Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nika Spencer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nika, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
I had my first child in 2019 and returned to work 4 months after my maternity leave. I returned to the same cubicle in the same position with the same office politics that had been there before I left. I, however, was not the same. My life had a new purpose as a mother, and while I wanted (and needed) to continue working, I wanted to make sure that my professional endeavors were truly fulfilling and worth the time spent away from my daughter.
After much hesitation and consideration, and with the encouragement of my husband and friends, I decided to quit my non=profit job in the field in which I had earned my Master’s just a few years prior. I walked into a boutique bakery and convinced the owners to hire me with zero experience in the food and service industry. After a 12 hour unpaid trial shift to prove myself, I started working the 4:30am Morning Baker shift and worked there for 4 months before the pandemic hit. It was the most grueling job I ever had, but I learned so much and left with enough experience to fulfill my dream of owning my own home bakery.
My husband and I moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia in April, 2020 not knowing a single person in our town of Lafayette Hill. A few months later, I gave birth to my son. Even with a newborn and a toddler, I could not stop dreaming about my home bakery opening, so I began my licensing application, drafted my menu, created samples for friends and family, and started taking on small cake decorating jobs for family members to build experience.
In January of 2021, I was licensed by the PA Department of Agriculture as a home bakery, and in February I made my first sales to people I didn’t know for Valentines Day – which was truly an electrifying feeling! I’ll never forget it. Fast forward to 2024, and my business has grown to the point where I am earning the same salary as the non-profit job that I left 5 years ago, but I am my own boss, doing what I love more than anything in the world, while being an involved and present parent to my children. I can confidently say it was absolutely worth the risk to switch careers!
Nika, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
A Whisk Worth Tasting is a home bakery specializing in custom cakes, cupcakes, and decorating classes across the Philadelphia suburbs. I am a completely self-taught baker and cake decorator, however I worked in a commercial bakery for four months which improved my organization and efficiency in the kitchen.
Since childhood, I enjoyed baking because of the joy it brought me to share with others, and, if we’re being honest, I always looked forward to licking the spoon! While working my 9-5 before launching my home bakery, I began experimenting with more complex, from-scratch baking as a creative outlet, and I quickly became the default baker whenever there was a birthday or celebration at the office. Soon, my colleagues started to pay me for ingredients to bake for their own celebrations, which got me thinking that maybe this could turn into something more… which it absolutely has!
I am proud of myself for being open to learning something new and turning it into a new career in my 30s. I’m proud of how I’ve built my business around quality, bespoke, and truly delicious cakes for my clients who return year after year to celebrate life’s special moments. I’m also proud of the curriculum of cupcake and cake decorating courses which I started three years ago and have now taught hundreds of students in partnership with several local organizations.
Ultimately I’m proud of me for following my passion and taking the risk to put my edible art out there, and as always I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has trusted me to bring their visions to life in cake. When you order a cake from a Whisk Worth Tasting, you know you are not only getting a delicious, handcrafted cake; you are also getting a centerpiece for your celebration that you and your guests will remember and talk about for years to come.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Consistency over time is key! I have grown my IG following organically to 115K followers over the past 4 years and gain at least 100 new followers every day. How? I always tell people that it took me 16 months of posting a reel EVERY SINGLE DAY before I grew past 1000 followers. Read that again. I kept doing it because I truly enjoyed it, and I had no idea my account would turn into what it is today, generating multiple income streams. During that time, I was getting better at editing videos but also learning how to make engaging content that resonated with my audience, which is key to growth on social media.
My advice is to find a rhythm and routine that works for you that you can stick to, and don’t get discouraged. Keep showing up for the followers you already have, not those you don’t have (yet). If you are committed and consistent, you will see growth over time. Remember to provide value for your audience so that they want to see what else you can offer them.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Word of Mouth. Produce high quality products that people love, provide a friendly and easy customer service experience, and they will tell their friends about you. My business boomed practically overnight within a couple weeks of selling products within my local community. I went from a stay-at-home-mom to needing support with childcare almost immediately because my first customers helped spread the word. This is the most powerful driver of small businesses!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.whiskworthtasting.com/
- Instagram: @whiskworthtasting
- Facebook: @whiskworthtasting
