What is my actual job?!

So, I’ve been asked a lot recently about what I actually do. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to start blogging again. I’ve set myself a list of tasks for the summer (to come in a later blog) and I thought this would be the perfect way to get back out there!
I went to Sheffield Hallam University and studied Business and Enterprise management. I chose the course because I needed to go to uni (let’s be honest, what African parents would let their kid not go to uni) and study something that meant I could run my business alongside it. I didn’t really work out the way I expected it to. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve learnt a lot I’ve been able to apply practically but I didn’t really get the enterprise side of it and I wasn’t really allowed to use my own business when doing work. Final year was a lot more the way I expected it to be. My favourite tutor was someone who runs their own business and could teach us everything from a practical point of view as well as an academic point of view. It was really inspiring. I also got to work as a consultant and generally reflect on everything I’ve done in the last year which may not seem like much but it’s amazing how much you can do without knowing it! I finished uni at the beginning of May (no idea where 3 years went!) and will officially graduate in November which is exciting!
Whilst studying I’ve also worked alongside running my business Mostly Muffins. Mostly Muffins supplies cakes/desserts, offers (Mostly Muffins) and as I’ve always said, if you can get the flavour in a cake, you can get it in a muffin! I normally make bespoke cakes for birthdays alongside muffins. A customer will give me an idea of what they’re looking for or a picture and I’ll come up with their individual masterpiece. I’ve supplied university events, the Made Entrepreneurs Festival and other small events. I’ve ran the business for nearly 4 years now and as stressful as it can be, I wouldn’t change a thing. Nothing beats working for yourself! I put in the hours and it pays off. I’ve also been really lucky with my customer base that has grown alongside me. To say I’ve taught myself what I do, I have a very loyal and patient customer base!
Alongside the business, I also work as an NPD (new product development) consultant. Imagine you walk into a supermarket looking for a Betty Crocker cake mix, someone out there made up the recipe, trialled it, presented it and got it into the places where you can buy it. That is basically what I do. I currently work with gluten free baking mixes and cereals. I’ll work from concept to launch so I’ll be given a brief, e.g. vanilla sponge. I’ll do some research, make up a recipe, bake it and try it till it’s approved by certain people then present it to potential customers and retailers. I’ve done a lot of other things that involve food styling and running factory trials but basically, I get paid to bake and eat all day. I’ve been involved with quite a few of the gluten free baking mixes and cereals that are found in the supermarkets at the moment which I’m really proud of.
Finally, I also work for Carphone warehouse. I work in one of the top stores in the country so it’s pretty busy and intense sometimes. I’m a sales assistant so my job is to sell people phones, contracts and broadband. There are a few things people don’t know. Firstly, Carphone genuinely have the best deals for contracts whether new or upgrades as we price match. Secondly, we also offer great broadband deals and thirdly, just because you got your contract from someone else doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade through Carphone! My job is to sell but I build relationships with my customers. I serve customers like I would serve my own family (which is why my customer service ratings are so high) because I know at the end of the day I’ll save them money and sell them something I know will suit them meaning they’ll remember me and come back to me. I love my job at Carphone because not only do I work with a really good team but I get to meet so many different people from different walks of life. Yes, I deal with some difficult customers and some days I may not want to be at work but I’ve met people that have opened up new opportunities for me and taught me some very important life lessons which I’ve used at work, for my business and even my own personal life. It’s crazy how you can spend an hour with someone and know each other so well! Next time you want a new phone, an upgrade or need a new broadband provider, pop in and save yourself some money!
I absolutely love what I do and I’m very lucky to have been given the opportunities I have had. I work extremely hard and although I have different jobs that don’t seem to link, they do. Each job teaches me something I can use in another. Hopefully I can carry on learning more and developing! The ultimate goal is to build my own empire and hopefully one day I’ll get there.