We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nikita Ford. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nikita below.

Nikita, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?

The most innovative thing I have done in my career was to help breastfeeding moms amid the baby formula shortage. The nationwide baby formula shortage has shown no mercy in a mother’s ability to feed her baby. I have witnessed mothers struggle to provide proper nourishment for their children because they are not producing enough breastmilk to feed their babies, and the formula is tough to come by. Knowing this, I decided to make lactation cookies that help moms produce more breastmilk to feed their babies. I make the cookies and give them away to the moms for free. I have gotten an outpour of support for this initiative, and moms have been able to produce more milk for their babies.

Nikita, 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?

First and foremost, I got the nickname Keet from playing softball in high school. My name is Nikita, pronounced Ni-Keet-A, and it was a name that has stuck with me since. Most people know me as Keet. When they find out my name is Nikita, it is often a shock. I have been a baker since I was six years old when I received an E-Z bake oven, I fell in love with it then. I started out baking for my children for their birthdays, and occasionally bake a banana pudding as a snack. When my husband bought me my first stand mixer in 2019, I began baking from home. I toyed with the idea of selling my sweets, and that quickly became a reality as people were interested in what I was baking, and paid to have their sweets shipped all around the United States. In 2021, I opened a bakery in the West End of Richmond, VA, and have since made it a priority to not only provide great sweets for people and their events but also use my platform to be able to give back to the community and raise mental health awareness. I feel that being a pillar in the community is something that sets me apart from others because it is not always just about sweets. It is about what can I do to make the world a better place, even if it is one cookie at a time. I am most proud of giving breastfeeding mothers free lactation cookies to help increase their breast milk. I am proud that I participate in an annual bake sale that helps Saint Jude’s raise money for cancer research for children. I am proud that I use my platform to raise awareness of mental health as I lost my brother in January of this year to suicide. It is important that if you have a platform, you must use it.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Being a small business owner requires so much resilience. To this day, I have to remember that all growth is not instantaneous and things do in fact take time. As a mom of four, a wife, a full-time teacher, and a baker, it is important that I have to remember not to beat myself up when I am tired some days. I have to remember that I am human, and this isn’t easy. Some days, my business seems to be thriving, and other days it seems I won’t be able to make ends meet. It is imperative to remember that you have a purpose, a reason to keep going, and to continue to give what it is you have to offer to others. When I first started out, my original pursuit fell through and I was extremely discouraged. The original bakery I thought I had, didn’t work out. I bought all of my equipment, it was sitting in boxes in my house. I thought it was over, even before I started. My husband and mother spoke life into me and reminded me that it is a minor set back, and let’s figure out how we can go forward with what I wanted to achieve. Shortly after, I found another location that was a prime location and had everything I was looking for. It felt “right”. I have just celebrated being open for one year in May, and I am still going strong. Keep going, even when it feels hard.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think word of mouth has helped build my reputation within my market. I have some very loyal customers that will no matter how many bakeries come to town, will continue to support me and my vision for the community. I always treat my customers turned family with the utmost respect, and people enjoy their experience with me whether it is for five minutes or five hours. People don’t mind paying for the product when they know they are getting a quality product from quality people. People will sing your praises high when they know you are amazing. It is important to always put your best foot forward, always! People are watching.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sweetsbykeet.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/sweetsbykeet
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/sweetsbykeet