Meet Kristian Njeri | Owner & Baker

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

Hi Kristian, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting my business was a long one, but a journey that is continuing to blossom. I honestly knew as a child that I would be an entrepreneur just never really knew exactly what I would be doing. My parents were both entrepreneurs and worked a 9-5 job as well, which inspired me to really get into discovering what is exactly I would be doing. But once I got into college I decided to focus solely on school and my career working with children with special needs but I always felt like I should be doing something else. So for awhile I would slowly learn how to bake and cook in college not knowing that it would lead me here. I just became fascinated by the amazing flavors I could create with fresh ingredients and little love which how it all begin.

I started out just making my favorite dessert for family gatherings and few friends. Overtime my family and friends encouraged me to make it into a business. But I honestly was scared to take that leap into entrepreneurship because I wasn’t sure what to do, but I woke up one day and just decided now is the time. So before going into business I wanted to really work on my recipes and create a menu that I could share with others no matter what type of flavors they enjoyed. So I would work my day job and in the evening I would be testing out my recipes. Once I created the recipes I felt were a great representation of not what I personally enjoy but what I believe others enjoyed also, I completely threw myself into making my cheesecake bites into business. Here I am a year later still in business and growing at steady pace.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart from others is the fact that I am unapologetically myself and always willing to learn. I am new to business and entrepreneurship so I am truly willing to embrace words of wisdom as well as mistakes. I believe that we are never above learning and that its okay to continuously learn, it what helps us evolve as people. I am excited about the growth that my business continues to make. From me baking for family functions to being a vendor a numerous events all over Atlanta. Though to some it may look fun and exiting it takes a lot of work and true patience. I encountered many challenges especially when you are having to do some things on your own or make decisions about what is best for your business. I meet these challenges with an optimistic but solution based mindset. I’ve learned that problems do come but to not let that be the sole focus because all you will have is the problem. Focus on solving the problem or be open to resources that can help.

I would like the world to know about me and my brand is that is continued journey of growth. As my business grows, I grow as a person. I also want the world to know that my brand, though I only make desserts, that it is shared expression of what brings me joy and that small idea is never too small, go for it and have fun!

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.
If my best friend came in town for a week trip I would definitely take them on a food and activity tour. When it comes to food I would I take them for brunch at Rosie’s or Breakfast at Barneys. For lunch I would take them to Local Green, Mezcalito’s, and Tacos and Tequilas. For a great dinner spot with great vibes I would take them to either Mission + Market or Paschal’s. Some of the places I would take them would be Janky’s Glass blowing studio, Top Golf, Splash Paint, and Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people I want to shoutout! First I want to shoutout my family for the unwavering support and just involvement in helping and pushing me. Another group of people that deserve credit is my village meaning my mentors, my extended family/friends, and my significant other who play a major role in making sure as my business grows that I continue to grow as well.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/njeris_cheesecake_bites?utm_medium=copy_link

Image Credits
Blake Hampton of Attention2Detail