Young and In Charge: Ugonma Chiori

'One particular day, I had made up my mind to quit baking, get a real job then keep baking as a side hustle. I ran into a group of children I had baked cupcakes for and they screamed,"Aunty Cupcake Aunty Cupcake"... I teared up, nobody understood why.' When the motivation for what you do goes beyond the monetary compensation that comes at the end of a successful job, the will to keep on moving even when defeat is staring you in the face never runs out. Our YIC of the month has a couple of lessons to teach us, from never giving up to starting small. It promises to be an interesting read and I hope you enjoy getting to know baker extraordinaire, Ugonma Chiori, as much as I did.

Let’s start by getting to know you a little bit. Tell us a little about yourself, from childhood till now. 

I'm from Abia State but I was born and brought up in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. I had all my education in Akwa Ibom State, my family stays there so basically, I am an "Uyo babe". I am a baker, blogger, choreographer, fitness enthusiast. I'm a 3rd generation baker. I have vague memories of my maternal grandmother baking, sewing...you see, she was a Home Economics teacher. I remember my mother used to bake for leisure but later in life, I found myself doing it as a business. However, before I became a baker, I used to be a "makeup artiste". Actually, I have always been a "business woman". Back in the University, I sold everything ranging from chocolates to sweets to dresses my mother bought for me I was a Mary Kay/Avon sales rep... I sold everything. "Do you like it? Do you want it? Okay, bring money". Yes, that was me. 

Give us an insight into you educational background. 

I attended Qua Iboe Nursery/Primary School, Uyo, I had my secondary education in Immaculate Conception Secondary School, Itak then I attended the University of Uyo where I had my First degree in Linguistics. 

      Tell us a little about McCreamyz Cakes. 

McCreamyz Cakes is a cupcake business that bakes cupcakes on demand. We bake our cupcakes in a wide array of gourmet flavours for all kinds of occasions, from cupcake tables at weddings, to birthdays, to I-need-to-surprise-the-boo cupcakes, to just-because cupcakes. We bake strictly to order and deliver to our customers all over Uyo, and anywhere else our services are needed. 

Baker, linguist, choreographer and fitness enthusiast, how have you been able to manage all of these? Do you do these fulltime or alongside a 9-5. 

Well, I've been able to juggle everything perfectly well without missing a beat. It's all about good time management. First of all, I am a baker who loves to keep fit, so I make out time to workout everyday. Thankfully, I don't dance everyday, then I really have not used my Degree in Linguistics for anything since I left school. Basically, I am a full time baker, every other thing, I do for fun.  

How did you arrive at baking as a career choice, and how did your family, especially your parents take the news of your choice? 

After my NYSC in 2009, I started working at a firm in Abuja, but I wasn't quite satisfied there. I felt like I was wasting my time sitting at a desk from 9am-4pm. I started thinking of what I could do for myself. I remembered I could bake cakes. With the help of my very senior lawyer friend, I wrote my first business plan. I quit the job, went back home to Uyo to start. According to my business plan, I needed 5 million naira to start my business. Where on earth was I supposed to get that kind of money? With my last 3000 naira, I went to the market and bought things I needed to make chinchin. I started by frying chinchin to sell. I remember my father telling me one day, "I did not send you to school to come out and hawk chinchin". More than ever, I made up my mind that there was no going back on this. With the proceeds from my chinchin business, I bought my very first oven and started baking. I didn't sell cakes immediately, I practiced. I had to get the cakes to a particular standard before I could think of selling. God helped me, people started ordering and have kept on ordering, 5 years after. 

How has the experience been like, running a business, what do you love about it and what difficulties do you encounter? Tell us something you have learned from running a business, especially in Nigeria. 

Wow! This question... This question... The only things that have kept me going in this business, apart from God are the love and passion for cakes. Doing this business is not for the faint hearted. It is HARD. There were times I went for weeks without one single job, even from people I had given "free cakes" to with the hope of them remembering to recommend me for a cake job. Not one job, yet I kept baking, trying out new recipes. I remember times I felt like quitting and get a "real" job because I wasn't getting any baking jobs and I got frustrated. Doing business in Nigeria is not child's play. Everything works against you. The power supply situation in Nigeria, or rather, the lack of it affects businesses terribly. I used to have an electric oven and I know the tears I shed whenever there was power failure while a cake was in the oven. In all this though, I've learnt to always find a way round every "bad" situation. I had to have a coal oven built for me to beat the "NEPA" problem. Doing business in Nigeria has made me always think of alternative ways of getting something done because it has to be done, inspite of challenges.   

Every business ‘enjoys’ its share of difficult clients, how do you handle them? 

I have always said this..."there is a baker for everyone". Having said that, I've had my fair share of very difficult customers. However, since last year, the sky has been the starting point for my tolerance level. Once a client has paid for my services, he/she is my boss and can be as difficult as he/she wants to be.  But I also have business policies and work ethics which guide me on what jobs to do and what jobs to leave. 

Have you ever felt like giving up on your dreams, if you have, what keeps you motivated? 

Oh yes. Yes. There have been times I wanted to throw in the towel and just get a real job that would pay me monthly, because I was not getting cake jobs. Imagine going for two months without baking for people. One particular day, I had made up my mind to quit baking, get a real job then keep baking as a side hustle. I ran into a group of children I had baked cupcakes for and they screamed,"Aunty Cupcake Aunty Cupcake"... I teared up, nobody understood why. Then another instance when a much younger baker told me I inspired her to start baking. Also, the way childrens' faces light up when they have a cupcake, the way they say "thank you for these cupcakes, I enjoyed it"... Totally worth it all. Then my blog... People who have never baked a cake in their entire lives, use the recipes from the blog and when I hear them squeal delightedly about their cakes, I just know that there's no way on earth I will stop doing this. These things keep me going. I am not just doing this for me anymore, there are people involved now so I have to succeed at this for their sakes. 

How do you intend to make a difference with what you do? 

By giving of what is inside of me to others. Not just by putting myself into baking and selling my cupcakes, but also teaching others what I know about baking. I may not be able to bake for everybody, but I can teach them how to bake and also make income from baking. This is why I started the baking blog. My cakes are quite pricey, not everybody may be able to afford them. It is also quite expensive to learn how to bake, so I decided to teach them how to bake free of charge via the blog. This way, I am able to make a difference in my own very little way. 

What advice do you have for young Nigerians with dreams they are yet to pursue? 

Don’t be afraid to start small. Do not be afraid of small beginnings. Don’t be afraid to get dirty. Don’t be afraid of hardship and don’t be afraid of failing. Love what you do, be passionate about it. It won't be easy. God helped me and is still helping me. He will help you, trust Him. Aim for excellence; one day, you will get there.

Any other hidden talents we should know about? 

LOL. I am also a translator. I translate texts from French to English... That's a talent, right?
Tell us something nobody knows about you.
Hmmmmm... None that I can think of right now.
What do you like to do to relax?
I bake. When I'm not baking commercially, I bake to relax. Or I tweet, or read a book. 

Where do you see yourself on a personal level and as a businesswoman in five years? 

In five years, I will have my own baking show on Food Network, own McCreamyz cake shops in major cities in Nigeria, be the most sought after cupcake baker amongst people of high net worth, also own a culinary school for children to acquire baking and other culinary skills. Hopefully, I will be a wife and mother by then. 

Pictures are always the best way to showoff your talent.

Ugo can be reached via the following means:

Phone number 08022520485 

Twitter: @McCreamyzCakes 

Blog: http://adaohafia1.blogspot.com 

Instagram: MadameleChef