Meet Lauren Derengowski, Owner of Conscious Comforts
Lauren Derengowski has taken that first, scary step of business ownership. Her company, Conscious Comforts offers vegan comfort food. To find out how she began her journey and what challenges she has faced, I asked her f or a little more information. Here is what she told me.
Give us a little background about yourself…where you grew up, etc.
I am from small town, USA in Bennington, NE. I grew up surrounded by family members who instilled a love and passion for baking in my life, and I have embraced it fully. My fondest memories are with loved ones in the kitchen baking a family favorite or experimenting with a new recipe. I’m 24 years old, and currently reside in Omaha, Ne with my soon-to-be husband (Nov 2020) of four years and our two dogs—Charlie, an Alaskan malamute, and Zara, a German Shepherd/Husky mix. (I’ll provide pictures upon demand) I have three hobbies that you can most certainly find me doing if I’m not working: listening to music/going to concerts, baking for my friends (or customers, now ☺ ), and travelling as often as I can. You are sure to find me happiest when I’m doing two of my hobbies at a time- dancing to music while baking or travelling to see a concert.
Tell us about your business, Conscious Comforts.
Conscious Comforts is a 100% plant-based bakery and kitchen that specializes in nostalgic vegan eats and sweets. I can currently take custom orders, am starting to get into farmer’s markets and small craft shows and hope to do my own pop-up events soon. My main goal is to show people that plant-based can be fun, approachable, and most importantly- delicious.
Do you have a business background?
I attended college for a few years before pursuing my cosmetology license. I have since worked full time at Hiro 88 as a bartender. I don’t have a business background, but I’ve always known that I wanted to be my own boss.
I’ve been a foodie at heart since I can remember and have always had daydreams of opening my own restaurant. When health issues forced me to go vegan, my path was forged very clearly. Not only have I fallen in love with mimicking my childhood favorite dishes, but it’s liberating being able to take my health into my own hands, eat food that I enjoy, and spread knowledge about my plant-based diet to customers and friends, alike.
What prompted you to finally bite the bullet and start your own business?
Recently, I feel like society is showing an increasing desire to learn more about health-conscious and vegan foods. Some businesses have caught on to the vastly growing market and have started to add plant-based options to their menus. I feel like the time is now, and if I wait any longer, I might miss some opportunities. One perk of being a bartender is meeting and networking with people from all walks of lives. One of my favorite regulars told me, “you’re never going to feel ready, just jump in and do it.” So, I did.
Business ownership is scary and hard. What are some struggles you have encountered so far?
Finding accurate and updated information about local laws and permits has proven to be a lot more difficult than originally anticipated. There’s been a few hiccups and close calls in the kitchen, but nothing that I haven’t been able to fix so far ☺. I know that this journey isn’t going to be a cakewalk, and I don’t have time to dwell on the difficult aspects of the process. I try not to look at these times as struggles, but rather learning opportunities that I not only will utilize in the future, but that will ultimately make me a better business owner too.
We rarely make this journey without the help of friends and family. What is the best piece of advice you have gotten so far?
I’ve worked in the restaurant industry since I was 19 years old. During the last five years, I’ve interacted with countless small business owners and people. Many have given me such wholesome and sound advice, some even supporting what I do by trying my samples and ordering baked goods. Two of the best pieces of advice that have stuck in my mind:
1) “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” – the owner of my first serving job at The Warehouse Bar and Grill
2) “As you’re starting out, never say no. If you don’t know how to do it, say yes and figure it out.” – a regular at my current job who owns a successful business. Since taking this advice, I’ve done a handful of orders that were far-fetched both in ingredients and modification. Not only was I successful in completing these new orders, but I’ve actually thought of new ideas that show potential for the future!
Even though your business is just getting started, what would you say to people thinking about starting their own business?
Jump in and start before you have time to think about the reasons not to. It doesn’t have to be high risk at first. With Nebraska’s new cottage laws, it’s fairly easy to sell baked goods/food out of one’s house now. There is truly no better time to start investing in yourself than now.
Any final thoughts?
There are countless items and ideas that I could think of that would make this journey easier. However, I’m not looking for a simple, easy journey. Anything worth having is worth working hard for. Sure, I could have a state-of-the-art kitchen waiting for me or a recipe book with every vegan and dietary restriction modification listed, but really, what would the fun in that be? I thrive in the high-intensity environment; the anticipation of how well a new recipe will work; the stress-induced creativity when it doesn’t—it’s where some can buckle, but I blossom. I know what the basic recipe for success looks like; I just need to modify it to make it MINE, conscious comforts style.
Make sure to follow us on our social media pages to look for upcoming specials, announcements, and local events!
Email: consciouscomforts@gmail.com
Meatless homemade pizza 
Nunza 
Espresso cake donuts 
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