Meet Akeila Holloway | Pastry Chef & Home Baker

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

Hi Akeila, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Starting my own business was really just one big coincidence lol. I got the idea to start my own baking business when one of my friends asked me to make them one cupcake for their birthday. At the time I didn’t know how to properly scale a recipe. After I gave her the one cupcake I still had over 20 left, so I decided to start selling them in high school to see if I could make a few dollars. Turns out I sold out faster than I thought lol, and from then on I just kept pushing and striving to better my business and brand. I wanted something that I could call my own. No interjections from anyone corporate, just a young woman who enjoys putting a smile on others face through food.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What sets Key2thesweets apart from other bakeries is that there is always a wide variety. Yes, there are plenty of cupcake shops to choose from in this industry, but they all only offer that one product. In order to be different, you have to have different options, which is why I leave room for any and all new ideas, especially from my clients in regards to their orders. I make it all, wedding cakes, candies, handmade chocolates, cookies, brownies, cobblers, and even sugar sculptures if you’re into that lol. I want people to know that Key2thesweets is a mobile bakery where your ideas are tailored to your taste and style. Everything is handmade and homemade. Just a 23yrd old young women sharing her passion. I try to give the feel as if grandma made it, but with a twist. Food is art. It’s about being creative and that’s what I like to put on the plate.

Being in the Industry, what have you learned/ have taken as a lesson and how did it help you get to where you are today?
The first lesson I learned is to never low ball yourself in this business. Now by me being an entrepreneur , there isn’t anyone over me or any true overhead cost, so I make my prices slightly cheaper than if you were to head to a cookie shop/cupcake shop. That’s just me personally,  I don’t like to over charge because I as a consumer hate getting overcharged/played. Therefore , because I didn’t have any major overhead cost yet, when I first started out, I was not charging what I should have been charging and absolutely lost more than I could have gained. Everyone always says you spend more money than you make when you first start a business, and they were not lying. In My first few bookings, it wasn’t until maybe my 4th or 5th catering that I realllllllyyyy saw a profit lol. Prime example, I had my first birthday party I got booked for when I was about 14 or 15. I charged $500 for it, but when I added everything up, utensils, ingredients, delivery fees, time, labor, decorations, turns out I lost $100. That was because I didn’t know what I totally spent.  It was my first gig, I didn’t write down any prices, and I bought the ingredients after I gave the price (never do that). I was honestly overwhelmed with the amount I had to make, took off more than I could chew as they say lol, so I was just more concerned with making sure my client was happy and satisfied with their order, and not concerned with my own profit.

So after that, I had to get myself into that habit of staying on top of everything. There are so many moving parts I had to always triple check everything. Is my website doing enough numbers? do I need to create more social media to interact better? Learning more about my weak points in regards sales, what product isn’t selling, do I need to make a new menu? Making sure I myself understand how to run the books, do my own accounting and finances so I can see where my money is going. I never liked math, but I like money lol, so I knew I had to really learn and truly understand these things because I want to be the one to handle my own accounts. So no, operating your own business is not easy and it never will be, but it is definitely worth the time, blood, the PERFUSE amount of sweat lol , and all the tears.

All in all, I got to where I am today business wise honestly just by me busting my butt working and also working to get my name out there lol. I’ve had other jobs besides being a pastry chef and at those jobs, I would just come and let my work speak for itself. You come in, show up on time, do what you’re supposed to do, and do it properly, and finish the day. I have a good work ethic and people recognize that& It helps open doors for all kinds of networking. I came in contact with some really great chefs who were able to give advice and helped me with any and all questions I had. Not always about what you know but who you know.

Lastly, what I want the world to know about the brand is that it’s me. Just  a 23 year old young woman& all of this food comes from one person’s hands and there is a lot of love put into it. I make it personal and genuine, and I hope they appreciate it.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to give a shoutout to God for giving and blessing me with the talent to do what I do. I’d also like to give a shoutout to my mother for always being my number one supporter. To Tiy, who has been one of my best friends since 3rd grade, thank you for being the one who asked for the cupcake that gave me the idea to get this whole business started lol. Lastly I’d like to give a shoutout to all of my friends and family who have shown me true love and support throughout the years of Key2thesweets development. You all know who you are, and I truly do thank you.

Website: www.key2thesweets.com

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