Meet Itunuoluwa Oyeniran | Sugar Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Itunuoluwa Oyeniran and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Itunuoluwa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I did not have a specific thought process at the start of my business. I learnt baking for fun and for the love of art. I was just going to make cakes for friends and family on their special days. I was in the university at the time

After a while, people started offering me money to bake for them because they had a taste of the free cake I made for someone. It started with one person and the referrals kept going on.

Then, I started to take things seriously. I felt if people could offer to pay without any official announcements, its means I’m good at it and should consider making the business official

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a baker/sugar artist. Literally, it means I make art with sugar through art of baking and decorating cakes. I leverage on my artistic giftings to design custom cakes that are unique to my clients and their event, this sets me apart.
I’m excited about where my business is today in comparing to what it was and who I was when I started. Not because I’m a big brand,infact I’m still figuring out a little of things, but because of the changes I’ve experienced in my life because of this business. I didn’t think I have what it takes to grow my business at all, because I was really timid and didn’t think anyone other than family and friends would patronise. I started believing more in my self and I’ve been evolving which as also impacted on the business. It excites

I got here through practice and constant learning and a strong belief in myself.

It was easy and it wasn’t. Easy because I’m passionate about baking and decorating cakes, becomimg better at the skill was sort of natural. But we all know that a business is not all about good products. other things like branding, sales and marketing and so on are involved. These were the things I found difficult. I just wanted to bake and make artistic decorations. Money was also a major challenge, trainings and equipments costs a lot

I overcame by believing in myself. That I’m capable of doing all it takes to move my business forward even if it’s not natural to me. I’m still becoming, but I’m grateful for growth. For the financial part of the challenge I reinvented a large percentage of the profits back into this business, which means I has to deny myself a lot of things as I didn’t have any other source of income

One of the lessons I’ve learnt is more like the point I made in the last paragraph, which is to be opened to growth and not always seek to stay at comfort zones

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m more of an indoor person, I’ve heard of really good places to visit but I’ve not visited/experienced the to form am opinion. We might just be at home all weeks(laughs). And I will cook different special meals, I enjoy doing that a lot. See a lot of movies, play indoor games

For visits, we could see other friends in the city, just hosts and catch up. If catching fun is necessary, I will have to call friends for suggestions

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Kola Olugbodi, CEO @ Background Check International

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cakes_by_itunu/