We’re looking forward to introducing you to Tina Vourtis Smith. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Tina, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Absolutely. Just this past week, I managed to bake 40 individual cheesecakes in the middle of pure chaos — my oven was tripping fuses, my kids were bouncing off the walls, and I somehow pulled it all off without bursting into tears. That moment? I laughed. I felt exhausted and wildly proud of myself. Because five years ago, I wouldn’t have believed I could juggle motherhood, mental health, and business with this much grace (and a touch of unhinged humor).
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Tina — baker, mom, chaos coordinator, and the heart behind On the Run: Baked Goods. I’ve been baking from home in Evergreen, Colorado for the past five years, crafting small-batch sweets with big flavor and even bigger heart.
What makes my brand special? It’s not just the cookies and cakes — it’s the story behind them. I built On the Run in the middle of real life: raising neurodivergent kids, navigating mental health, and figuring it all out one whisk at a time. Every dessert I make carries a little bit of that grit, love, and survival.
Right now, I’m diving deeper into growing the business — more custom cakes, more community connections, and more sweet chaos. And I’m so darn proud of how far it’s come.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world got its hands on me, I was loud in the most joyful way. I was creative without caution — covered in glitter, barefoot in the dirt, baking cakes just because I could. I was tender-hearted and bold, unfiltered, and full of fire. I believed I could be anything.
Then life started layering expectations: Be quiet. Be nice. Be smaller. Be less you. I tried to shrink, to mold myself into something more palatable — and it nearly broke me.
But I’ve been clawing my way back to that girl. The wild, messy, brilliant one. She still lives in me, under the weight of motherhood, neurodivergence, grief, and healing. And every time I knead dough, sketch a messy little design, or show up for myself anyway — I get a little closer to her.
That’s who I was. That’s who I’m becoming again.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely. I stopped baking this last year — for the entire year. Something that once lit me up from the inside out suddenly felt like a weight. Life had stacked too much on top of me: burnout, survival mode, heartache, and the pressure to keep everything and everyone afloat. I didn’t have the energy to create, and worse, I didn’t feel like I deserved to create.
But that break — that silence in my oven — taught me something. I hadn’t fallen out of love with baking. I’d just been too buried under the weight of everything else to breathe. And now that I’ve cleared some of that rubble, I’m back. Maybe a little bruised, but a lot more honest.
I almost gave up. But I didn’t. And that matters.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
On the Run: Baked Goods is my forever project. It’s more than flour and butter—it’s my grit, my passion, my therapy, and my comeback story. I started it out of a tiny home kitchen, juggling motherhood, mental health, and survival. Then I stopped—burned out, lost, unsure if I’d ever come back to it.
But the thing about what you’re meant to do? It waits for you.
Even when I couldn’t bake, I dreamed of recipes. I scribbled down ideas. I watched others rise and knew, deep down, my time would come again. Now I’m back in the kitchen—with fire in my belly and purpose in my hands. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. This is the work I’m meant to do, and I’ll keep chasing it until it’s everything I dreamed and more.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
For a long time, I did what I was told. I made myself small, agreeable, responsible—everything I thought I had to be to survive, to earn love, to keep peace. But somewhere along the way, that version of me started to unravel. Quietly at first, and then all at once.
Baking was one of the first things that brought me back to myself. It wasn’t about sugar or flour—it was about creation, expression, comfort, joy. It was a rebellion and a return all in one. I wasn’t just baking cakes—I was reclaiming space I had once abandoned. For me. For my voice. For my joy.
Now, I’m building On the Run: Baked Goods not because someone told me I should, but because I can’t not. Because it lights me up. Because I was born to tell stories with buttercream and boldness—and to teach my kids that the path we choose gets to be our own.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ontherunbakery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ontherunbakedgoods
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ontherunbakedgoods
- Other: Sky High Sweets: Kid’s Kitchen https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK2G9933
Sky High Sweets: Elevated Baking for High Altitudes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D184351S
Sky High Keto: Elevate Your Low-Carb Baking https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1TLTY4K
Image Credits
Anne Ludolph
