09/10/2026
💙🌽SIX YEARS OF BLUE NAADĄ́Ą́’ SWEETS🌽💙
Yá’át’ééh!
Dóone’é nishłį niigeeh éí Todích’íí’nii (Bitter Water People) nishłį, Kinyaa’áanii (Towering House People) éí báshishchíín, Tsi’naajinii (Black Streak Wood People) éí dashicheii, Áshįįhí (Salt People) éí dashinalí.
Shí éí Erickson Billy yinishyé. Ni’iijííh déé’ naashá.
For those who may not know me personally, allow me to introduce myself:
I am Erickson Billy, Founder and Owner of Blue Naadą́ą́’ Sweets.
And somehow, almost without realizing it, six years have passed.
Yesterday, September 9, 2026, marked six years since I officially began this journey with Blue Naadą́ą́’ Sweets.
And I’ll be honest…
I completely forgot my own business anniversary. 😂
But perhaps that’s not such a bad thing.
Because when you’re busy building something, you don’t always stop to count the days, the months, or even the years.
You just keep going.
And when I finally realized that September 9 marked six years, I had to pause and think about just how much has happened since September 9, 2020.
⸻—————————————————————-
FROM AN IDEA TO “THE SWEET TASTE OF HOME”
Blue Naadą́ą́’ Sweets began with an idea, a love for blue corn, and a desire to create something that could connect people to the familiar tastes and memories of home.
What started as a small business has grown into a journey that has taken me far beyond what I initially imagined.
Today, Blue Naadaą́ą́’ Sweets is a 100% Diné-owned business, proudly sharing “The Sweet Taste of Home” with people not only throughout the Navajo Nation and Arizona, but across the United States.
We’ve had the opportunity to serve and connect with people from many different Indigenous communities and tribes, while continuing to carry the spirit of home with us wherever we go.
And along the way, something incredible happened.
People started paying attention.
Blue Naadaą́ą́’ Sweets has been featured in Voyage Phoenix Magazine and Edible Phoenix Magazine, has appeared on the cover of the Navajo Times, and has been featured in Leading The Way Magazine—twice.
I’ve also had the opportunity to share the Blue Naadą́ą́’ Sweets story through several podcasts, allowing me to talk about entrepreneurship, my experiences, and the journey that brought me here.
Those moments are humbling because I never started this business thinking about magazines, covers, podcasts, or national attention.
I simply wanted to build something of my own.
BUT THE BUSINESS IS ONLY PART OF THE STORY.
Behind every business is a person.
And behind Blue Naadą́ą́’ Sweets is a person who has taken many different paths to get here.
My journey to entrepreneurship wasn’t a straight line.
I’ve experienced different occupations, different work environments, different responsibilities, successes, disappointments, challenges, and lessons along the way.
Each experience taught me something.
Some taught me how to work with people.
Some taught me responsibility.
Some taught me communication.
Some taught me organization.
Some taught me what leadership looks like.
And some taught me what not to do.
But every one of those experiences eventually became part of the person who would take the leap into entrepreneurship.
Today, I don’t look at those chapters as unrelated pieces of my past.
I look at them as preparation.
Preparation for becoming the owner of a business.
Preparation for making decisions.
Preparation for dealing with challenges.
Preparation for understanding people.
And preparation for building something that represents more than just myself.
SIX YEARS LATER…
Six years of baking.
Six years of creating.
Six years of markets and pop-ups.
Six years of late nights and early mornings.
Six years of figuring things out as I went.
Six years of mistakes, lessons, growth, and unexpected opportunities.
Six years of meeting incredible people.
Six years of hearing, “I remember eating blue corn…”
Six years of hearing people say that something we created reminded them of home.
And that last part is what continues to mean the most.
Because Blue Naadą́ą́’ Sweets isn’t simply about sweets.
It’s about connection.
It’s about memories.
It’s about culture.
It’s about blue corn.
It’s about taking something familiar and sharing it with someone who may have never experienced it before.
And ultimately, it’s about home, “The Sweet Taste of Home”.
TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN PART OF THIS JOURNEY…
Whether you’ve purchased something from me once or you’ve supported Blue Naadą́ą́’ Sweets since the beginning, thank you.
Thank you to every customer.
Every supporter.
Every person who has shared a post.
Every person who has recommended my business to someone else.
Every person who has stopped at my booth.
Every person who has encouraged me when I needed it.
Every publication, podcast, organization, market, event, and community that has given Blue Naadą́ą́’ Sweets an opportunity.
And to everyone who has simply said:
“Keep going.”
Those words mean more than you probably realize.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 → SEPTEMBER 9, 2026
Six years.
One idea.
One business.
Countless batches of blue corn creations.
Thousands of conversations.
So many memories.
And a journey that is still being written.
I may have missed my own anniversary by a day… but I certainly haven’t forgotten how grateful I am.💙
As I step into our seventh year, I do so with gratitude for where we’ve been, pride in what we’ve built, and excitement for where we’re going. Because my business isn’t a “Me” business, it’s a “We” business.
This isn’t the end of the story.
It’s another chapter.
And if the first six years taught me anything, it’s that sometimes the sweetest things in life come from simply having the courage to start.
Here’s to six years of Blue Naadą́ą́’ Sweets. 🌽💙💛
Ahxéhee’, Thank You!
With gratitude,
Erickson Billy
Founder & Owner
Blue Naadą́ą́’ Sweets
“The Sweet Taste of Home”🌽💙
