Baking is no easy feat. From measuring ingredients to decorating, it’s truly an exact science. But Takia Brown might have cracked the code with Oh.Sweet.Mason. They focus on delivering desserts in the NYC-area. But, they’ve expanded to catering events as well. The online bakery was founded in 2015 by the late Juliana Benjamin. But Brown continued to find success through Benjamin’s determination. Now, the company has been led by Brown’s perseverance.
Their Origin Story
The Future of Oh.Sweet.Mason
Given their namesake, jarred desserts are popular at Oh.Sweet.Mason. The company makes several desserts from scratch, giving a homemade-feel. They make cheesecakes, pies, and pudding to name a few. Founder Juliana Benjamin started the business due to her love of baking. Brown said that the idea of utilizing mason jars began before the boom of dessert jars. “I want to say 2015, around that time. She was like ‘I want to put them in mason jars. I’m going to call this Oh Sweet Mason’.” Brown continued, “Unfortunately, she did get sick and she passed away. I didn’t want to let her legacy die. So, this was my promise to her.”
As a business owner, she wanted to be sure to advise future entrepreneurs. “Do your research, that’s the biggest thing. Make sure you know the ins and outs of your business, the way our parents would say like we knew our song lyrics back in the day.” She continued, “If you want this to be a business and this is long-term for your future, you need to run it as a business.”
Also, Brown recently earned her MBA. Now she aims to apply her business background to Oh.Sweet.Mason. “I’m like the business mind behind this.” Brown serves as the CEO of the dessert company. She oversees finances, emails, the responsibilities customers don’t get to see. But she also helps delegate tasks for the rest of the Oh.Sweet.Mason team. “I have a group of interns. So they take over the social media for me.” She continued, “I just tell them what I need and just send them any ideas [I have].”
Success in Individuality
But Brown’s ideas aren’t limited to the social media team. She helps in the kitchen with orders, too. “I already knew how to bake but I’m the one that decorates and does all of the decorations on cakes.” While she handles the piping, Nikki Rajaram does most of the baking.
Pop Up Style TV
So what kind of decor can you expect from Oh.Sweet.Mason? Their social media features watercolor, floral designs, and even geode cakes. But none has touched Takia’s favorite cake. “As far as my favorite custom order, it’s actually this cake that I’m working on right now. It’s for a Sweet 16. It’s a three-tiered hip hop cake [with] the “Yo! MTV Raps” symbol, a Kangol hat, and the New York skyline. It’ll be a lot going on, but it’s just giving you that nineties feel―that’s definitely going to be my favorite.”
Although many businesses experienced setbacks from the pandemic, this small business didn’t. “Honestly, the pandemic helped me out. I had orders on top of orders. I’m looking at my phone and I just keep hearing the Shopify sound go off.” So how did this happen? “My social media has definitely grown [during] the pandemic [with] everybody being inside. And I guess [everyone was] seeing my treats and getting hungry.” Not to mention, the nationwide shutdown in March limited where people could go. “You couldn’t go to restaurants and stuff like that, regular storefronts were closed. So that was an opportunity and I took it.”
The Future of Oh.Sweet.Mason
So what can be expected from Oh.Sweet.Mason next? For starters, they have seasonal treats available to order online. Currently, Easter truffles are for sale. “We have a strawberry, Oreo, and a cookie dough flavor,” Takia said. But she says to stay tuned for upcoming treats. “I’m not going to say exactly what that is yet. I like a little bit of a surprise until the week before I want to drop it.”
But what Takia anticipates is their storefront. “That’s a long-term goal within the next three to five years. Before that, I do want to try and get into a couple of local stores or cafes that don’t really have dessert items or just looking to showcase Black-owned businesses or small business in general.”
As a Black-owned business, Takia embraces that exclusivity. “It’s two of my favorite things. I love entrepreneurship and I love being Black.” More importantly, she enjoys the sense of community it brings. “It’s just an amazing feeling. It’s room for all of us in here.” Oh.Sweet.Mason is on its way to becoming a household name in these rooms, with Takia Brown leading the conversation.
Products by Oh.Sweet.Mason are available to purchase online.
