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

Hi Princess, how do you think about risk?

Taking calculated risks is what has helped me grow in every aspect of my life. It takes a great deal of courage to step out and do something that may result in a gain or a loss, but I’m a firm believer that sometimes taking no risk is an even greater risk. Whether you succeed or fail – there’s an opportunity for growth; in my experience, I’ve learned that each risk illuminates something about you and you’re now presented with that gift of awareness and opportunity to dig in and assess, is this something about me to nurture and enhance? fix? or leave as is and deal with later? Here’s my advice on taking risks – know your “why” and know the upside and downside of that decision.

As an example – I took plenty of risks in my career path and changed jobs often, especially early in my career. Back then – it was a necessity, as I was a single mom, and my motivation at the time was to gain experience as quickly as possible so that I could move up the ladder quickly, make money and continue to solely provide for my son. That career journey has taught me plenty – what I’m good at, what I’m not good at, my worth, about picking my battles, etc.

Signing up to be a franchisee and starting Wiki-licious Mesa was a risk! I was 7 months pregnant when we launched the business and about to embark on the busiest year of our lives! We wondered – could we do this business with a new baby, moving in the middle of the summer, working our full time jobs, being parents and having kids with busy schedules.

We wasted no time and ran our 1st event just 3 days after completing our training! I heard so much noise about this decision – asking if this is the right time, how I’d manage this while pregnant and/or with a new baby, etc. Their intentions were good and they did make me doubt myself for a second, but I pushed forward and looking back at it, I’m so grateful that we did it!  This business has been a blessing to our family! It’s truly a family business – with all of us pitching in with the dough making, frying, sugaring and filling donuts, making boxes, attending events – we all have a role and do our part to make sure the business succeeds!

Looking back at my life and career so far – I have no regrets. Yes, not all of my risks were successful; they aren’t supposed to be.  I’ve definitely gained so much from those experiences that I consider that a success anyway. The best part – my kids have been part of that journey and hopefully, they’ve taken some nuggets of wisdom from that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m going to take you back to the beginning and walk you through my journey. I went to the #1 Journalism school in the country – Missouri School of Journalism – to be a broadcast reporter. I had amazing experiences there, including working at the NBC affiliate (KOMU) as a reporter and doing some political radio reporting at the Missouri State Capitol with KBIA, an NPR member radio station. Imagine being a senior and about to graduate – then realizing you don’t want to do journalism and want to try marketing instead!

From there, I landed an internship through the American Association of Advertising Agencies and moved to Boston for the summer to work with the Dunkin Donuts promotions team at Hill Holliday. That affirmed that marketing was a path I wanted to explore! Now, 20 years later, I’ve spent my entire career having held various positions and working across multiple industries – all in some marketing or marketing related capacity. Whether it was doing PR and promotions for a broadcasting station to helping clients run rebates and sweepstakes programs to developing in-store marketing materials for a major appliance brand to handling promotions and external communications for a national retail chain to having the privilege of leading various teams – I’d say, my experiences have run the gamut.

My path was unconventional – in that I changed jobs A LOT. It was risky and I know that not everyone agrees with that path – but it was right for me and a necessity in some situations, especially early on. Each job change demonstrated my ability to adapt to people and situations quickly, my aptitude to learn new skills and the high value I place in relationships. It all starts there. When you invest the time in forging and strengthening relationships – you can do anything. I’ve been blessed with incredible mentors who have believed in me, challenged me along the way and modeled for me the real meaning of being a team player. In some cases – they believed I could do a job, even if I didn’t think I had the skills to do it. They have inspired me to pay it forward and do the same for others. Relationships are truly a gift and require care – whether it’s in a professional environment with leadership, colleagues, external partners or in a personal environment with family, friends, neighbors.

Today, my full time position is managing promotions and external communications and leading a marketing team for a major automotive retailer based here in AZ. In addition to that, I also own and operate Wiki-licious Mesa, an in-home bakery, making and selling malasadas! If you don’t know what malasadas are – they’re delicious donuts, rolled in cinnamon sugar and stuffed with one of 10+ gourmet fillings.

We launched in mid-March and have been busy ever since! We do weekly pre-orders and local pickups, plus do pop-up events at various farmers markets, community boutiques, local events, etc. We’ve been so blessed with the kindest customers who have graciously referred us to their family and friends. There seems to be so much excitement around the malasadas so we try to share information via our Instagram and Facebook social media accounts and encourage signing up for our mailing list – the Malasada MVPs – for special promotions, events and announcements.

Perhaps the greatest lessons I’ve learned along my career journey so far are to prioritize ME and to give myself grace. I’m my toughest critic and have always strived to serve others before me. This year – especially with the new business, the new baby and moving into a new home all within a matter of months – has taught me that I can’t do it all, all the time and that is OK! That I will make mistakes and that is OK! That I will want to take a break, even when it’s not convenient for everyone else and may mean potentially losing business, and that is OK! That I sometimes need to put my needs first – even my kids at times – and that is OK!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I desperately want my best friend, Jina, to come visit me so this is a real list!

No doubt – we’d drive up north and head to Cottonwood, stay at an AirBnB and spend a couple of days checking out the row of wineries! I love the variety of wines available, the different ambiance you get with each one and the sweet, kind locals who work there and are so knowledgeable. Of course we’d go to Sedona, do a few hiking trails, stop at Slide Rock to cool off, and then end with an early dinner at Mariposa. I always like to get there right as they open for dinner at 4pm and request a seat by the window because they have the most gorgeous view of the red rocks! Bonus that their food and cocktails are incredible!

As we head back south down towards Phoenix metro, we’d stop at Rock Springs Cafe because I LOVE pie and my BFF knows this – so we’d have to get a whole JD Pecan Pie just for me and then she can pick out whatever she wants. We’d be sure to check out and grab a meal in one of the restaurants in High Street – probably Hula’s and have a mai tai then swing over to Soda Jerk for a decadent milkshake that neither of us will finish.

With our full bellies and pies in hand – we’d head to a hotel with an awesome pool (don’t have one in mind and taking suggestions) and just relax. by the pool, have drinks, catch up and nap. We’re both busy moms so having some down town is invaluable! Other local restaurants I’d want to take her to – Craft 64. in Chandler because I love their Mango Radler in the summer, paired with the fig and mascarpone bruschetta; the Dhaba in Tempe for delicious Indian food; Green Corner because we both love a good Mediterranean meal; Mijana for Lebanese food and their homemade pita bread is to die for! So many places – but that’s a start!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I feel so grateful that this is a tough question to answer, simply because I’ve had plenty of people in my life who continue to root for my success!

I have to start with appreciation for my family (immediate and extended) who keep me grounded and remind me of my beginnings. When I pause and take the time to reflect on my journey – seeing where I started really humbles me and reminds me to be grateful, as this journey – with all of its ups and downs (and there are plenty of downs, believe me) – have given me the strength and perspective to be more and do more.

Shoutout to my older brother Reggie and his husband Michael – as they have been and continue to be the voices of reason in my life. They’ve seen me stumble through some of my most difficult moments, and I never doubted they’d be there to help pick me up.

Shoutout to my life and business partner, Jimmy, who supports me in pursuing all of my business ideas. He helps me do the grunt work to see my ideas come to life – no matter how much work it may mean to him. As he always says “You set it up, I’ll knock it down” – meaning that when I set it up, he will help me tackle it! In fact, when I signed up to inquire about the Wiki-licious Mesa franchise, I didn’t even tell him, as we were in the process of setting up our BBQ catering business, which has been HIS dream. But he has paused that dream for now and helps me 100% with the malasadas business. He runs all of the operations – so he manages all of the donuts production from start to finish, while I do more of the front-end work in marketing, business development, finance and customer care. He takes quality to a new level – so much so that even I get kicked out of the kitchen if the malasadas don’t meet his high standards.

Shoutout to my circle of friends – they know who they are. I TRULY believe “it takes a village” and to have close friends who treat your kids like their own, who come forward even when you don’t ask for help and who mean it when they say “I’ll do anything you need”. In the last 5-6 years, I learned how invaluable true friends are and that I don’t need many. Those are the friendships I hold dear to my heart and treasure!

Shoutout to my kids – everything I do is for them. My kids – Marcus, Julius and Penny, are my “why.” I try to show them how to live an authentic life, that it’s OK to be you even if no one likes it, that it’s OK to make mistakes, that it’s OK to change your mind and that no matter how hard life gets, they can always count on me. My oldest, Marcus, has witnessed many of my struggles but seeing what a remarkable adult he turned out to be, reminds me that I’m stronger than I think and that maybe I’m not messing up this mom thing too much. Marcus teaches me to enforce healthy boundaries, Julius teaches me how to find the fun and joy in everything I do, and Penny teaches me to cherish every moment and to stop and smell the roses.

Shoutout to the Wiki-licious family! From leadership to the franchise support team to the other franchisees – it truly feels like a family; we are here to support each other and cheer each other on towards their goals. The 1st three franchiees in AZ are Mesa, Chandler and San Tan – and more areas being added on a continuous basis. I’ve got my mind on expansion so there’s wmore to come!

Lastly, shoutout to those who weren’t in my corner – those moments shaped me too.

Website: https://wiki-licious-mesa.square.site/

Instagram: instagram.com/mesa_wiki_licious

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/princessreyes

Facebook: facebook.com/wikiliciousmesa

Image Credits
Headshot by Kristie Donohue Photography

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