A SMALL business owner has big plans for the future, going from starting a baking brand with an attitude in January to quitting her job and making cookies full time in the space of six months.
Rheann Oakely is the founder of Bad B**ch Bakes, a small business based in Erskine that bakes stuffed cookies and dessert treats and distributes them to shops, cafes, and gyms.
Bad B**ch Bakes – also known as BBB has taken off since the start of the year. Her delicious stuffed cookies are filled with fan-favourite treats like Bueno Bars, Biscoff, Nutella spreads, and many more.
It’s been quite a fast-paced journey for the 27-year-old who only started it out as a hobby during the pandemic to give to her family and friends. However, those family and friends who she so kindly sweetened up seen that her skills were for more than just their own indulgence as they encouraged her to give baking a professional attempt.
Soon after starting the brand with a feisty social media presence in January, Rheann quit her job as a manager in Johnstone Coffee Co, to go full time in her endeavour in June and hired a commercial kitchen in the West End of Glasgow to manage the ever-growing scale of her company. But before that time, she was juggling both jobs and working tirelessly to get BBB off the ground.
She said: “It was about five months from creating the Instagram to quitting my job to go full time with BBB, and it was hard.
“I was working 40-hour weeks doing 6am-4pm in the café, and then coming home to do BBB related work, and then on my days off I was doing 13-hour bakes. So, I knew I would eventually have to quit one or the other.
“Looking back, I can see why people thought I was nuts quitting my job to do it full time because of the high risk. But I’ve taken bigger risks in my life... I mean baking cookies cant be riskier than jumping out of a plane. But you have to believe in your own capabilities.”
From hobby to full time in half a year is an impressive feat by the young entrepreneur, and the sky is the limit for her as she has big plans for the future starting on October 24. BBB’s first ever physical stall will be on display in a one-off pop-up event in Handsome Jack’s barber shop on Argyle Street. In an entrepreneurial fashion BBB will be selling merch, gift bags, and of course the classic stuffed cookies which started it all.
However, it’s not only the mouth-watering treats that have helped Rheann in her short business journey. The unapologetic attitude applied to the former Marketing student’s business and social media pages has made BBB stand out at a time when so many have started small business endeavours.
She said: “I always knew that if you stick to what you know and are true to yourself, your marketing will never be hard. My friends will tell you that I’m always their hype man and trying to bring life to the party, so I try to get that positivity and a little bit of sass through on my social media
“The brand kind of created itself, and it reflects my personality, so it feels easy, and everyone seems to love it because I get great feedback.”
BBB’s first physical outing on October 24 may only be the start, as Rheann has big goals and aims at opening up her own shop in the near future.
She added: "I would love to have my own shop, and have always wanted to own one since I worked in coffee shops in Australia. That’s where I discovered the coffee shop and brunch culture and thought ‘this is a bit of me’.
“But with the way BBB is heading, I could see myself opening up a bakery with a coffee machine and taking it from there.
“I’ve already looked at a few places, but I forget just how young the company is. I’d love to either have somewhere in Shawlands or the West end. But I would also love to open something near my home in Erskine because I think it is something the place is really missing.”
That dream may become a reality, as Rheann didn’t expect her initial hobby to turn into the business it has in half a year. She still takes all of her orders online via her social media pages, and with the festive period fast approaching it could be one sweet Christmas.
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