#WCW- Uzo Orimalade Managing Director of Uzo’s Food Labs

This week we are seriously crushing on Uzo Orimalade, the Creative Director of Cupcake Couture and Managing Director of Uzo’s Food Labs.

Now here’s a woman that really packs a punch. The only way to describe Uzo Orimalade would be intelligent and gutsy! I mean how else do you describe someone who leaves a highly lucrative job as an investment banker to become a baker…..yup you heard right….we said baker!

But not just the old type of baker….Uzo has created a profitable and recognisable brand in a relatively short space of time. Much like Martha Stewart (excluding the jail time off course), Uzo has got more things in the oven than just cakes!  From food demonstrations, writing and consulting to recipe design & engineering, menu planning, and culinary tutorage, Uzo has managed to leverage her passion for all things edible into a sustainable, profitable business. But that’s not all, Uzo is also the Host of Friday Food segment on The Spot on Ebony Life TV Uzo’s Food Labs YouTube channel, she is also a contributor on Bella Naija Cuisine and Konga Home & Cuisine blog.

Plus did we mention the woman grows her own veggies!

Just in case you aren’t convinced, here are 5 more reasons why we are crushing on Uzo

1. Tenacity, passion and zeal

“I started the baking business first while I was still working in investment banking. I would get home from work, bake overnight and deliver to clients before getting to work”.

It’s one thing to know your craft, but it’s an absolutely different thing to pursue it relentlessly. We all have dreams and ambitions, but somehow life gets in the way of achieving them. Uzo shows that tenacity, PLANNING and HARDWORK are key ingredients for realising your ambitions.

In a recent interview, Uzo gives us a glimpse into her day which roughly at about 6am with ensuring her son is ready for school. Work mode kicks in at 10am till about 7pm where she shifts into mother and wife gear. At 11pm she works out for about 30minutes and then starts working again and finally mages to get to bed at 2am! By our count that’s ONLY 4 hours of sleep….

2. Financial Savyiness

“You can have multiple streams of income but don’t be a serial entrepreneur with no focus”

“I saved a year’s equivalent of my salary before leaving my job”

“Every passion can be a source of income. One might just need to work a lot harder to let people see the value and be willing to pay for it”.

Okay, so if you missed our #redefiningfinance event, you really did miss out. Uzo is all about her money and she and other guests offered practical advice on savings, investments and general good financial housekeeping. More importantly Uzo shared on the key tips for transiting from paid employment to entrepreneurship!

3. Clear vision and road map

“It’s very interesting that when I meet people or unveil a new project, they immediately say – you want to be the Martha Stewart of Nigeria’ and I respond by correcting them – Africa I say. Then I go further and say – In time there will be no need to liken me to Martha Stewart. The name and brand UZO will stand on its own and be mentioned in the same breath as other leading women from around the world.”

“ [in five years I see myself] sitting at the top of a successful food and home entertainment group with reach outside the African continent

There’s a famous saying which goes “a wise woman can predict the future because she creates it”. Uzo has a clear vision and a strategy for achieving it. A woman who is constantly about her business, Uzo has managed to turn opportunity into profitability, steadily building a reputable brand with international significance.

4. Here on IBG, we have a HUGE sweet tooth….so any woman that can bake cakes that looks this amazing will forever be aces in our book