Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ivoryana Davison. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ivoryana, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

As a teenager, I would bake a large batch of cupcakes for each gathering my family would have. I baked my first cake from scratch in 2016, but I’d only do this once every blue moon. In 2020, a mentor of mine gave me an assignment to come up with a business name and plan. At that time Imbali was the name, short and sweet, but it was missing something. I came up with a completely different idea, but I didn’t pursue due to Covid and other hardships.

For the Thanksgiving holiday in 2023, I baked a 7-Up pound cake. My family loved the cake and my mother said “Girl you need to sell this!” I laughed it off but the thought was still in the back of my head. I decided to bake a rum pound cake for Christmas, and I got the same reaction once again.

Imbali Sweets & Treats is the name I decided to go with. Imbali means flower in the Zulu language. Flowers represent beauty, growth, evolution, femininity, and so many great things. In New Orleans when Zulu is said is said, most people think of the Zulu parades for Mardi Gras. This is how I decided to tie it all together.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Ivoryana and I’m a mother, home baker, and treat maker from New Orleans, Louisiana. I started my business by baking for family and friends, and it’s grown from that to me baking a larger variety of desserts and making a number other treats. Imbali Sweets & Treats is the first idea I’ve actualized and pursued consistently in a very long time. I am proud of myself, my business, and its great growing potential. With a big smile, I strive to give great customer service and a sweet experience to everyone I encounter. There’s going to be so much more to see from Imbali and I hope others will join me on my journey.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Although my business is still really small, word-of-mouth and social media has helped build my reputation. I am so grateful for every like, follow, share, and recommendation.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn fear of failure and the need for perfection. It’s okay to not be perfect. It’s okay to start over and try again. Fear is a hinderance, “False Evidence Appearing Real”. You only fail if you don’t try, so just do it. Practice makes better, not perfect, so keep going.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Imbali_sweets_treats
• Facebook: Imbali Sweets & Treats
• Other: TIkTok @imbali_sweets_treats

Image Credits

Imbali Sweets & Treats
Ivoryana Davison