Inspire: Ants, The Real MVPs

Inspiration comes from the weirdest places sometimes. Most of the time it just sneaks up on you without you even noticing until you are inspired to go out and achieve more. And sometimes your inspiration can come from one of the smallest living thing known to man: ANTS. Yup you read right, ANTS. I bet you never thought you would see the day when someone would say something as crazy as that, right?

I sat outside my house on Saturday evening enjoying a cob of corn and some native pear, oka n’ube as my Ibo people would call it. I’m sorry brothers and sisters in diaspora, I didn't mean to make you salivate, it's just the season back here in Nigeria. Anyway, back to my story. Some ears of corn made their way to the ground as I ate, some big and some smaller than the others.

Young and In Charge: Ugonma Chiori

'One particular day, I had made up my mind to quit baking, get a real job then keep baking as a side hustle. I ran into a group of children I had baked cupcakes for and they screamed,"Aunty Cupcake Aunty Cupcake"... I teared up, nobody understood why.' When the motivation for what you do goes beyond the monetary compensation that comes at the end of a successful job, the will to keep on moving even when defeat is staring you in the face never runs out. Our YIC of the month has a couple of lessons to teach us, from never giving up to starting small. It promises to be an interesting read and I hope you enjoy getting to know baker extraordinaire, Ugonma Chiori, as much as I did.

Let’s start by getting to know you a little bit. Tell us a little about yourself, from childhood till now. 

I'm from Abia State but I was born and brought up in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. I had all my education in Akwa Ibom State, my family stays there so basically, I am an "Uyo babe". I am a baker, blogger, choreographer, fitness enthusiast. I'm a 3rd generation baker. I have vague memories of my maternal grandmother baking, sewing...you see, she was a Home Economics teacher. I remember my mother used to bake for leisure but later in life, I found myself doing it as a business. However, before I became a baker, I used to be a "makeup artiste". Actually, I have always been a "business woman". Back in the University, I sold everything ranging from chocolates to sweets to dresses my mother bought for me I was a Mary Kay/Avon sales rep... I sold everything. "Do you like it? Do you want it? Okay, bring money". Yes, that was me.