Meet Nathalie Huynh | Bakery Owner

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

Hi Nathalie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Like many other people, the Covid pandemic really changed my perspective on what I wanted to do with my life. Before starting Baddie Natty Bakes, I was working in marketing, but the added changes and pressures brought on by the pandemic made my work feel unfulfilling and definitely unstable. I’ve been an avid baker my whole life, and the only thing keeping me sane during that time was baking. It dawned on me that time is precious and finite, and I wanted to spend my life doing something that I actually love. So I took a big risk in quitting my marketing job and starting a home bakery. There was a lot of uncertainty and a big learning curve when I first started out, especially in getting all the necessary licenses, equipment, and setting up a brand and a website. There was definitely a fear of failure and economic uncertainty as well, but behind it all was this infectious excitement and determination. I was finally doing something for myself and something that I love, and I think these feelings pushed me through many of the difficulties and obstacles that arose.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I run a Cottage Food Operation/home bakery called Baddie Natty Bakes. I often refer to my bakery as my “baby” because I was so involved and invested in every aspect of its conception: from making the brand, designing the entire website and graphics, running all the social media, coming up with all the recipes and seasonal menus. It’s definitely a homegrown brand and I’m very proud of that. It was gratifying to be able to combine my marketing background and my baking experience to create Baddie Natty Bakes. Through it all, I’ve definitely learned to trust myself more and trust that hard work can go a long way as long as what you’re working towards is worth it to you.


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.
If my friend was visiting the area, it would involve a lot of food, beach, and coffee. I’m a bit of a caffeine addict, so I would take them to my favorite coffee shops: Nook Coffee Bar in Costa Mesa, Hidden House Coffee in Santa Ana, Stereoscope Coffee in Irvine, and Long Black Coffee in Fountain Valley. We’d definitely go to the beach; my favorites are Shaw’s Cove in Laguna and the dog beach in Huntington. We’d also have to get some great food and drinks. There’s a lot of yummy places in Costa Mesa like Folks Pizzeria and Semi Tropic Wines. I love Asian food so we would have to go to Ktown in Garden Grove and get some Korean bbq at Mo Ran Gak or some hot pot in Irvine at Haidilao.

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 want to give a shoutout to my lovely wife Laura. Starting your own business is difficult, but I would argue that it’s even harder on the people around you. Laura was and is a constant source of support, advice, and inspiration behind my bakery, and Baddie Natty Bakes definitely wouldn’t be what it is without her.

Website: https://baddienattybakes.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baddie.natty.bakes/

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