Miyanna Fowlkes is only 25, but as a young mother in Baltimore, she is already very accomplished. Fowlkes owns No Crumbs Cakeshop, where she designs and bakes elaborate custom cakes and sells baked goods at local farmers markets.
She’s also a new mom—to 1-year-old Lucas—and wants other young moms to know they can thrive at any age. Fowlkes is entrenched in the world of mommy blogging, where beyond running her business, she performs outreach and offers advice to other young mothers.
She shares her recipes and parenting tips, encouraging mothers to “take opulent care of themselves” and to prioritize self-care as much as they do taking care of their children.
And that has resonated with her community. Fowlkes’ TikTok, @theblackgirlbaker, currently sits at over 23,000 followers. Here’s how she got started, and what she’d learned so far.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
When did you start baking, and what made you want to make a career of it?
I can’t say there was a particular time when I first started baking, but I knew I wanted to make a career of it in 2021. I had moved to Texas, and I was working a tech job there in sales, and I just wasn’t happy.
I quit my job and I moved back home, and I became a cake decorator. It was always something that I said I would do, but I just don’t think that anyone had believed in me enough, outside of my family. I was just like, “I’m 20. I should do it now while I can.”
I started working for a bakery in D.C., and I just really loved it. I enjoyed going to work every day. My business started to take off as my skills started to become more and more sharp, and I’ve been doing it full time ever since then.
What was starting a small business like?
It was hard. There’s a lot of different elements you have to think about, like legal aspects, insurance, certifications and sanitation, and finding your clientele. Family is great, but they’re not going to pay all of your bills. Moving from D.C. to Baltimore was a little difficult, trying to build up that clientele again.
The fun part is that when you move, you get to know every area and what they like. In Baltimore, while I do focus on larger-scale cakes, people at the farmers markets really love my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
I never thought they were anything special while I was working in D.C. But if people buy one on one week, the next week they’ll come and buy two, and then they’ll come again and buy six.
What are the most challenging and rewarding parts of your job?
For anyone in the food business, the most challenging thing is staying profitable and on top of new trends. The most rewarding part is being involved in people’s biggest moments.
You’re literally a [central] part of the biggest days of people’s lives—their weddings, their birthdays, their kids’ first birthdays, their baby showers … Anywhere where someone is celebrating the most important day of their life, they’re probably gonna buy a cake, and that is super rewarding.
Becoming an integral part of your community is also rewarding. I’ve become a part of Baltimore. I’m getting to know intimate parts of my community that I wouldn’t have gotten to know if I didn’t put myself in those spaces intentionally.
How do you balance your work life and your family life?
I am a new mom, and I have a really supportive partner. So, I know when to ask for help. I know when I need to tap out. Advocating for myself and not being afraid to reach out is important. Something I wish I was better at is tackling mom guilt.
It’s been hard for me to get over, especially since my son was so young. But taking care of my business is not neglecting my child, and doing things for myself outside of my child is really important. I want him to have a mom he can be proud of.
Who do you want to reach with your mommy blogging content, and how do you want it to help other parents?
Young moms. I think that there’s a stereotype around young moms that we’re scatterbrained and we’re all over the place. I want young moms to know that the lifestyle that they want for [themselves] and their child, no matter what that is, is attainable.
I remember when I was pregnant, I was always watching the lifestyle moms on Instagram, and they always seemed to be older, more successful moms, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But I want young moms to know that you can flourish in motherhood in your 20s, especially if you reach out, ask for help and prioritize yourself.
