Today we’d like to introduce you to Ayana Boykins.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When people ask me how I got started, I love to say “I didn’t find baking, baking found me”. Growing up, I played soccer for almost thirteen years. I had a whole game plan of going to a four years university, playing on a college team, and getting my degree in financial management. However, I didn’t know God had another purpose for my life.
My sophomore year, I ended up getting severely injured which caused me to be off the pitch for over a year. During my recovery time, I turned to YouTube for entertainment since I was on bed rest for a few weeks. I started to run out of things to watch and came across baking videos online. I surprisingly found it so interesting! I consumed my time with hours of watching people create different cakes with different techniques. I was so fascinated that people could create this beautiful art and it was edible! As soon as I was able to get on my feet, I knew I had to try out what I was watching. My first time making a cake from scratch were red velvet cupcakes for my high school crush for Valentine’s Day. My stepmom and I spent the whole afternoon baking what seemed like four dozen cupcakes. It didn’t take long before I felt like this was something I never wanted to end. I fell madly in love.
From that day on I couldn’t stop. I was baking any and everything I could google or watch on YouTube. Trial and error was my middle name after the amounts of sunken cakes, horrendously decorated cupcakes, and burnt pastries that flew out of my oven. However, no matter how many times I failed one thing remained, I wanted to keep creating! In less than a year everything I thought I wanted and everything I had planned for myself was thrown out the window. I sat down with my family and broke the news that I wanted to go to culinary school. Although they were surprised, they have been my biggest supporters! I attended Le Cordon Bleu Los Angeles and received my degree in Occupational Studies in Baking and Patisserie.
After school, I worked professionally in the field for years at a high-end hotel in Pasadena. While going to school and working, I was building a home bakery. One day I started to think to myself if I am creating treats for royalty, celebrities, and millionaires at work everyday, why can’t I do that for myself? Why can’t I do it for a business that was MINE? I was so conflicted with the thought of leaving my job to fully invest in my business. Fear would get the best of me, but I knew what God wanted for me and my life so I had to jump. I had to take a leap of faith to be able to fully invest my time in A Teaspoon Of Heaven and that’s what I did. And it is the best decision I could’ve ever made!
Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth? HA! Far from it. If I could sum up this whole journey into one word it would be challenging. Taking on entrepenship is probably one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. Starting out, you are a one-man band. You are your secretary, accountant, manager, crew, delivery guy, head decorator, head baker, boss, and everyone else that goes into having a business run smoothly. Some of my main struggles along the way have been balance and time. Growing a business comes with a tremendous amount of sacrifice as well as dedication. There has been multiple times where I’ve had days where I just wanted to cry from feeling overwhelmed, lost crazy amounts of sleep, gone through depression and anxiety, and felt like I was just ready to give up. I had to literally have a conversation with myself and say that giving up is not an option.
Although this has been a challenging road, it has also been so rewarding! Even with all the ups and downs, rises and falls, I would not trade it for the world! It has built character, it has taught me so much, and most importantly showed me that I am way stronger than I see myself at times. As a young entrepreneur, there is so much distraction out there. Self-discipline is one struggle that I feel every growing business owner has. You have to CHOSE what you spend your time on. You have to CHOSE to miss out on some fun so you can get in a better position. Yes, it can suck. However, I always say, short term sacrifice for long term benefit.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with A Teaspoon Of Heaven – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My company specializes in custom cakes and desserts. I create beautiful, clean treats for any event. I cater to birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, business events and more! I take pride in creating not only a magical cakes for my clients but an even better experience. I love getting to know my clients, their likes and dislikes, and creating a Taylor-made experience for them. All desserts A Teaspoon Of Heaven produces are made completely from scratch with quality ingredients. We are able to produce tasty treats for any dietary restriction on top of traditional cake options. I love creating fun, out of the norm flavors that speak to the soul. ATOH cakes are not only show stopping, but the taste will be sure to create a buzz at your next event. Not only does the quality of ATOH product set apart from other major bakeries, I also feel like my location does as well… I am located in the Inland Empire, IE STAND UP! Growing up in my area, we didn’t have access to all the fun, trendy things that LA was known for. I am consistently researching, keeping up with, and creating my own trends to deliver to my local 909 natives as well as my large LA clientele. My approach for my business is to bring flavors, culture, and techniques that are dear to my heart and execute them in a high-end design.
Lastly and most importantly, what sets me apart from others is my relationship with God. Our main slogan here at ATOH is “Made with love and A Teaspoon Of Heaven”. Most people interpret it as our desserts will be the best you’ve ever tasted, which they most definitely will be, but the root of that is simply saying everything we do, everything we create is based on faith. A Teaspoon Of Heaven would not exist if it was not for the vision God has given me, as well as the gift he has trusted me with. I understand being a part of so many of my clients special days hold a greater purpose and greater responsibility than just supplying cakes, it’s life changing. So I will continue to glorify God every step of the way. He is the foundation of everything ATOH stands for!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
One thing I love about this city is culture. There are such a blend of beautiful people from different amazing backgrounds. That plays a major role in the culinary world. I am so interested in different flavor combinations from different cultures to see what I am able to create from it. Food in any form doesn’t just speak to your tummy, but it speaks to your soul. There’s nothing like biting into a sweet potato pie and being reminded of holidays with your family. Or someone far from home, indulging in a treat with flavors native to their culture. I am a firm believer that food connects us in ways we aren’t able to connect on our own. I also love the amount of opportunity!
Thus far on my journey, I have met so many astounding people. I have had opportunities to work along known chefs in the industry as well as network with other upcoming entrepreneurs. This has left room for tremendous amounts of collaboration. I have been able to cultivate so many relationships with an abundance of talented people within and out of my field. LA has so many hidden gems within the city, and it has been such an experience to find so much treasure within my backyard.
Contact Info:
- Website: ateaspoonofheaven.com
- Phone: (909)293-8214
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @ateaspoonofheaven
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ateaspoonofheaven
Image Credit:
@ndvisualsmedia
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