Meet Hellen Davenport of Dportsweets in West Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hellen Davenport.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I always had a connection with baking. It started when I was in high school and my parents, grandmother and I would bake during the holidays. They chose to bake the more traditional Nicaraguan and Caribbean pastries but I was attracted to decorated sugar cookies and layered cakes. The decorating back then was not the prettiest but it brought so much joy and happy moments. I was still learning but I felt so accomplished with every single cookie and cake I made. When it was time for me to decide what I wanted to do after high school in the back of my mind I always wanted to be a baker and even contemplated going to Culinary school. I decided to go the more traditional route but wanted to choose a career that still revolved around food. I ended up going to UC Davis and graduating with a B.S in Food Technology.

After college, I lived in Gilroy, CA (Central Coast) and worked in Food Safety as a Food Safety & Sustainability Manager in the field of Agriculture for 6.5 years. Although I was working in the food industry and growing professionally I still missed the one thing that made me happy, baking. My husband encouraged me to start baking again as a creative outlet. I still remember when he said, you need to start taking pictures and post them on Instagram, so we decided to create my Instagram account @Dportsweets in January 2018. I rekindled my love of baking creative, beautiful and delicious desserts. My husband and kids became heads of the R&D team and I took the challenge to perfect my recipes and decorating skills. My husband and I would take my desserts to work and give to family and friends.

My network started growing and requests started coming in. The opportunity came for my family and I to relocate back to Los Angeles after 12 years. Luckily my husband and I are both originally from the area and we wanted to be closer to family. After working hard in my career, I needed a fresh start and decided to make Dportsweets a home bakery operating under a Cottage Food License where I started selling custom delicious fancy treats.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We all see the tip of the iceberg, but there is so much more hidden underneath when building a business through social media. The road has not been easy especially with two young children (6 and 1.5 years). Both my husband and I had late nights either finishing orders, working on design ideas, business plans, social media and most importantly how to make Dportsweets a marketable brand. I am extremely grateful to have a strong support system (my husband, parents, brother, my amazing friend Maria, and my husband’s grandparents) each one of them have helped me overcome the bumpy road of starting Dportsweets.

Dportsweets – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My business is “Dportsweets” which I decided to name it after “Davenport” my married last name. My husband has been my pillar and biggest supporter. We are a home bakery that specializes in customized desserts (Macarons, sugar cookies, cakes, cake pops, cupcakes, and more). We love trying flavors and our menu is always changing to cater all different taste buds. We are primarily known for our designs, flavors, and aesthetics. Clients love our colorful macarons, salted-chocolate chip cookies, delicious signature orange-vanilla bean decorated sugar cookies and our Ferrero Rocher cupcakes. I’m proud to be a small business owner and of every dessert that goes out of my home, I see every order as an opportunity to explore new flavors, designs and most importantly be part of celebrations.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success by being able to put a smile on people’s faces when their vision becomes a reality. When they are satisfied with not only the aesthetics but the taste, I know I did a good job and my business will continue to grow. I want to continue to build up my social media presence and website (www.dportsweets.com) as well. Just make sure to have fun! I think everything else will take care of itself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dportsweets.com
• Email: dportsweets@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dportsweets/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dportsweets/

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