TAMEKA’S CAKES Tastes ohhhh ....so good!
Unscripted (Commentary)
By Keith Edmonds
FWIS Contributing Writer
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” ~James 1:12
Welcome back to UNSCRIPTED! This week I decided to take a short break from sports and get back to sharing a piece that I have been anticipating for a long time. Tameka Beckum Foster is one of our local business owners here in Fort Wayne and is establishing her business as one that will be firmly planted in our community for a very long time. What business am I talking about? It is called: Tameka’s Cakes & Desserts located on the NE side of our city, and when I tell you, this place sells amazing items, I can’t come close to giving it the credit that it deserves! Tameka’s Cakes has so many items to choose from that there is bound to be a favorite you’ll choose from the menu. From tasty selections such as: Sour Crème Pound Cake, Caramel Cake, Lemon Neapolitan Creme, and my personal favorite Carrot Cake, (and many others,) once you make your choice of what to purchase, trust me when I say, you will be back again and again and again! I recently caught up with the owner and she shared with me how she got into this business and what her goals are for continuing to establish Tameka’s Cakes in Fort Wayne…
UNSCRIPTED: Welcome to Unscripted and thank you for allowing this to happen!
TAMEKA: “Thank you for having me today!”
UNSCRIPTED: I am amazed at all of the items that you create, tell me how you got your start and why you decided to make creating these great desserts a career for yourself?
TAMEKA: “Well my love for cooking started a long, long time ago in Hattiesburg, Mississippi where I am from. My mom gave me my first cookbook at 9 years old and started teaching me how to cook HER way. Instead of using store bought pre-mixed seasonings, (such as poultry seasoning, seasoned salt) etc.., she used individual herbs and spices to tweak recipes to her taste. This method influenced how I looked at ALL dishes as I became more advanced in the kitchen. From there, I wrote my first business plan in high school for a Beta Club competition, and I convinced my home Economics teacher to use her class as my employees. I was fortunate enough to have it seen by the right eyes and that really got me thinking that I could do this as a business.”
UNSCRIPTED: So why Fort Wayne? What gave you the confidence to “step out on faith” and begin this business?
TAMEKA: “My husband received a promotion on the job which brought our family to Fort Wayne. The closest transfer for my position was 3 hours away, so I chose to be a stay-at-home mom for a while. But with my sales and marketing background, a business degree from Tuskegee University and a master's in HR from Penn State, I was confident that this was also my moment to go for my dream. I knew no one in Fort Wayne and actually started shipping nationwide in May of 2020. By January 2021 I began a more targeted marketing plan to gain brand awareness locally through acquaintances and social media. I also spent a short time at Cook Spring Shared Kitchen at the Summit on Rudisill. These moves got my name and business out there, which is still proving to be successful for me!”
UNSCRIPTED: With your being a “One man band” in running your business, (so to speak) and having so many products that you market, is the goal to consolidate what you are doing or to keep adding to the menu? By the way, I looove Cake slice Fridays!
TAMEKA: “Oh, without a doubt I’m going to keep adding to my products and obviously add to my staff to assist me in getting these products out to the public. I really enjoy baking and though there may be others out there in the baking world, I don’t look at it as competition but more so giving the public a variety of options to meet their dessert needs. Thank you for supporting Cake Slice Fridays!”
UNSCRIPTED: Tameka, you are certainly doing wonderful things in our community, but I must ask; are you where you thought you would be at this point in your business life in Fort Wayne?
TAMEKA: Ohhh nooo, I’m at least a year behind in terms of where I thought I would be, but the important thing that motivates me is that I’m a firm believer that God opens and closes doors for a reason, and that he has a specific plan for my business.”
UNSCRIPTED: As you take a look at your business plan moving forward, what are you looking for in employees that can help support your vision?
TAMEKA: “I’m looking for people who love to bake but have an understanding that baking in volume in a commercial space is quite different from baking at home. People have often said that they would enjoy working with me, but when they see the amount of work that goes into it, they back away quickly (lol). They need to understand that I want to have fun, but I’m very meticulous in my approach to running this business and will not take my customers for granted.”
UNSCRIPTED: As we close Unscripted today, what would you like to share to assist someone that is looking to do what you do in running a business and the challenges that come with it?
TAMEKA: What I’d like to share is to always have a belief in yourself and your vision. Know who you are and where you want to go. You will always have people that will try to tell you what they think you should do, but they don’t understand what’s going on behind the scenes of your life. They won’t always want to listen, but you must stay true to yourself and your business. Don’t be afraid to say no to people and above all, pray about everything! God will give you guidance and things will work out as you trust HIM.”