Worcester Business Journal

March 4, 2019

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26 Worcester Business Journal | March 4, 2019 | wbjournal.com The man who gave me hives doesn't get enough credit I hate being called e Queen, but in all honesty, I know it will 1) never go away, 2) could be worse, and 3) is free advertising. Despite being a relatively shy person, I've never steered away from the press. e exposure my bakery, e Queen's Cup, has received from media like the Phantom Gourmet, e Chronicle, Mass Foodies, MassLive and Worcester Business Journal is a tremendous boost for business. In my everyday life, I promise you I'm not as cool as all of these publications make me seem. I wait for the weekend, enjoy getting a coffee every morning, spend money I probably shouldn't, and surf between trashy reality TV and Pinterest when home at night. When e Queen's Cups was just beginning almost seven years ago, I was stressed all the time. I cried a lot. My friends thought I was completely crazy. Yet, there was nothing they wouldn't do to help me. ey were waking up at 5 a.m. to help me make cupcakes, do dishes, fold cake boxes and work on the weekends aer being in school or having a full-time job. ey listened to me go on for hours about reviews and staffing problems. Maybe they just wanted to enjoy a meal at the Boynton, or stuff their faces with queso at Moe's, without hearing me complain. But they never once said it. Now they are lawyers like Cailin Bullett, finance managers like Stephanie Morrissey, school adjustment counselors like Rachel Reidy, academic advisors like Julie Frankian and senior community managers like Christina Gomes. ey are fierce, intelligent and strong. ey are my best friends. While I largely am recognized for being a woman in business and being friends with other strong female owners, I am indebted to many men who have treated me as a friend, mentor and little sister: Brian Treitman, Pete Rano, Adam Hicks, Michael Covino, Buddy Bartlett and Luke M. Vaillancourt, to name a few. Two other guys in my life, who don't get the headlines, are my brothers Bobby and Paulie. Everywhere they go, they are reminded they are e Queen's brothers and are asked how my business is doing. We joke around about how they are sick of it, but I am sure it's annoying since they have their own identities. Bobby is very successful at his job (but I really cannot tell you what he does), plays the guitar and is a national chess master. Paulie is a physical education teacher, owns property, has a blue belt in Brazil- ian jui-juitsu and is a varsity basketball coach. ey have always been protec- tive of me – except the one time Paulie pulled my arm out of the socket while we were playing outside – but either way, I hope they know how much they mean to me. And Bobby, if you do read this, I do listen to your advice! It just may take a couple years to put it into practice. And then there is the guy I met at a charity bar crawl. Six months later, he saw me at a coffee shop, and two weeks aer that, he came into Queen's Cups to ask me on a date. Aer I babbled a bunch of gibberish while talking to him, I broke out in hives. At that time in my life, I swore off men, wanting to live alone in my bachelorette pad forever. e hives, though, were probably a reac- tion to my immediate crush. Aer our first date, I knew he would be the man I would marry. Miguel Diaz is the most genuine and thoughtful person to ever enter my life. I believe my grandfather, who was my best friend and passed away when I was 15 years old (I think he just didn't want to buy me a car), sent him to me. Miguel had no idea what he was tak- ing on when he began dating and later married a business woman, but I can tell you he has adapted to my crazy schedule better than I ever could have. I am thankful for all of the press, the people who read this column, the articles, photos, guests and stories I hear from experiences at my shop. I am grate- ful for all I have been given, because that fame can be gone in an instant. But, behind e Queen, a handful of people keep me strong and my ego in check. Renee Diaz is the owner of e Queen's Cups in Worcester, which generated more than $1 million in revenue last year. W BY RENEE DIAZ The Struggle is Real Insightful Investigations & Engaging Designs The New England Newspaper & Press Association honored Worcester Business Journal in February with three awards out of more than 3,000 entries in NENPA's Better Newspaper Competition. Worcester Business Journal WBJ 40 Under Forty 2017 Art Director Mitch Hayes took WBJ's annual 40 Under Forty awards and created an engaging publication where the profiles jumped off the page. NENPA Judges: "Just plain fun is the best way to describe this publication." Worcester's Overhyped Renaissance After examining nearly 30 independent economic indicators, News Editor Grant Welker discovered Worcester's claim of a economic renaissance is overstated. NENPA Judges: "Exhaustive research paints a sharp picture of Worcester's economic/lifestyle profile." Best General News Story, 1st Place Overall Design & Presentation of a Niche Product, 3rd Place The Boardroom Gap News Editor Grant Welker's five- month investigation found Central Mass. lags behind the state and nation in including women in business leadership. NENPA Judges: "An important piece of journalism." Best Investigative/Enterprise Reporting, 1st Place www.wbjournal.com

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