Meet a Boston Mom :: Rachael Oluokun of Mama O’s Bakery!

Meet Rachael Oluokun — mom of seven and founder of Mama O’s Bakery!

Moms don’t get the recognition they deserve! As a business run BY local moms FOR local moms, Boston Moms is excited to showcase the hard work local moms are doing — both at home and in their professions.

Boston Moms is proud to feature Rachael Oluokun of Ashland for this week’s “Meet a Mom”!

Rachael is a mom of seven and the founder of Mama O’s Bakery. She is a teacher by trade but was inspired by her friends and family to start a bakery in Ashland to sell her delicious and beautiful treats!

Join us in celebrating Rachael and the important contributions she makes at home and at work! 

We asked Rachael to share a bit about herself. Get to know her here! 

Full name: Rachael Oluokun

Business name: Mama O’s Bakery

Children: Mary (27), Elizabeth (24), Esther (23), Priscilla (16), Deborah (13), Nathan (11), and Hannah (9). I have been privileged to homeschool all my children before they finally went into the public school system at various stages of their education!

Hometown: I am Nigerian but I came to the U.S. about 18 years ago, so anywhere I live is home to me. Right now, I live in Ashland, so that is my hometown!

Favorite local restaurant: I like to order the Anh Thu spicy beef fried rice from Anh Thu’s in Worcester.

Favorite local business/brand: Upswing Farm in Ashland/Holliston.

Tell us a bit about your work: My children and I started Mama O’s Bakery last year in the midst of the pandemic. Though I am a teacher by profession (from Nigeria) and not a trained pastry chef, I am very passionate about cooking and baking. Prior to starting Mama O’s, we have had many friends share from our table. Often, they have asked when they can start putting in orders! On my own, I think I would have kept procrastinating, but here we are, by God’s grace and trusting Him for more years of service to the community!

At our home bakery, we love making beautiful and elegantly decorated cakes (even wedding cakes!) and cupcakes, plus pastries like cookies, five types of macarons, brownies, meat pies, and cheesecakes. We also make blueberry muffins and cinnamon rolls upon request. We make everything from scratch, all homemade, including our fruit fillings. We want what you get to not only look good but be delicious and satisfying!

How did your business come about? The shutdown due to COVID was somewhat of a blessing for us. Like I mentioned before, baking has always been part of my life, but I was afraid of how much it would require of me. In short, I was worried about whether anything I put out would be good enough, or if anyone would want to order or buy from me. Earlier in 2020, before the shutdown, a friend from church was determined to help me launch a baking business after tasting my pumpkin cheesecake! Trust me, I was still afraid of doing it, but my children encouraged me to step out, and they continue to support me.

What was it like to start a bakery during COVID-19? When COVID started, we couldn’t proceed with an in-person business, which has been challenging. It has definitely been difficult to be unable to attend some events I have catered for, and to not be able to truly see my customers’ faces and interact with them. Having to rely on social media has been hard, but I am thankful for all the support and I feel really blessed even just for Instagram. When our customers post pictures, it just fills me with joy and lots of encouragement knowing they enjoyed what we baked — thank you to everyone who has supported us in any way!

What is the one thing that surprised you the most about motherhood? I am a mother of seven wonderful children and recently became a single mom. One thing I will say about motherhood that surprised me and keeps surprising me is how much unexplainable joy and privilege I feel (notwithstanding the ups and downs of motherhood) just knowing God has blessed me with these lives to nurture. I am thankful to learn and keep learning valuable lessons from each of my children.

What is one piece of advice you’d offer another working mom? Enjoy EVERY moment (even when things are not going the way you would like them to) of motherhood, and make memories. Our jobs can change or start over, but some moments we can never recreate or have back. I still try to remind myself of this — actually, my children often do the reminding!

What is your favorite kind of self-care? Watching movies and spending time with my brothers and sisters from a ministry called Celebrate Recovery.

What other women inspire you? Recently I watched the story of Madame CJ Walker, and that has really inspired me and resonated with me in many ways. Another woman that inspires me is Mrs. Christie Jaegle, a member of my church (Faith Community Church in Framingham). She is a mother to me and a dear friend.

You can find Mama O’s Bakery on Instagram, and keep an eye out for Mama O’s website, which is in the works!

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Are you interested in being highlighted in a “Meet a Boston Mom” feature, or do you know someone who deserves this recognition? Let us know! Please email Chelsey Weaver at [email protected] to discuss.