Before founding SweetDoughThings, Gbemi worked in law, spending several years in litigation before leaving employment in 2015. As a single parent with a young family, entrepreneurship gave her the opportunity to build something of her own while creating a career with greater autonomy and purpose.
SweetDoughThings began with a simple observation: there was an opportunity to combine the fun and nostalgia of candy floss with the growing demand for products that cater to different dietary needs. She set out to create a vegan and sugar-free candy floss without losing the sense of indulgence and enjoyment associated with the product.
The journey from idea to business has required her to step far outside her legal background. She has had to take on almost every aspect of running a company, from product development and manufacturing to sales, finance, operations, exporting, marketing and strategy.
One of the biggest lessons she has learned is how to operate without certainty. Entrepreneurship has meant making decisions without always having all the information, dealing with rejection and adapting when things don’t go to plan. Rather than seeing a “no” as a final answer, she has learned to treat it as an opportunity to reassess and improve.
She is particularly proud of how far SweetDoughThings has come, from a small operation to a growing brand with wholesale, retail, export and direct-to-consumer ambitions. Recognition including the FSB Exporter of the Year award and being selected as a Heathrow World of Opportunity winner have marked important milestones along the way.
Behind the colourful packaging and finished products, however, is a journey of problem-solving, financial pressures and sacrifice. Building a business while raising a family has required resilience and discipline, while support from mentors, fellow founders and organisations including FSB, Foundervine and Black Equity Organisation has helped her continue to grow.
For her, F100 has come at an important stage in the business’s journey. With the foundations in place, she is now focused on building a scalable and sustainable company, while gaining access to knowledge, networks, capital and a community of other founders.
Her advice to her younger self is to stop waiting to feel ready. You may never have all the money, information, confidence or connections you think you need. Start with what you have, learn quickly and keep moving.
