We were lucky to catch up with Tanika Nelson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tanika, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Nika’s Cupcake Bar started as a way to cope with life . I always admired people who made beautiful desserts . I would sit on YouTube for hours as a form of escape from my real life . I taught myself how to pipe cupcakes and use to give them away as gifts . People loved the gesture and i thought well if this helps me and someone else maybe I’ll stick with it . 8 years later , here we are .

Tanika, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started NCB as a way to give a gesture that nobody would throw away or sit on a shelf . I’d make custom boxes of cupcakes or themed towers and bring it to work. People always tried to pay me . I would be like … I’m doing something nice lol that’s all . So I got on Instagram and found lots of bakers and treat designers . Black women specifically. I wanted to see how they showed up in this cake world I knew nothing about . I took business and branding classes, I took cake designing classes . Retreats . And realized this is what I’m supposed to be doing . My own way . In my own lane . The main thing that I want people to know about me and Nika’s Cupcake bar is . The whole point is to inspire . The Whole point of me creating this is that we want to be the example of change and consistency and authenticity. We would love to be a bridge and a partner to anyone thinking of cake and it’s world . It hard starting , it’s hard doing but if it’s calling you . Do it .

How did you build your audience on social media?

I built my audience on Instagram organically ! Even though I only have a little over 3k followers . I have some quality people and businesses on my timeline . I met them by interacting and having genuine dialog . I’m not a person that just talks to talk or give a complement or something just to do it . It has to peak my interest . It has to really be funny or impactful for me to want to engage with it . Funny enough they feel the same way about me . I’m grateful for that .

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

A lesson that I had to unlearn while becoming Nika’s cupcake bar is , it’s about the journey. I am creating something that I’ve never seen before . So my road is unpaved . It’s ok not to know what to do or how to do it . Trial and error is just that . And to move on . In the past I spent so much time on being perfect to society’s standards and it kept me from progressing . Since I’ve let go of the perfect Mindset my blessing have been colossal. I’m finally completely obsessed with being authentic over perfect .

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.Nikascupcakebar. Com
• Instagram: @nikascupcakebar
• Facebook: Nikascupcakebar
• Linkedin: Tanika nika nelson Nelson
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCfWE98m3O1wo1hCFCCdByog