We love a good side-hustle-turned-career story, and this one ticks all the boxes. Faaiza Omar is a trained skincare therapist with a passion for… patisserie.
Yes, she’s got 20 solid years of baking in the bag. But it was Faaiza’s infatuation with perfecting the art of macaron-making got her hooked on French pastries. The “Stylish Baker” began experimenting with different flavours and techniques, posting the sweet treats and recipes on her Instagram account. Fast-forward and she’s successfully managed to turn this passion into a flourishing part-time profession. She tells GH writer Ondela Mlandu how she did it…
The beginning – not without its share of wobbles…
“When I started sharing my patisserie recipes with my followers, the pastry scene in South Africa was emerging,” explains Faaiza. “The ingredients and equipment I required were not available locally. I would cart all my equipment back home in my suitcase when I travelled. This became cumbersome and impractical.”
Enter The Stylish Baker online store (and pastry school, for good measure)
Clearly there was a gap in the market. “My sister and I started The Stylish Baker online store. We began procuring and still continue to import ingredients and equipment from all across the globe. We supply hotels, restaurants, and avid bakers,” says Faaiza.
But they didn’t stop there. “The Stylish Baker Pastry School empowers small businesses to improve and grow to new heights, introducing sophisticated French pastry to their menus and techniques that aren’t taught in SA chefs schools.”
What if you love baking but don’t have any experience?
“There are many internships available with hotels and bakeries,” explainsFaaiza. “This is the best way to get hands-on experience. With pastry it’s all about perfecting the technique. There are many international online platforms that offer annual memberships for pastry chefs and many award-winning chefs share recipes, ingredients, equipment and the latest techniques there.”
But back to Faaiza’s biz… What are the basic steps to securing your online store?
Leadership lessons learnt along the way…
1/ Be patient!
“Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time to master a skill or craft. If I think back now it’s better to remember the other side of this story: Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.”
2/ Embrace every challenge – don’t be despondent.
“There will be rejection; don’t take it to heart.”
3/ Keep evolving. As you grow, so will your career path.
“I started out as a trained skin care therapist and I’m now a pastry chef and run a successful online pastry supply store and pastry school. You can do what you’re passionate about too.”
Connect with Faaiza
@faaiza_omar is Faazia’s personal Instagram account and @thestylishbakers is her brand account. We love both!
