Viktoriya Adamovskaya of Aliso Viejo on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with Viktoriya Adamovskaya and have shared our conversation below.

Viktoriya, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day are dedicated to myself and setting the tone for the day. I wake up without rushing and start my morning with a glass of water with lemon and honey to gently wake up my body. Then I do light yoga, pilates, or a strength workout — movement helps me wake up both physically and mentally.

After that, I take a shower and spend time on my skincare and body care routine. It’s an important self-care ritual for me. I often listen to a podcast or an audiobook in English, so my mornings also become a time for learning.

Then I have a protein shake or prepare breakfast, sometimes journal, and set my intentions and priorities for the day. These first 90 minutes give me a sense of balance, clarity, and inner calm — without my phone, rush, or outside noise.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Viktoriya, and I am a pastry chef and creator, as well as the founder of the brand Delicious by VA. I have been working with desserts for almost 10 years, starting with classic pastry and eventually finding my true passion in creating signature vegan desserts free from sugar, gluten, dairy, and eggs.

My brand is not just about desserts — it’s about flavor, aesthetics, and the overall experience. I create vegan bars, mochi, chocolate, and seasonal collections, paying close attention to ingredients, textures, and visual presentation. For me, it’s important that a dessert is not simply a “healthy alternative,” but a full, indulgent gastronomic experience.

My journey is one of constant exploration, experimentation, and growth. I love blending craftsmanship, creativity, and a mindful lifestyle. Right now, I’m focused on expanding the brand through collaborations, new products, and formats, while also continuing to grow as a multidimensional creator, inspiring people to choose quality, flavor, and self-care.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world started telling me who I had to be, I was deeply sensitive, creative, and free. I experienced life through sensations — taste, scent, music, colors, and mood. It was always important for me not just to do things “the right way,” but to feel that they truly resonated within me.

From an early age, I was drawn to beauty and to the process of creation. I loved making things and watching something real and alive emerge from nothing. I didn’t think in terms of success or expectations — I simply followed curiosity and inner impulse.

Over time, the world began to impose rules: be more practical, choose “stability,” adapt, conform. There was a period when I tried to fit in, to become more convenient, more understandable, to feel less. But that was when I began to lose myself.

My journey has been a return. A return to the version of myself that trusts intuition, values depth, and chooses quality over speed and meaning over templates. Today, I live and work from that place again — creating not because I “have to,” but because I cannot not create. And for me, that is true freedom.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, there was such a moment — and more than one. Especially after moving to the United States. Starting life and a career from scratch in a new country turned out to be far more challenging than I had expected. Everything familiar disappeared: the language, the environment, the support system, the sense of stability.

There were periods when my hands truly dropped and I felt a strong urge to give up. I worked hard and invested a great deal of energy and effort, but I didn’t always see quick or clear results. In moments of loneliness and burnout, it often felt like it would be easier to stop trying altogether.

Over time, I realized that I wasn’t tired of my path — I was tired of pressure and expectations, both my own and those of others. I didn’t need to give up; I needed to slow down, rethink my direction, and return to what gives me meaning and fulfillment.

I didn’t continue out of stubbornness. I continued because I believe in my creativity, in my choices, and in the version of myself that isn’t afraid to begin again.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
There are a few truths that are so foundational in my life that I rarely articulate them — I simply live by them.

One of them is that quality always matters more than speed. I’m drawn to a slower, more intentional path where there is attention to detail, meaning, and presence, rather than quick results without depth. I believe that anything truly meaningful takes time.

Another truth is that intuition can be trusted. The most important decisions in my life didn’t come from logic or external advice, but from a quiet inner sense of “yes” or “no.” When I learned to listen to it, my life became much more honest.

And perhaps the most important one: creativity is not a profession or a role — it’s a way of being. I don’t create to meet expectations; I create because through creation I feel connected to myself and to the world. When I stay true to that state, everything else eventually falls into place.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would stop rushing and trying to prove something — to myself or to others.
I would stop staying in situations, relationships, or environments that drain my energy simply because they feel familiar or are expected of me.

I would stop postponing rest, presence, and joy for “someday,” and stop overcomplicating what already feels true and meaningful.

I would allow myself to choose not from fear or expectations, but from inner honesty and calm.
To listen to myself more closely. To protect my time. To be gentler with myself and braver in my decisions.

Instead, I would live more intentionally — creating, connecting with people, and fully inhabiting my life, without waiting for permission or perfect conditions.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delicious_by_va
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086642540809&mibextid=wwXIfr

Image Credits
Dmitry Adamov