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

Hi Quasia, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
1 of 1 Cakery was created based off a few things. The first would be how I view myself. I’ve looked at myself as unconventional since I was a teenager. How I conversed with my witty banter, my interests, etc. Being different is dope to me. My thought process has always been to think outside the box. As an overthinker and perfectionist, that probably is the gift part rather than the curse. Which makes me 1 of 1.

Combined with that, I’ve always loved desserts. I’d always be in the kitchen watching my mom cook and bake and I can honestly say she gave me “The touch” as she would say. Lol. I enjoy how much happiness a good dessert can bring someone or an occasion.

My friends and I would order cakes for our birthdays every year and we found how hard it was to get a good, quality one. And also how hard it was to find bakers who could provide exactly what we asked for and just overall have a good cake order experience.

That all led me to launch 1 of 1 Cakery.

Please tell us more about you and your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I’m originally from Columbia, SC and moved to Atlanta in May of 2021. I felt like I had outgrown Columbia. There’s not much to do there and I felt so stagnant. I was ready to branch out, live in a different state, especially as a single 28 year old woman with no kids or obligations. I moved off a whim but I just felt like it was right. I felt like everytime I visited Atlanta, it was a vibe. Seeing how so many black people are successful and thriving, it gave me that drive I needed to take that big step and move. It continues to give me inspiration to this day.

I had the idea of starting my cake business before I moved, but I wasn’t 100% sure about it. I was so iffy about it and was battling on if it was truly my passion and if I had it in me to create a profitable business for it. My problem was always looking at the money before the passion.
It took me a while even after I moved to really and truly feel like I was meant to create my business. I was dealing with a lot right before I moved, after, and even still to this day. Depression, comparing myself to my peers who seemed like they had their life figured out, family relationship/health issues, my love life being complete trash. I had a lot of low days even though I was in a new and exciting city. But I knew I needed to figure out a plan because I made it here for a reason and plus Atlanta ain’t cheap LOL.
As many times as I doubted myself, and picked myself back up, I fought through and made 1 of 1 Cakery happen. And it makes me happy to know I did what I said I was going to do.

I believe what sets me apart is how I empathize. I’ve been in the shoes of a consumer, the person who’s ordering a cake and not satisfied. I always keep in mind with not just how I run my business , but in everything I do how somebody would feel if I were them. And how I would like to be treated. My parents raised me to always be courteous, professional, personable, and mindful of my actions.

Since I’ve just started my business as of January 2022, the biggest lesson I’ve learned so far is to just keep going. One of my favorite rappers Larry June is somebody who makes it a point to motivate you to do that in his songs. Like no matter what, KEEP GOING. Don’t give a f*** about what anybody thinks. Keep it pushing!

I’m going to keep creating and keeping in mind where I want to be and where I will be, and using it as tunnel vision.

I want the world to know that no matter how big a dream is, just do it. If it truly makes you happy, and even those times when you feel exhausted but you still find joy in working on your aspirations, work on finding a way to do it to the point you can live your entire life off of it. That’s exactly how I feel about my passion for baking. It definitely took me a while to feel like that. But when I got to that point, I felt like literally anything is possible. Just put that work in.

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.
Hmm. So I consider myself still pretty new to the city. I moved here May 2021. My best friends do visit and honestly we both just figure it out together everytime lol. BUT since I’ve been here, I will say that a few places I’ve enjoyed so far to eat at are: Breakfast at Barney’s, Suite Food Lounge, and The Bando.

To drink and hang out: Fin and Feathers, Boogaloo, Cirque, and Rosebar.

For fun: Puttshack, fashion workshops are dope here. I want to visit Ponce City Market soon. And I’ve heard of some sneaker/thrift shops called Full Circle and Wish that I want to visit also since I love sneakers.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The credit goes to my friends and family. They have given me all the boosts of confidence I needed in order to start my business. When I would feel apprehensive about starting it, they were always there to tell me to just do it. Make it happen. You have the talent. You can do it.

An honorable mention goes out to Young Jeezy for making the song “Scared Money.” I had a fear of failure but when I thought about that song and his lyrics “Scared money don’t make no money”, it cleared those thoughts out Lol.

Website: http://forms.gle/j1SfMtxs4vbzs1fb8

Instagram: 1of1cakery

Twitter: 1of1cakery

Facebook: 1of1cakery

Other: Tiktok: 1of1cakery

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.