The 2inspire Ladies Day exhibition that took place on the 19th August 2012 was an inspirational day out for those that attended. Over 200 attended the event which was held to provide a platform for women to connect, be empowered and be inspired . On the day there was a clear message about the importance of self-development and women becoming self sustainable within themselves with the aim to encourage and teach visitors to the event to utilise their skills and talents. The event had 34 women run businesses whose combined range of products and services made the event an ultimate one-stop shop for ladies. The exhibitors showcased items such as jewellery, handicrafts, fashion, bags, shoes and natural hair and skin care products to name a few with many of the businesses offering business opportunities that visitors could register for. There were Lifestyle inspiration workshops such as make-up tutorials that demonstrated how to look and feel good and a business workshop and a business clinic that were armed with information to empower and support women in creating a clear vision for their business success. The fun-filled day had two entertainment segments which included poetry, singing and an exhibitor fashion show to highlight and promote creativity. A highlight of the event was the Award of Excellence which was awarded to the winner at the end of the event based on the votes of the exhibitors on the day, the award was sponsored by Dare To Dream and was won by Lerie Leblanc Patisserie. A feature on the award winner can be found below. The next Ladies day is taking place on the 9th March 2013, more information to follow.
Company Profile:
Leri Le'blanc Patisserie was started in February 2012 and is owned by Ilerie , a 25 year old aerospace engineer who designs delicious and creative gourmet cakes and cupcakes. Her ladies day exhibition stand got the most votes from fellow exhibitors for the 2 Inspire Ladies Day Award of Excellence.
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| LADIES DAY EXHIBITION STAND |
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| LADIES DAY EXHIBITION STAND |
Please describe a typical business day for you:
A typical day for me starts really early. I prepare most ingredients and bake all my cakes on the day to keep them fresh and moist. When the cakes are baking in the oven, I focus on designing and paying attention to detail, which is the fun and creative side for me. This takes a lot of thinking, focus and time per cake. I sort out all orders in time for pick-ups or delivery. The best part of my day is WASHING UP with frosted Legs and covered in icing sugar, lol.
What made you start
the business and what steps did you take to start?
I started my business in
February 2012; I was a student at University trying to make ends meet. I tried
recipes for my friends and they were very impressed and told me to give it ago.
I juggled baking with Final year Aerospace Engineering and practically became a
night crawler (Zombie) but I enjoyed every bit of it for the whole month. I
decided to take it serious after I finished my degree in June.
I started my research
about a business in general, as this was all new to me. I ran away from business
subjects growing up as I found science to be my thing (nerd). I followed every
baking company I knew, read & subscribed to blogs and joined forums. This
helped me ask questions and get initial ideas, register my business, list my
goals and rules to follow. It has been sweet and new ever since! Finding out a
talent I never knew I had makes it all the more interesting for me.
What would you say
has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world so far?
My greatest accomplishment
so far has to be winning the award at the 2inspire Ladies day exhibition. I
was really surprised because there were so many outstanding businesses and I
was the youngest businesswoman there, yet I received the award of Excellence.
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| ILERIE & HER AWARD |
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| LADIES DAY AWARD OF EXCELLENCE |
What has been your
biggest challenge in business so far?
When I was just starting
out, deliveries were an issue because I was at University, which was outside
London, so it was extremely hard to get cakes to customers that were far away.
This has now been sorted and I have learnt from my mistakes!
What are your future
plans for business?
To develop unique
flavors, expand, cater to a wider variety of events, bake for charity causes,
and make Leri Le Blanc Patisserie bigger and better one cupcake at a time.
If you had to do it
all over again, what would you do differently?
I would love to have gone to Culinary School to learn the art of pastry making
and become a Pastry Chef. I still plan to achieve this goal.
What is the best
compliment you could receive in business?
The best compliments for
me are "Wow, this is amazing" and seeing customers really excited and
touched. It makes me feel fulfilled.
What advice would you give to somebody who wants to start a business in your industry?
My advice to anyone is
to follow and chase your dreams. It is never too late to follow your heart. Do
what you enjoy and enjoy what you do. Be your biggest fan because people only
see your vision the way you portray it. Practice, it’s the only way to get
better at anything.
What or who inspires
you in business and why?
Oprah Winfrey, Warren
Buffet, Bill Gates and Richard Branson. They inspire me because they followed
their dreams and most especially they give and are very philanthropic. I
believe GIVERS NEVER LACK.
What is your favourite inspirational quote?
I have a lot
*covers face*
- 'Out of clutter, find simplicity, from discord, find harmony, in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity' - Albert Einstein
- 'Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried something new' - Albert Einstein
- 'Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘ I’m possible’!' – Audrey Hepburn
- 'If you don’t know where you are going, you will end up some place else' – Yogi Berra
- 'There is time for everything' – Thomas A. Edison
You can find out more about Leri Le'blanc Patisserie on:
http://www.lerileblancpatisserie.tumblr.com
Twitter: @LeriLeBlanc
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