If you ever go nuts about sweet-smelling and savory delicacies, then Nuts About Cakes, the baking emporium founded by Nike Majekodunmi, is your best bet!
Like many mumpreneurs, Nike’s business was borne out of doing something she loved and finding out that she was good enough at it for people to pay for the end-product:
“I started baking because I was passionate about it. However, I got into the business of baking totally unintentionally. It all started with a few cookie recipes that I found online and started trying out in the kitchen of my parents’ house. It became a weekend pastime to bake cookies for the family and to always have snacks available for visitors. As my recipes improved and I got more confident with what I was producing, I became a Martha Stewart and started gifting it to friends while visiting them.”
The business aspect came by pure accident when I was offered money at a friend’s home gathering to make cookies for the kids. I had absolutely no idea about cost or pricing, but decided to take the offer….and a business was born.
When Nike started, the baking business wasn’t as glamorous as this, but Nike has not just managed to remain in the business, she has also done so well for herself.
“The quest for innovation and growth has led to more interest and investment…For the baking industry in particular, it became glamorous…Following the influx of popular baking shows such as the ‘Cake Boss’ and ‘Great British Bake off’, the industry was revolutionized. People started pushing the boundaries with creativity or forging niches for differentiation. It suddenly became “cool” to be a baker.”
“The food and drinks industry over the past 10 years or so has seen a remarkable growth, dare I say shift.I have found that the Nigerian consumer is very accommodating, accepting and forgiving. Nowhere else do I think I would have had the courage or the audacity to venture into business. I feel that Nigeria right now is screaming for entrepreneurs.”
You might be wondering how Nike manages to create that work-life balance, here’s what she has to say:
“I have come to believe that the work-life balance is not always constant. Sometimes there is work…a lot of work, usually when we are going through a growth or expansion phase, and sometimes there is good living, when I get to go away for holidays with my family.
However, she also adds that her current success “could not have been possible without my team at the office…I am able to delegate work to functional heads of departments and be confident that the business can run without my [constant] day to day involvement.”
Nuta About Cakes is not stopping anytime soon and the good news is that they are expanding beyond Nigeria. “Our vision at Nuts About Cakes is to be a platform for creating jobs across Africa. We will, therefore, continue to do what we do best. Which is creating great tastes that provide memorable moments and experiences. By continuing to grow across the continent we hope to impact change in the lives of many.”
Nike, who is a mother to 3 amazing children is an inspiration to women both in Nigeria and across Africa to harness their talents in creating enduring value and that is exactly why she is our leading lady today.
