For Adeola Adeosun, entrepreneurship has always been about more than baking. It\u2019s about creating moments of joy, building confidence and opening doors for families through creative baking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based in Edmonton, Alberta, Adeola is the founder of HouseOfZeeva<\/a>, a fast-growing cake and dessert company known for delivering sweetness during life\u2019s most meaningful celebrations. Beyond custom cakes and desserts, HouseOfZeeva also runs an online baking academy that teaches children and adults practical baking skills while nurturing creativity, independence and self-confidence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That purpose-led approach is what ultimately helped Adeola stand out as the winner of Futurpreneur\u2019s DIY Marketing Challenge<\/strong>, earning her the coveted $10,000 in cash, sponsored by Empower by GoDaddy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A month of learning, testing and growth<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n The DIY Marketing program, sponsored by Empower by GoDaddy<\/em><\/strong>, was a month-long learning experience designed to help young entrepreneurs strengthen their digital marketing skills. Delivered in four cohorts throughout the year (April, June and two in September), the program supported 70 entrepreneurs in 2025 with practical tools, expert guidance and a marketing grant to put the startup founders\u2019 ideas into action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of 2025, graduates from all cohorts were invited to compete in the DIY Marketing Challenge<\/strong> to showcase the marketing strategies they developed through the program. Adeola was among them and her strategy rose to the top. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For Adeola, the focus was on clearly communicating the value of her online children\u2019s baking course in a crowded digital space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe wanted parents to immediately understand the educational benefits,\u201d she explains, \u201cnot just the baking outcomes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Developing strategy with intention<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Through the program and challenge, Adeola took time to reflect not just on tactics, but on direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cParticipating in the DIY Marketing Challenge helped me with introspection and critical evaluation of what I was doing from a marketing standpoint, and what the next six months could look like for the business with the right tools and resources,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By using customer journey mapping, Adeola aligned her content with key considerations like awareness, trust and enrollment stages, making her marketing more intentional and results-driven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Standing out by building from within<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n What set Adeola\u2019s strategy apart was not just her vision but execution. From running social media ads and lead-capture automation to nurturing customers and using AI tools to develop marketing creatives, HouseOfZeeva had already invested in building in-house digital infrastructure to support its growth. During the program, Adeola also used GoDaddy\u2019s<\/strong> tools to build and refine her website, helping her create a clearer online home for her baking academy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe were already actively exploring ways to reach more families through the online baking program,\u201d Adeola says. \u201cBeing able to clearly articulate what we already do in-house and where we want the business to be, mid-term, really helped our strategy stand out.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n That clarity and preparedness resonated strongly with the judges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A milestone moment<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWinning the DIY Marketing Challenge is a significant boost to the business,\u201d Adeola says. \u201cWe are now empowered to reach and help more families through the online baking program.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond the financial support, the win also felt like validation. \u201cIt\u2019s proof that what we are doing has strong marketing potential and appeal,\u201d she reflects. \u201cAs an entrepreneur, this is an important milestone, a real turning point for our growth and reach.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Advice for fellow entrepreneurs<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n For entrepreneurs who struggle with marketing or feel unsure how to tell their story, Adeola emphasizes authenticity and clarity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFirst and foremost, people buy from people. Find ways to introduce your personality into your outreach, it goes a long way in building trust,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She also encourages entrepreneurs to focus on transformation. \u201cClearly communicate what your product changes for your customer. Avoid overcomplicating your message and speak directly to your ideal customer\u2019s needs.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Celebrating a well-earned win<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adeola\u2019s journey shows what can happen when entrepreneurs take the time to clearly tell their story and are supported along the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Futurpreneur and Go Daddy congratulate Adeola on winning the $10,000 DIY Marketing Challenge <\/strong>grant. We\u2019re proud to celebrate her success and excited to see what\u2019s next for her and her business! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you a young Black entrepreneur ready to launch, buy or grow your business? Futurpreneur\u2019s Black Entrepreneur Startup Program (BESP) offers loan financing, mentorship and culturally relevant resources to empower your success.\u202f<\/em>Learn more<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For Adeola Adeosun, entrepreneurship has always been about more than baking. It\u2019s about creating moments of joy, building confidence and opening doors for families through creative baking. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, Adeola is the founder of HouseOfZeeva, a fast-growing cake and dessert company known for delivering sweetness during life\u2019s most meaningful celebrations. Beyond custom cakes and desserts, HouseOfZeeva also runs an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":13751,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,11,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entrepreneurship","category-marketing-and-sales","category-social-impact-and-sustainability"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13750"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13750\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}