We recently connected with Sharai Wiley and have shared our conversation below.

Sharai, appreciate you joining us today. 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.

It was 2022. COVID was starting to wane. We were all begining to feel somewhat normal again. My mother had a medical emergency on 1/1/22. Doctors told us she was not going to make it. Thankfully she did! When she returned home, she asked me to bake her a cake. For those that know me know I am NOT a cook let alone a baker. But, I did it because my mom asked. The first cake I ever baked was a vanilla cake with chocolate buttercream. I enjoyed the baking process. I enjoyed the look of enjoyment on the faces of my family from seeing me in the kitchen. It warmed my heart to get such heartfelt feedback regarding the taste of the cake. A new passion in that moment was unlocked.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I currently work full time in Healthcare. I never thought my baking would turn into a full business. I did post treats in the begining to show off my work and if someone offered to pay me for a cookie then so be it! I really took this new passion seriously. I purchased all the equipment and tools needed. Enrolled in YouTube University to study new techniques as well as old ones. My family became my test subjects. I baked their cakes for their birthdays and anytime they wanted a sweet treat. If there was a new recipe I wanted to try, they were/are my taste testers. I appreciate the VERY honest feedback I receive from them.

I am constantly studying and researching cakes techniques and recipes to expand my knowledge to continue growing.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

My current full time job funded and funds my business. Once I take care of my personal bills and the needs/wants for my son, I invest my own money in advertising/marketing, equipment and learning materials. The goal is to bake full time and open my own bakery.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I already had a personal Facebook and Instagram page. I invited all of my friends from those pages to follow my business page. I also encourge them to tell their friends/followers to follow my business pages as well.

Also, at least once a month, I buy ads on FB and IG to promote my pages. This has helped with my social media presence as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/cayke.bySharai

Image Credits

GIF pics: Cameron Addison