An Interview with Pastry Chef Dani Veit
Today’s bitch is one of the many women I follow on Instagram, but have yet to meet in real life. Although now that I think about it, we were supposed to have a twerk date earlier this year... Time to get that back on the calendar!
*Extreme Usher voice* These are my confessions…. I don’t know what CBD is. I see it all over the ‘gram and just shrug and think I’ll learn about that later. But then I never read anything about it. You know who does know all about CBD? Today’s bitch. Meet pastry chef and CBD master, Dani Veit!
What do you do and what is the name of your business?
I’m a pastry chef, artist & social media wizard. My business name is CBDani but most people just call me Dani for short. I create CBD pastries and provide a resource for questions about CBD & cannabis.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
My mom is a gem of adorable life lesson tidbits. Her biggest one is always telling me, “Kill em’ with kindness”.* It’s something so obvious yet so hard to do sometimes. It’s created a deep vein of empathy in me.
*my mom has never actually killed anyone with kindness
Can you name the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
“Their, they’re & there,” is probably in my top 5. Another one of my greatest hits is if you have enough passion & an intense work ethic, you can literally figure out ANYTHING. I’ve started almost every job or project not knowing the end result and not having any background in the subject. I’ve really lived by the “fake it til you make it” adage. The big lesson for me has been with enough tenacity, you can achieve dang near anything.
What is your greatest success, or something you’re most proud of related to what you do?
My greatest success has been getting into the CBD community. I’ve always wanted to be a business about people, not products. I love making new connections with people and encouraging them to ask questions about their life. Be curious! CBD & the pastries I’ve made have allowed me to make people full in more ways than one.
Do you have a morning or nighttime ritual?
I’m the gal on the other side, struggling with ritual. We’ve all been there. I know the importance of streamlining but sometimes I honor the snooze button above all. Rest is a great nighttime ritual!
If I WERE to have a routine it would look something like this:
5am :Wake up because literally no one else is up at this time and I’ll have all of the Internet to myself.
5:30am: Moisturize that red face that I’ve smashed into the pillow for the last 6 hours, drink some lemon water, sit in silence and reflect, try not to be too loud setting up the coffee maker.
6am: Stretch, move my body (walking to the coffee maker shouldn’t count), yoga.
6:30am: Pick up a book (other than the manual to the coffee maker...why won’t this thing turn on!) and read a chapter. I was an avid reader until I discovered Instagram. Now I just get all my unqualified info from Chrissy Teigen and John Mayer.
7am: WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. FOCUS. WORK.
6pm: Reflect on the day. What did I accomplish? What could I have improved on? How did I treat others? What were the positive interactions for the day? What were the negative? What’s one word to describe today?
7pm: Watch the news. Listen to a news podcast. Watch John Mayer’s Instagram (or a his live videos, which then will be my last event for the night, those things are interesting!)
8pm: Eat. Shower. Drink more water. Basic human stuff.
What helps when you’re stuck? Do you have a motto or quote that inspires you?
Oddly enough, procrastination. There’s no greater inspiration for me than a deadline. It’s that block of time when I create my best & inspired work. With pastry, there is CONSTANTLY a deadline. I think that’s what excites me the most about this field.
What does self care look like in your life?
Self care is honoring what I need to be the best Dani I can be. I don’t dive in to baths & face masks as a prescription for self care. I like doing the deep work. I ask questions. I wonder why I’m experiencing a particular block or feeling. I sit with the heavy stuff and I bring it out into the light. I am a huge advocate for therapy. That’s the ultimate self-care act for me. Throw in some CBD to calm anxiety and holy crap, you’re in self-care city, my friend.
How do you feel about social media?
I love it! I think it’s an amazing tool! However, it’s easy to get wrapped up in socials as if it is actual life. I have fallen prey to this. It’s important to set your phone down and create yourself in experiences, not just what you watch or look at on your phone. But I’ve met some really amazing friends and contacts through Instagram! I’ve been inspired by the images I’ve seen and what’s possible in this world! The lesson I had to learn was to remember to trust myself and to ask my own questions. It’s easy to get confused by the messages received from images. Ultimately, I know the answers and I know my morals, remembering to trust them and not allow outside influences is key to survival online. Also, the cannabis community has been such an amazing thing to be a part of. I’ve never seen people helping & fighting for others like I have in this community!
Are there any women who helped pave the way for your success?
I’ve found a lot of confidence in seeing other women be themselves through a comedic voice. I would say that is a large part of my success. I have friends on Instagram that CRACK me up and it motivates me to talk in my own comedic voice as well. Comedy can be cathartic and stand on pillars of truth. Lucille Ball, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph to name a few. To be successful in any business, I feel you need to be able to laugh sometimes.
Lastly, and most important, what is your favorite podcast and snack?
Favorite podcast...gahsh. I have to pick two (sorry!). “The Daily” is my morning commute favorite. It’s like having a NY Times article explained to me personally. “Small Doses with Amanda Seales” is my favorite evening commute + sauna one. She is HILARIOUS and speaks the truth! My favorite snack is Doritos...or anything I don’t have to make myself.
P.S. Meet my last bitch: Candace Mills, Team Clean Owner!
P.S.S. See a full list of all my Bitches here!
