In this episode we talk with Nike Majekodunmi, founder of Nuts about Cakes. She started her business from the comfort of her kitchen 11 years ago baking only cookies Today, she has grown her business into a full scale pastry company with well over 100 staff.
[00:00:50] NIKE runs a popular pastry company called ‘NUT About Cakes.’ She started her business from the comfort of her kitchen 11 years ago baking only cookies Today, she has grown her business into a full scale pastry company with well over 100 staff.
Podcast Summary Show Notes:
Her educational background is in International relations and Politics. She started her career working in management consulting in the E-payment Industry. For her passion and commitment in helping people, she founded her Bakery academy. Find link here: http://www.thebakersacademy.com/about-me/
[00:01:46] Starting days for business and ‘aha moment’ including funding?
Nike said she started baking by accident. “I started baking by accident, I wasn’t even interested in baking’’. She never saw it as a career path or anything like that. She started baking one Sunday afternoon after she read a recipe book for baking and thought okay it might be interesting to feel up her Sunday afternoon making cookies in the kitchen.
“I enjoyed the process of doing it” and it became every Sunday routine passion and something I do to fill up my Sunday afternoon as a single lady. That’s how I got into baking” she added.
[00:03:13] At what point did you put your 9-5 aside to do this full time?
She managed her paid job and the baking concurrently for about a year which later became difficult for her. “It was very difficult because the more you go deep into business, the more the time and energy required.” “I bake at night, deliver early in the morning and then I will go to work” – she stressed.
[00:05:20] Can you describe your typical work day?
Having built a company with about 5 branches and over 110 staff, over the years we have built a well structured organization. We have various personnel in different units and capacity demonstrating diverse functions, and I don’t actually bake any more. I now delegate and do more of business management.
[00:07:34] How has your business evolved over the years?
It really has evolved. Starting started out making cookies in my kitchen, went on to doing pastry items, and bread. We also, re-branded from being ‘Nuts About Nuts’ to ‘Nuts About Cakes’. In 2011, we opened the cafe in Lekki phase I. We call ourselves full artisan Bakery Company because we now do all aspects of the pastry industry –biscuits, breads and cakes.
[00:08:35] Can you give us the most challenging experiences you have had?
All experience in business is challenging. I would say having to be your own island when you have to make sure that every factor of business is in order.
[00:19:39] How do you treat recipes and intellectual properties?
I never worry about it. I tell people, recipe is not the base of the business because there is a lot more that goes in. If I didn’t pass it, I probably would still be mixing recipe, probably wouldn’t have scale up the much we did and, having time to look into other aspect of the business that grows it.
[00:25:32] What advice would you give someone starting up?
- Start small, that I think is key.
- Understand what you want to do and how to do it.
- Learn everything associated with it.
[00:30:00] Tell us one thing about you that most people don’t know?
I guess most people don’t know I dance Salsa. It’s something I do to unwind.
[00:27:54] Book Recommendation
The E-Myth by Michael E. Garber https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280
The-Goal-by-Eliyahu-Goldratt https://www.scribd.com/document/360381781/The-Goal-by-Eliyahu-Goldratt-pdf
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