrest for 3 months so this is how I started my senior year of high school. Needless to say, my business went down the drain and over the next year, I started experimenting with a slew of other drugs. The following year, I was accepted to Flager College in St Augustine, Florida. My parents were so ready to get me out of the house. They packed me up and got me down there, only for me to be kicked out two weeks later for smoking weed in my dorm room. I came back to Virginia Beach where I fell in with the wrong crowd. A fews months later, I overdosed on opioids and ended up in the hospital. My parents had had it with me. Being only 19, my parents told me I would have no place to live and no car to drive if I did not check myself into rehab. Feeling like I had no other choice, I agreed and ended up in a 6 month program back in Florida. Once released, I lived in a halfway house in central Florida and I worked in a restaurant as a hostess. This is where I met my son’s father, Rob. He was much older and also in recovery. He was bad news for me and I started going down a dark path again. But eventually, I ended up pregnant at 20 years old. I was so scared to tell my parents. But eventually, I moved back up to Virginia Beach and had my son Wesley when I was 21. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me. He gave me hope. He brought me joy and something bigger than myself. He saved me.

I started to merge from the darkness and I became inspired again. I was in love with his soft skin and little cheeks. I wanted the best for my baby and naturally, I dove head in to health and wellness. I found myself growing passionate about breastfeeding, making his baby food from scratch, and all types of crunchy things. My mom introduced me to juicing, kombucha, organic foods, and more. This was a new thing in our household.

Around this time, my mom had ideas of opening the Green Cat. Her dream was to open up a gift shop with retail. With online shopping growing in popularity these shops we’re harder and harder to make happen. She needed something that would get people in the door daily. Food.

This food-side became my project and pretty much second baby. I pushed and fought with my mom to make the food side not only vegan but healthy food as well. Believe it or not, the Green Cat was almost a grilled cheese joint.

After many months of hard work planning a menu, names, and training staff. The Green Cat opened in 2015. I felt like this was my opportunity and I didn’t want to fuck it up. I spent long days and nights at the store. There was one big problem though. I didn’t know how to manage my temper. I put so much pressure on myself and the store for things to be perfect. I eventually spiraled out of control and my mom fired me. I was devastated and pissed.

Here I was a single mom, with no degree, not much money, and most of my talents being creative. I felt so defeated. But in the darkness, came something beautiful. I learned to empower myself and pick myself back up. I knew I would not be happy with myself until I created something that no-one could take away. I needed a business I could start without much capital and that I would get a return on quickly. After all, I did have a child to support.

Within 30 days of being fired, I launched Empowered Plant Cakes. I bought a freezer for $1,000 which I had delivered to my 3rd floor condo as well as a food processor and some cake pans. I made a menu on canva and started posting on instagram. I launched right before Thanksgiving in 2018 and eventually moved my business into Leaping Lizard in January of 2019.

Here I am six years later, and about to start over again. I think it takes courage to go after what you want and pivot when something is not working. It takes courage to put yourself out there. This is something I am proud of myself for.

Art and creating have always been a big part of my life. They are always something I can fall back on when I am in a rut. The act of making art or creating new recipes makes me feel at home with myself. The process of creating allows me to get clear.

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?
Some of my favorite things in Virginia Beach, VA include taking a walk at First Landing State Park, Visiting Old Beach Farmer’s Market for local vendors, or taking a walk on the beach close to sunrise.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My son Wesley is a huge inspiration for my business.

In my teenage years, I struggled with anger and depression. Dealing with this led me to therapy, arrest, Juvenile detention, house arrest, getting kicked out of college, substance abuse, rehab, and eventually getting pregnant at 20. I felt totally lost for most of these years. But having Wesley gave me hope. He brought me joy and something bigger than myself. He saved me.

Wesley really changed my life for the better. He inspired me and gave me something bigger than myself that I so desperately needed. While being pregnant, I dove into health and wellness. When Wesley was born, I found myself growing passionate about breastfeeding, making his baby food from scratch, and all types of crunchy things. For his first birthday, I wanted him to have a cake that was not full of artificial colors, dyes, sugar, etc.. This is where the inspiration for my first raw vegan cake came from. These cakes are the same ones I make today in my business, Empowered Plant Cakes.

Website: https://www.empoweredplantcakes.com

Instagram: @empowereddesserts

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empoweredplantcakes