Conversations with Daijah Saunders

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daijah Saunders. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I always enjoyed the beauty of baking with my mother ever since I was a little girl. Every traditional holiday I always helped my mother prepare the desserts. I began selling desserts such as pound cake and muffins in high school as a side hustle until I graduated. Upon my freshman and sophomore year in college at WCCCD, I started another business customizing shoes and other items until that was no longer bringing in enough income for me. When COVID-19 hit I was away from home attending Central Michigan University and I was out of work for some time. During these few months, I realized I had to find another hustle to sustain my expenses. I then decided to take a leap of faith and started baking again, although I hadn’t known many people on campus and I was concerned with the other talented bakers there were at the time. I started with my apple cinnamon muffins and pound cake (same options in high school). I slowly but surely started getting noticed on campus for selling baked goods. In February 2020 I took another leap of faith and asked to be a part of this Fashion Show at school as a vendor. As scared as I was I ended up selling out of all of my products that day (pound cake, apple cinnamon muffins, banana pudding) and I knew I had to become more serious. Furthermore, August 2020 I knew I could see myself baking for the rest of my life and I received an LLC for my business and I have been at it ever since. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, the road has not been smooth. The challenges for me are making sure that I am marketing effectively & efficiently and having slower periods in sales than I would like. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am known for creating fresh baked goods from scratch such as cakes, cookies, muffins, pies, and more! From other bakers, Dessert Essentials stands on “satisfying sweet tooth sensations”, which is a combination of professionalism, and taste and packaging our products. 

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
From COVID-19 I have learned the importance of marketing and networking. 

Pricing:

• Cookies: starting-$15 for 1/2 dozen
• Cupcakes: starting- $15 for 1/2 dozen
• Muffins: starting- $15 for 1/2 dozen
• Custom Cakes: starting-$45
• Pies: 9”- $15

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://linktr.ee/DessertEssentials
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Dessertessentials_/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/dessertessentials/
• Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/dessert-essentials-detroit?osq=Dessert+essentials
• Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdktE3Kv/

Image Credits
@shutter.8