Introduction

My name is Olusegun A. Adesina and I am the head baker, chief decorator and creative director of DCL Bakery and Crafts, Lagos, Nigeria. I am also known as drumzcakelord which was coined to represent my passion for both drumming and baking.  I graduated with a degree in Agricultural Economics from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria.

How did you come about the decision of what you currently do? What are some of the career choices that have led you to this point?

My decision to be an entrepreneur was shaped even before I graduated from the University and my journey to becoming a sugar artist and pastry chef was born out of a desire to be empowered. During my studies, I did my Industrial training in a bank and after that experience, I knew I did not want to work in a bank or similar setting. I also attended a lot of empowerment seminars at that time, where there was a lot of awareness about limited job opportunities and the need to be empowered and obtain skills that can provide income if job opportunities were not forthcoming. I was also interested in joining the military (army, air force or navy) but the military recruits seasonally, so by the time I graduated, I already had my mind set on obtaining an entrepreneurial skill because I did not want to become a liability.

My first decision was to go into photography, as that was an area of interest for me. I bought a laptop with the savings I had and then started to save up for a professional camera to facilitate my training. Before, I could get the camera, my phone was stolen, and I had to divert the savings I had to buy a phone. This put a stall on my plans to start my photography training.

One day, I was seated in the living room and was listening to the discussion my mum and sister were having about her wedding. It was at this point it hit me that I could learn how to bake cake before my sister got married as that was also a creative skill. I shared my thoughts with my mum and sister and they agreed and supported me and my journey to becoming a cake artist started. I immediately took the opportunity to learn cake making from my sister who is a good baker instead of waiting to buy a camera. I found it easy to learn fast because I fell in love with the craft. I also dedicated a lot of my time to learning and trying new recipes. Asides from what I was learning from her, I spent time watching a lot of YouTube videos for design ideas and strategies.

The first four years of working as a cake artist, I was not focused on just profit making, rather I was focused on improving my craft and honing my skills. In my fifth year, I decided to expand on my skills and enrolled in a mixology training program at Liquor library bartending Academy, after this I also decided to travel to Abuja to enroll at Reddish Chronicles for a diploma in French pastries and baking. After these, I started participating in competitions, where I won in majority of them.

“by the time I graduated, I already had my mind set on obtaining an entrepreneurial skill because I did not want to become a liability.” Olusegun Adesina

What inspires or drives you, why do you do what you do?

I am driven by the ecstatic look on my client’s face when they see their cake. That feeling of being able to add value and make a person happy when they come to pick up or receive their cakes keep me going and drives me to keep improving on myself. Also, the support, positive feedback and comments from family and friends drives me. Knowing that I inspire these people is a major drive for me. My desire and decision not to be a liability also drives me, the way I see it is, when I am empowered, and I do my work, I become one less problem to my society and nation at large. Also, driving myself to do one more thing means I can inspire people to do better, to decide not to be liabilities to their family, society and the nation and most importantly, to believe in themselves and in the works of their hands. This has become a sense of purpose for me and it keeps me on my feet, striving to become better. God has been my greatest source of inspiration. I am where I am today because God has helped me this far. I am nowhere near where I aspire to get to but with God and my drive, I keep making progress.

What skills or habits did you develop along the way that helped you get here and helps you in keeping up with the demands of what you currently do?

Maintaining focus is very important. When I started, I stuck my head in the game and cut out distractions, even when I almost got sidetracked, I was able to regain focus. Another important habit is studying and learning from others, especially people who do better than you. I have some mentors in the craft and their work inspire me. I take my time to study what they have created, brood over their designs, ask myself how they were able to achieve that design or concept and then approach them with questions. When I can, I try to fit myself into their creative space, so I can follow their thought pattern that led to them creating most of their beautiful work. Prayer is also an important part of what helps me, I always ask God for direction and creativity and also for confidence to pull off those creative ideas.

I also ensure I avoid laziness, I make sure I stay updated with the trends in the cake making industry. I keep myself in the loop and I consistently learn, unlearn and relearn to avoid becoming obsolete or short of ideas. Time management and proper scheduling is necessary, I approach every job like a task that I must execute and complete within the stipulated time, so I ensure I stick to my schedule. I have also learnt to prioritize, for example, I am a drummer, but for me to ensure I meet up with the demands of my business, I stopped drumming at events and limited myself to drumming in church occasionally.

“the way I see it is, when I am empowered, and I do my work, I become one less problem to my society and nation at large.” Olusegun Adesina

What is one of the challenging things about your work?

It would have to be starting up. Cake making is lucrative but very capital intensive, so setting up a proper structure is not easy. However, if you are going to be successful, you have to keep saving and investing into the business to make sure you are properly equipped. Even after starting up, you would still need to keep investing into equipment and tools to make sure you stay updated in your craft.

Do you have a spiritual practice? If so, has this influenced or helped you in your work or decisions in anyway

Yes, I am a Christian and this has influenced how I run my business. I allow the Holy Spirit to direct my decisions as well as seek inspiration and creativity from God. Staying in faith also gives me the assurance that if I avoid complacency, the future will always be better.

 One More Thing you intend to do or are working towards and some steps/decisions/skills you are making/learning to achieve it?

I would like to learn French language to make me fluent, so I can access francophone African countries for training and empowerment programs. I would also like to go for my master’s degree in business administration to help me manage my business as my brand gets bigger. I also intend taking a painting and sculpting course to enhance my cake making skills in those areas.

“Another important habit is studying and learning from others, especially people who do better than you.” Olusegun Adesina

Other words of wisdom/encouragement;

The first thing would be to be diligent and have a mindset of wanting to be one of the best, if not the best at whatever your hands find to do. There is always a process and a price to pay to be successful. With due diligence, prayer, smart work, proper planning and strategy, I believe the sky would be the starting point. Have the mindset of a solution provider, this can make you creative about refusing to be a burden to the society.

To the youths specifically, I would say there is dignity in labor, avoid looking for quick money, work and ask God to bless what you do. It is only the blessing of God that has no sorrow attached to it. The most important thing is remaining consistent, if you choose to be consistent, before long, God will bless the work of your hands.

Thank you

Olusegun Adesina

DCL Bakery & Crafts

IG: @drumzcakelord