I Am always open to learning new things and takes corrections when needed. I avoid distractions and focus on my work and avail myself of workshops, conferences and so on. As part of my career growth, I have been able to earn certificates in event management and design from several notable bodies.
Tell us a few things you have done/are doing that have helped in your career growth?.
Okene Tare-ela Vicky ( Dripples Cakes )
A passionate and detailed cake decorator, sugar artist, and enthusiastic tutor with over 15 years of experience in the baking industry, Tareela is the founder and creative director at Dripples Cakes, Port Harcourt. A graduate of Library Science from Delta State University, she found her true love in baking and is now well known for her inspiring designs and tremendous cake ideas, which creates ripples of happiness for her numerous customers.
Her passion further led her to start Dripples Academy where she teaches and shares her craft skills and has now trained over 12,000 students, some of who now proudly own and run their own businesses.
You dumped library science for cake and sugar crafts, have you ever regretted this decision?
I have never ever regretted not pursuing what I studied at the university.
Tell us about your academy, how impactful would you say it has been?
We focus on giving practical and real-time experience in cake decorating and the aim is to equip our students with skills and knowledge that help to set them apart in the industry.
A lot of bakers say the craft is a calling, do you feel this way yourself and should more people embrace it?
Yes, in my own opinion, the craft was what drew my attention to it. Creating edible arts in making events memorable became a thing of fulfilment. I’ll advise more people to embrace it because it is lucrative and interestingly, one can start this business from the comfort of their homes, which is exactly how I started.
Tell our readers three things to do and three thongs to avoid in order to be as successful as you in this field?
In the first few years starting out, I made silly mistakes in terms of business structure. We were ignorant in our operations, and we didn’t resolve these issues; it would have led to more frustration and slowed our growth. I would suggest the following: Working in your business rather than working on your business. Most bakers forget they wear several hats; an artist, a baker, a creative designer, collaborator and many more, which means you are working as an employee in the business. You can get so caught up with so much work and then forget to wear the CEO hat, which is also very necessary in the evaluation of the business goals, products and services, tracking your revenue and profit and so on.
Letting your clients dictate what you sell: Imagine if every restaurant on a particular street didn’t have a menu and they all cook what customers’ request for, I’m sure you know what the result would be. No one would specialize in a particular cuisine and they will struggle with workload since every meal they cook is different for each client. In summary, don’t be like everybody. Create your own menu and develop a brand identity to sell to your potential clients.
Poor marketing skills: One big mistake bakers make, especially with newbies, is that they rely only on word of mouth marketing. This form of marketing is great, but that’s not all you should rely on. Why wait for cake customers to just appear? You need a lot of work and dedication to get and retain customers. Use social media platforms to share your story and work and show how you love the product or service you sell.
