Meet Belqui Ortiz-Millili | Food Blogger, Recipe Developer and Marketing VP

We had the good fortune of connecting with Belqui Ortiz-Millili and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Belqui, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I wanted to be able to physically be home for my children. Especially my youngest son who is high support needs autistic. Being home allowed me to have therapists come to our home for him while I worked. It was and is still the best part of having my own business. I also do contracting work in marketing for Spanglish Asadero, a seasonings company part-time at home. Another win-win for me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I currently work as a food blogger as my main business. In it, I get to create amazingly delicious recipes for people all over the world. I love to twist recipes and create by using ingredients that you normally won’t find together. It’s fun to use, let’s say, chorizo and make chorizo egg rolls, which is one of my top rated recipes. The fusion of Mexican and Asian components not only creates a new flavor profile but also makes the food fun and in social gatherings provides a great conversation piece. This business has also allowed me to do recipe development for big brands like Walmart, Panasonic, and more for their marketing needs. I have also done Live TV segments where I have been invited to share my recipes. I do so with so much pride because aside from my twists, I also share my Dominican culture recipes, which is the first cuisine I learned to cook at age 12.
Even though I thoroughly enjoy what I do, it has been a slow process. Most of my work is shared on social media and as we know, growth is not an easy feat there. But this is where brands find you to do collaborations, so I continue and try not to compare myself to others because I realize that no one can bring to the table what I do. No one else is Belqui, just like I am not them. We have different roads to travel and that helps me see that what I need to focus on is the joy that sharing my dishes gives me.
I also have to share that being an autism mom is what led me to food blogging. I was a full time marketing professional before giving birth to my youngest son. That changed the trajectory of my life. It was difficult because I lost my daughter, his twin, and was left hoping he would live for 3 months. He then had many health issues. Staying home was not what I was expecting to do but I had to. It took me several years to find opportunity in the hand I was dealt and that was sharing my home cooking with others. Eventually starting social media accounts, then a website and the rest is history.
Today, I really feel that although I have had many challenges in my life, it’s about how you handle those challenges that makes a difference. For me, it was to learn, grow and pivot.

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.
Wow this one is hard! First, I would take them on a great dinner at Wren & Wolf in downtown Phoenix, I just love that place. Next day, breakfast at home made by me. A day trip to Saguaro Lake and maybe a boat ride there as well. A special dinner made by me. Then off we go to Sedona, we eat at Mariposa and then walk around and visit at least one of the vortex spots. Dinner in town. Next day we are off to the Grand Canyon for the day and back to Sedona for the night. Next day we are back in the East Valley where we will visit many of my favorite hot spots, which yes, are restaurants! Fat Ox, Kaizen, Toro Latin Restaurant, Toca Madera, Olive and Ivy and Postino for some delicious sandwiches. Yes, I am all about food and thankfully my friends are too. A good food tour would be great as well. In between all of our stuffings, we can visit some of our local trails to see some beautiful views.

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?
I have had the fortune to have a village of people who have been very supportive and helpful in this journey of becoming a business owner. My husband, first and foremost who has been there to push me when I have felt like I didn’t have more to give. My friends and family who have supported me, not only by engaging with my content, but also recommending me for potential projects.

Website: https://belquistwist.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belquistwist/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belqui-ortiz-millili/

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/belquistwist

Other: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@belquistwist

Image Credits
All images are shot by me. 🙂