The 9-5 plus a side hustle Life January 13, 2021 – Posted in: Business stories

@lusciousdrips is one of the most beautiful souls I’ve ever met πŸ’“
She’s one of the first customers I had when I started back in 2016. Aunty mi (as I fondly call her is so patient and sweet). She gives feedbacks in a way that would make you know she genuinely cares about you 😁. The way she answers questions on facebook groups ehn 🀣🀣 even me I’m usually angry on her behalf 🀣🀣 but she takes all the questions sweetly and answers them.
Aunty mi makes really beautiful cakes and pays so much attention to details I kept wondering how she has time to combine baking with her 9-5 job plus being a wife and mom. Out of curiosity I ask her some questions that were bugging me and as the sweet baby girl of the most high she is she answered them πŸ˜€. If you’re a 9-5er and have questions in your heart this chat with aunty mi would answer them. If you have a 9-5 and you’re thinking of starting a side hustle you’d find insights here too. And if you just like to read like me 🀣🀣 you’d enjoy this.

If you have further questions you’d like to ask her, please feel free to slide into my dm or drop a comment 😁 I’d compile them and ask her.

The luscious drips story

Hi ma’am
Can we meet you
My name is Amaka Anenechukwu , the creative director of Luscious Drips by Havilah

How did you start baking.

I had baked a cake for my daughter’s first birthday in 2013. I had posted on my status stories but my friend who had started baking one year earlier encouraged me to come learn from her. I paid her 40k and it was a class that lasted for 3weeks. My only intention was to bake for kids anytime they wanted to eat cakes. Little did I know the decision would turn out to be a money making machine for me. It was one of the the best decisions I had ever taken. Today, I look back and I’m glad I took my friend’s counsel .

Would you like to share what your early days as a baker looked like?
My early days as a baker was a very discouraging one. I had a kenwood hand mixer with which I was working with. I had space constraint too as I had to bake and decorate from my kitchen. I had kids to attend to while working at the kitchen…. settling quarrels and fights amongst siblings et al🀣🀣🀣. One day I got an order for 5cakes…. That was one alarming miracle for my business🀣🀣 but my ken wood mixer was going to spoil my job. I began on Friday and ended on Saturday 😰😰😰 evening. I was so exhausted .
My loving husband who knew the stress I had gone through surprised me with a 5litre kitchen aid mixer. This was the beginning of good things for me. Baking and decorating became easier.

You currently have a 9-5 what do you do?
I work as a Consumer Care Specialist in one of the top Multinationals specifically a Brewing Company 😊.

Knowing baking is a very demanding business How do you combine 9-5 with baking as a business?

Combining my 9-5 job with cake business was a very Herculean task at the beginning but I honestly needed the two streams of income. Most evenings I would come home to bake and decorate till early hours of the morning . I would get to work and take short naps in between at a hidden corner of the office…… Need I mention the banging headaches that ensued after such stress? It wasn’t an experience I could describe.
One evening I came home so angry at nanny for not even showing any passion to learn. In that fit of anger she took to her heels🀣🀣🀣🀣. That was a night of transformation for her….. my outburst spurn her to learn….. today, she bakes the cakes while I decorate. She prepares the fondant , buttercream and royal icing. Prepares all the toppers for the cakes and can make pretty peonies and roses too.πŸ’ͺπŸ’ͺπŸ’ͺ. I have a very good support system 😜😜.

What challenges do you face?
Space is a major challenge I face. Sometimes, people want to learn from me but I do not have the luxury of space to teach them because I work from a small space at home.

Do you see yourself transitioning from a 9-5 to baking fully?

Yes, this is a work in progress. Everyone must retire at some point when it comes to secular paid job so one must have a plan on how to sustain the family after retirement.

Spousal/family support?
I have a fantastic support system. At some point my brother would come all the way to help me deliver cakes. My hubby supports to deliver tiered cakes in the past. They all still support me till date in different forms. 😍😍😘

Advice for anyone who has a 9-5 and wants to start baking on the side?
My advice would be that one ensures she has a passion for this. The passion will keep you burning in the face of discouragement . Learn new skills too and move with the trend!
Thank you

Thank you so much for reading.
We would love to know if you learnt anything from this session with Amaka Anajemba. You can also asks questions in the comments section which we’d be glad to answer.