Join us in this episode of Alchemy With Nidhi as we delve into the inspiring journey of a chef turned successful entrepreneur. Discover the magic and mindset behind building a thriving brand over nine years. Learn how women entrepreneurs can find solidarity and empowerment in their journey, knowing they're not alone. Tune in to hear first hand insights from a trailblazing woman who listened to her inner voice and transformed her passion into a thriving business.
Fill up on some love and flour here:
www.Instagram.com/loveandflour/
[00:00:00] to get the right knowledge. There is so much information there's a lot going on at any given
[00:00:05] point of time, but there's a lot of confusion as well, a lot of people who are starting out don't
[00:00:11] know how to build their brand, don't know where to go about in all those things. But you have very
[00:00:16] few people walking the dog. Hello everyone welcome back to another episode of Alchemy with Nidhi.
[00:00:22] I'm Nidhi Kona your host also a molecular biologist also a scientific writer and a wellness
[00:00:28] I know you know me but I have to say this again and again because we live in a disconnected
[00:00:34] world and we need all the help we can get to bring people together, to show people that
[00:00:40] there's a lot of love in the world and you just need to look for it.
[00:00:43] So my work as a wellness coach has been to align the mind and align the heart so that
[00:00:49] people truly bring their well-being to the center stage and leave a legacy behind.
[00:00:54] I think it's not just me now a lot of women entrepreneurs are starting their own thing,
[00:01:00] bringing their own magic and love into their work that they do and I have one special guest with me
[00:01:06] her name is Sara Padka please show her a lot of love. Welcome Sara, welcome, welcome, welcome.
[00:01:12] She is the founder of Love and Flower and she's also been a chef at a lot of high-profile restaurants
[00:01:19] and I won't say more because I want to hear from her. I am Sara Padka, I am a hotelier by profession.
[00:01:25] I have done my BST in hotel management from Anjumna Assam's IHMCT from Bombay and so I did that
[00:01:33] and then I was working with a couple of hotels like Taj and Oberoi I've done my internship and
[00:01:38] I've been doing their like I've worked with them as you know as a chef and post which I
[00:01:43] actually decided to you know start my brand and that was also really not a easy thing it was very
[00:01:50] you know like Karu ya nahi karu ya nahi karu you know I kept dangling between you know
[00:01:54] should I should I not should I should I not so but yeah and I mean I managed to really
[00:02:00] take that step and today here we are like nine years later sitting with you having a podcast.
[00:02:05] I think nine years ago version of you would have been like okay this is going to go on this
[00:02:09] is going to be a thing right. No not at all I was I had zero honestly expectations of what I'll even
[00:02:15] do with my life because you know it's at the time you really don't know much right you know
[00:02:21] your brain is like wired to just chill you know sit with friends and chill and just
[00:02:25] you know hang about and you really don't think about those things back then until
[00:02:29] you actually start looking and seeing that everybody else is doing that that's when
[00:02:32] your focus actually starts shifting you know so initially I really didn't even think though
[00:02:36] I'm actually a very avid lover of food and desserts and like I've always had the
[00:02:41] lack of making them you know you know growing up so that's always been my thing but I guess you know
[00:02:47] Huta and Akhi you know you're not able to find it or you don't know if it's that fit or you know
[00:02:52] so it took that while for me to come around with that so then you know then this happened
[00:02:56] actually somebody actually had to point it out to me that listen you really go out of this
[00:03:01] mirror listen this is your strength
[00:03:05] so it was like oh hey huh okay I didn't think of it like that you know okay I didn't know this
[00:03:09] could be done you know so it was um it was like more like a aha moment then then you're like okay
[00:03:14] you know I can probably do it you know because you know we live in a society where it's like
[00:03:20] all of us either have like two options based on your marks you're already categorized into what
[00:03:24] you can do okay if you get higher marks you know you know you're destined to be some sort of
[00:03:28] even though you are like
[00:03:38] entire self-worth is like you know finished off there only so yeah exactly we are shown our gifts
[00:03:45] or our talents because each one of us has it every one of us has something special some unique you
[00:03:50] know formula of magic that nobody else can uh but we still conform left right in center because
[00:03:57] we don't really know what is the possibility of being yourself and being out there as a face of your
[00:04:01] role as a brand of your own so it's just you know I'm it's like people like you have taken the plunge
[00:04:06] and from like not knowing anything into being like no but I know how to do this I know how to
[00:04:10] bake I know how to cook and I can do that grace also for some of them it's uh it's really more
[00:04:19] of the uh you know they're very skeptical or you know probably they they lack confidence and
[00:04:24] and I've seen that with a lot of people you know a lot of them which also goes to say that even I was
[00:04:29] you know like that once uh but then I guess with the right kind of people and the right kind of crowd
[00:04:34] and you know if you have supportive uh you know systems around you then I think you know you're
[00:04:38] able to uh move past that and actually look in the way of the direction you want to go to so
[00:04:43] I feel like most of the people don't get that you know like maybe the fact that you know to
[00:04:47] have a support system who can actually guide you correctly or even the means of like you said
[00:04:52] right one does not know how to start what to do you know what is what is the way to actually
[00:04:57] build one and frankly quite speaking for me also it was you know like you know no easy way like I
[00:05:02] was as clueless as one could be you know but like I said it's it's it's it's you know you have
[00:05:08] a good support system you have uh and also like in it matters what direction you want to go right
[00:05:14] so uh you know there's a saying that that goes
[00:05:20] you know so it's like yeah yeah and I think that actually it should be that thing to
[00:05:28] strive like today also when I work and I wake up for work my work is literally my wake up juice
[00:05:33] you know yes it's uh yes like I I the other day I was just sitting down and you know
[00:05:40] trying to um you know kind of just um put like a self analysis of you know who I am what I am
[00:05:46] and you know what are my strengths weaknesses what is my reality and you know why do you wake up in the
[00:05:50] morning yes yes exactly so when I put down pen to down to paper down it was like oh it was like a
[00:05:57] you know like a like it actually started thinking in that oh yeah this is maybe I've not realized it
[00:06:02] because I'm so um you know wanting to run in that direction and wanting to uh build so much and
[00:06:07] yeah I feel like there's so many things too much left to do there's so much you have to do and
[00:06:11] you know um so when you're running in that direction you really don't tend to think why you're
[00:06:16] waking up or what do you just do it right so um between was actually that when somebody told me
[00:06:22] once that you know you should just probably do like a self analysis and see you know what is your
[00:06:26] reality you know and it was just like it was not nothing even to share with any money was just for
[00:06:30] self so I was like okay you know this is the night activity you can do for yourself to just
[00:06:34] really analyze and see what is your reality and then when I just put it down on the paper
[00:06:38] I was like oh my work is really like my wake up juice and you know I was I say okay I don't mind
[00:06:44] that I absolutely love it like it's it's amazing you know like how people fall in love and they're
[00:06:48] like all waking up like oh my god I'm gonna talk to my you know for me that is my work right now
[00:06:52] you know so I'm like hey I'm gonna get up and work yeah I'm gonna show I'm gonna do this I'm
[00:06:58] gonna put that down so there's like it's mostly for that you know and a lot of people I think
[00:07:02] don't have that hunger or maybe yeah don't have that and yeah and those who do have that
[00:07:10] actually don't have the means if you think about it you know yeah something is missing in the equation
[00:07:15] yeah like one element is yeah the one element is always missing I feel that you know especially
[00:07:21] those are seen was really hungry and can really do a lot they you know sadly they have don't
[00:07:26] they don't have the means like you said they don't know where to go how to start so they're
[00:07:29] you know a little stuck but you know I think that hunger is something that really really pushes you
[00:07:35] and really fuels you because when you're hungry you just become resourceful when you're hungry
[00:07:41] you don't just sit at the table and be like where is my food you will get up and you will go find
[00:07:45] food so you know it's all about being so hungry that you become resourceful even if you don't
[00:07:50] have like opportunities or you don't have money or anything like that you go and you talk to
[00:07:53] people and you see how you can do it in a bootstrap way you go and see people who
[00:07:57] have done it so that you can do it in a similar fashion and you know replicate it without losing
[00:08:02] money or doing something so that's how we get creative the next question would be like you said
[00:08:07] you know you started off being like I don't know what to do I am curious then how did you actually
[00:08:11] make a shift from working towards starting something of your own so um my profile places so yes
[00:08:19] I did and yeah it was really honestly like you know how to say about even this even like
[00:08:24] glamour or any other film industry or whatever any other industry
[00:08:27] you know when you really get down to get your hands dirty you really know what's what
[00:08:32] so it was pretty much like that for me you know and honestly from actually you know like by nature
[00:08:37] I'm really like a very creative person you know like I love to be very creative and I think that's
[00:08:42] you know like there are people who study well and who really know uh you know facts and everything
[00:08:47] and other people who are really creative and can you know get things going I fall in that bracket
[00:08:50] you know so um you know when I was working also at these reputed uh groups and hotels it was um
[00:08:58] you know just eventually it just started feeling very monotonous to be very honest with you and
[00:09:02] that's something that I um you know like like I said I'm very creative so I'd like to always do
[00:09:06] like newer challenges newer things you know come up with options you know like experiment you know
[00:09:12] so there's like a lot that one can do but when I was in this these organizations I honestly
[00:09:18] felt very stuck because it was like you woke up you showed up for the same work every day did the
[00:09:22] same routine every day and then you know you went back home there was no uh uh you know chemistry
[00:09:28] in terms of how you're working or you know that that's why but that you know x factor that oh I'm
[00:09:33] gonna learn this today you know that wasn't them and this I'm particularly telling you especially
[00:09:37] the time when I was working you know at least when I was in interning because when we were
[00:09:41] interning we were put in different departments and then you know in those were still
[00:09:45] learning stages to actually learn which department you want to go to or what you're calling is from
[00:09:50] this you know but when I was working working it was really like very monotonous and remember this
[00:09:55] remember complaining this to like my peers and colleagues also that why does the work get so
[00:09:59] like why can't we learn every day we are chefs right like you know but of course I'm sure they
[00:10:04] have also a system and you know an SOP to follow so I understand that but you know for me it was
[00:10:09] not really um you know fitting through and at one point I just felt like I needed to break free
[00:10:15] from it you know so then it was just like I was like okay you know this doesn't seem to be working
[00:10:21] and I will just and I remember this I had stopped working and I was two months sitting
[00:10:25] in my literally in my parents' couch doing nothing, living, breathing, eating on that
[00:10:34] kind of you know yeah and and I'm just like you know Sara what are you doing with your life
[00:10:39] you know um and I was honestly very clueless but then like I said I mentioned earlier
[00:10:43] you know the support system like my friends the people I have even my family for that matter
[00:10:47] like I have really been blessed with a great set of family um you know still like being in a Muslim
[00:10:53] household um you know you don't really get so many opportunities you know like if you see in India
[00:10:57] also generally it's a stereotype you know that Muslims like you know really uh you know like
[00:11:02] there are some backward and little orthodox you know kind of families totally yeah who don't want
[00:11:07] their daughters to pursue things or you know don't know the capabilities of that so luckily touch
[00:11:11] what touch what you know like I have not I've been not been deprived of that opportunity and so
[00:11:16] that really honestly helped me the fact that I had supportive systems families friends you
[00:11:21] know who really actually pushed me because they saw me sitting and like dwelling in my
[00:11:25] your mom is here you know yeah so it was uh you know like hey what are you doing it's really
[00:11:29] not the end of life you know it's just one job and you know you will get more you know
[00:11:34] and and actually funny thing is that time when they were even trying to encourage me they weren't
[00:11:37] even talking about you know me starting and that came really later uh
[00:11:40] initially you just apply yeah I just apply somewhere else then you want to try
[00:11:45] to know what you are feeling you know you're feeling and I think yeah and then and then you know uh uh
[00:11:51] shout out to two of my friends or Rhanu Duaabia and he's Lord I wanted really uh you know
[00:11:55] take their names because they really really helped me and they were the ones who actually told me
[00:11:58] that you know why don't you you know you know it's like when the world is telling you
[00:12:02] catch up yeah because of the company just you know turns you and puts you like this
[00:12:05] those two friends were actually the ones who uh told me to you know direct myself somewhere else
[00:12:10] and like you know think of it with that perspective and obviously initially I was really skeptical and
[00:12:15] I was like okay same thing like you know I don't even know too much of it you know I was like I
[00:12:20] not done any business girls got many business school or done any of those courses for that matter
[00:12:25] so even know how to run one you know but then I guess uh uh you know it again comes back to
[00:12:30] the hunger you know right so then you're just like it either water's cold you either
[00:12:35] jump or you don't jump it it's it either one you know one challenge that helped you pivot
[00:12:40] the course of your life as you became an entrepreneur so what I wanted I don't see there were many
[00:12:46] challenges there still are that keep coming but honestly uh I think um what really um uh you
[00:12:52] know helps me as an entrepreneur is my inner voice you know I really uh constantly because
[00:12:57] there are so many challenges that keep coming you know and you really feel uh what are you
[00:13:01] going to do how are you going to do this especially being a woman you know so that becomes really
[00:13:05] difficult I really tend to sin you know listen to my inner voice and kind of because honestly
[00:13:09] there are so many people talking you know like you mentioned like uh you know talking to people
[00:13:13] taking the advice and you know understanding where to go next but sometimes you know those uh
[00:13:17] advices or those uh you know those bit also become like a comment you know and then
[00:13:22] you're constantly in a fix of how to you know will you be able to do it will you not be able
[00:13:26] to do it you know you know like it's it's okay
[00:13:36] yeah yeah exactly so uh honestly there are challenges coming in every day like every
[00:13:41] honestly even today as I wake up there are like
[00:13:43] a bunch of things that are just like lined up and I'm just like how how do I deal with this
[00:13:48] and then I'm like you know what's on you have been listening to your inner voice for all these
[00:13:51] years just you know bar the sounds the comments the you know whatever it is that people are saying
[00:13:57] because honestly when I was chatting with people but I was like oh this is not going to happen
[00:14:00] this is just a judgment like she's she's good for nothing what is she gonna do what is she
[00:14:06] done in her life you know such she even you know have her own brand or a label or whatever
[00:14:12] who do you think she is yeah yeah and also just people who knew me just thought oh you know
[00:14:16] she is just one of those you know one of those girls who likes the good life and that's it you
[00:14:20] know you could put karni by so I remember that initially also there were a lot of voices like
[00:14:25] this that are coming but honestly for me it was just like you know listen to your own voice
[00:14:29] listen to your own voice see what they are saying you know you have to be diligent you have to
[00:14:33] really bar out that sound and it's really difficult I really want to add that it really
[00:14:37] becomes very difficult sometimes because yes if you're up alone better on your own your
[00:14:41] own thoughts own thoughts and it's you know you constantly keep doing those comments and
[00:14:44] then you really have those self-doubt moments but then you have to constantly remind yourself
[00:14:49] that you've come this long way you've done so much so you know I really follow all these
[00:14:57] entrepreneurs from Shark Tank and in general just entrepreneurs so I really like one of the
[00:15:02] things that Aman Gupta from Shark Tank says he's like we will do it too you know
[00:15:06] he's like we will do it too you can do it so can I okay
[00:15:13] that's the thing it's like seeing an example of what can be done also is not you know that's
[00:15:18] the thing that we're lacking in I don't think it's the skill or anything like that I feel
[00:15:21] like a lot of people just don't even try because they don't even know it's possible
[00:15:25] and if they don't know it's possible obviously you won't try so when you influence
[00:15:30] when you get influenced by the right people when you see a shining example of who this is
[00:15:34] this is something I like I want to select is start moving in that direction beautifully said Sarah
[00:15:40] I mean you nailed it with the inner voice because I keep talking about the inner voice I keep screaming
[00:15:44] about the inner voice because I'm generally a very intuitive person and a lot of your well-being
[00:15:48] and the you know your right perspective and mindset comes from tapping into that inner voice
[00:15:53] because that is really your GPS without that GPS you would be so lost in life and it's just the
[00:15:57] there's so many distractions right like the noises are too loud and it's just never noisy
[00:16:02] a word but that wisdom that is always there inside you if you can actually tap into it
[00:16:06] there's nothing like it you will leave people spellbound with your magic that you create some
[00:16:10] that I agree and then you know this is something I want to say this that because when I was dealing
[00:16:15] with that when those voices and all because sometimes you really have those moments of you
[00:16:19] know breakdown where you're like okay see the scene which is not my it mean capable woman
[00:16:23] so I always try to you know like I said I keep watching a lot of stuff or you know reading
[00:16:28] about it so I remember there was one interview clip that I'd seen of this alia but of course
[00:16:33] she's not an entrepreneur but you know she really has her journey very you know like she's very
[00:16:37] inspirational that way you know like her journey is really inspirational so one thing I remember
[00:16:40] she mentioned in the interview is that how does she deal with these things or whatever you know
[00:16:45] things that are go down south for her and then you know how does she do it she said she was
[00:16:50] she goes and locks herself in a bathroom and she kind of keeps looking at the mirror and
[00:16:54] you know saying those encouragement things to yourself you know and not once or twice but
[00:16:59] like you know you know like we're really religions and yeah yeah so I I've really tried that and I
[00:17:04] think it works wonders you know it's it's really works wonders because I feel key you know we are
[00:17:10] not able to see ourselves how we are conducting or we are displaying or we are talking or what
[00:17:13] people are the people see us others see us and we see others but we don't see ourselves
[00:17:17] so it's very important to do that to yourself to be heard to know what you are you know
[00:17:22] displaying depicting where are you coming from you know what your aspirations are so
[00:17:28] you know I feel like that thing needs to be um that is a very good practice and
[00:17:31] I think that should be really in bite with people who are dealing with you know self-doubt
[00:17:35] moments especially it's really just a weapon to use thank you so much for bringing that up
[00:17:41] because it's like you know we end up mirroring everybody else but ourselves I think that was
[00:17:46] the key you know penny drop for moment for me when I first realized what the hell I'm doing
[00:17:50] in life and I'm like I have not been my own reflection yeah being somebody else's
[00:17:55] shadow or I'm being somebody else's reflection but it's me me is there for me I need to look
[00:18:00] at myself in the eye and really get it together so it's nobody else that I have to be with this
[00:18:04] person right there and I have a duty to hold up that you know respect and love for that person
[00:18:08] that I see in the mirror right there so thank you so much for bringing that up so what has been
[00:18:14] your key learning from running your uh business starting up your business and running it for
[00:18:19] nine years now just tell her I should be oh my god there are so many I can't tell you
[00:18:23] but like something that I'm very recently learning um which I'm which has actually I have started
[00:18:29] adopting in 2024 because you know new new resolutions happen and I really like to
[00:18:34] you know be like okay how can I uh you know make things better for me or my work you know
[00:18:40] how can I move in a more direction that'll give me more success you know that'll have
[00:18:45] you know the talking about the brand or me you know so something that I really have noticed
[00:18:50] for I mean that I should I will imbibe in this year is delegation you know I have always been like a
[00:18:56] master of doing all things together so like if you really uh sometimes if you really open my page on
[00:19:02] Instagram or Facebook or whatever you know like nowadays this whole wave of content creation
[00:19:06] and all has come up where uh everybody has started making their own content and stuff like that
[00:19:11] so I actually do imbibe that being a home baker has like its own challenges so I don't really
[00:19:16] put myself or brand myself as a baker but I always um I always brand myself as a chef
[00:19:20] but at the end of the day the brand does uh have a factor of a home baker because it is a home based
[00:19:25] operation right so that is something so actually running that also is just like I've always done
[00:19:31] all elements together you know like if you talk about not just baking or not just you know like
[00:19:36] you know getting new products on board or putting out new products or whatever like elements into
[00:19:44] the line of what we're offering but um you know I've always done like if it's sales or marketing
[00:19:49] or customer feedback customer satisfaction you know content creation like even my photography
[00:19:56] videography I do it all by myself there is literally no one helping me out so and I do
[00:20:02] believe and I mean I feel that I mean it's not like a this thing but I feel that I need to do it
[00:20:07] because as an entrepreneur I must know all these uh bits of running a business before putting out
[00:20:13] someone else for hiding you know for hire and telling them okay you run this uh element for me
[00:20:17] but I strongly feel that if I'm moving to a part towards of being an entrepreneur I need to know all
[00:20:22] my uh at least those little aspects maybe not fully well but enough to actually know what goes
[00:20:27] around what's right someone else true right right so I've always believed that not like honestly
[00:20:32] for the last nine years I've been doing it myself um but now I honestly feel with the
[00:20:37] brand growing and you know uh things just uh I feel like I'm not able to reach everywhere
[00:20:42] and I'm not able to give justice that's when now now honestly this realization has come to me
[00:20:46] somebody somebody really wise one of my colleague had given me this advice in 2022
[00:20:51] that start delegating your work and I was like ah please I can do it all
[00:21:00] and also like the way I the way I want the brand to pivot the way we are profiling it
[00:21:06] uh you know I'm not just labeling it as another home baker out there you know because
[00:21:09] everybody has like this very stereotype of when you talk about home bakers you know um so uh my
[00:21:15] prime goal since day one has been that you know we're a resort brand we're a confectionary brand
[00:21:19] and when because we are displaying ourselves as a brand we do to make sure of handling all these
[00:21:23] aspects like I don't know any home baker that actually you know does that so or even even to
[00:21:28] even to the limit of what I'm trying to make it reach at or I have you know at least come
[00:21:32] till here so this this year I've realized that I you know I need to like start delegating
[00:21:35] because I myself am finding uh you know that it uh I don't want the brand to be affected because
[00:21:40] I am not able to reach and I'll tell you what happens is is when work actually comes in when
[00:21:45] orders actually come in I get myself so absorbed into them just to get it done so perfectly
[00:21:50] right that there's like really no room for complaint so because my dedication is fully on
[00:21:55] that and actually that is my primary thing everything else comes because I'm a chef first
[00:21:59] in an entrepreneur leader right then that has happened that way so um you know that the
[00:22:03] always a sweet sweet soft corner for you know baking has always been there so it's like
[00:22:07] when I'm asked to bake I'm really so involved in it yeah that I would just probably
[00:22:12] forget or you know kind of sideline the other elements for that much time but in that much
[00:22:17] time there is already a lot happening um you know so if I have to make the brand grow at the
[00:22:22] at a pace then I need to like start delegating it to on board I need that hand on board yeah
[00:22:27] that's true so that's something that I have really dealt with as a challenge you know and
[00:22:31] understood it and I think also because you know it makes sense though because when you're
[00:22:35] starting out you definitely want to get involved in all aspects of it because a brand is just a
[00:22:41] personal reflection of you your personality like you are what you like is going to come through
[00:22:46] with that and it should because that's what makes it stand out from all the other home makers out
[00:22:50] there right so it makes complete sense that you are involved in all of the creative aspects
[00:22:54] of that because you'd like being creative yourself you know like how people say they get
[00:22:57] de-stressed by doing this or by doing that I'd say I get de-stressed with my work you know
[00:23:02] I love it so much I literally I'm my stress is away when I'm actually baking and I'm
[00:23:07] you know doing things even in my free time I'm always like trying to run trials or experiments
[00:23:11] or you know things like that to actually see what's next what's next what's going to happen
[00:23:16] you know what can I bring next to the menu that you know people might like
[00:23:20] so it's always like an ongoing job you know there really doesn't rest that you love
[00:23:24] and you enjoy that
[00:23:26] whether I completely enjoy that
[00:23:28] how many people can say that how many people can say that their job de-stresses them right but
[00:23:34] yeah we're totally resonating on that because even for me like to do something that
[00:23:38] actually makes you so happy and refills you and gives you more energy is just something
[00:23:42] a lot of people can't even imagine so yeah like you look forward to it like you want to do
[00:23:46] it every day you know because you know that this is where you're bringing in your expertise
[00:23:50] your talent this is what you know is your true calling this is where you really excel
[00:23:55] so you know why not and then you know if you want to obviously like then there's a
[00:23:59] there's like a limit like you know you're already here that you want to tell more so
[00:24:02] then you keep going you keep experimenting you keep trying more keep
[00:24:06] running trials and doing things to actually know what works what doesn't work
[00:24:10] so honestly it's like de-stress it is wake up juice I'm honestly very
[00:24:14] blessed I have to say I because so many times I self question you know and I'm like
[00:24:18] how many people can you do and forget just the world I talk about just the people that I
[00:24:21] know in my circle or just my circle generally how many people do you know in your circle that are
[00:24:26] happy with their jobs or actually do that with the way you are doing it you know so
[00:24:31] you know that is honestly yeah it just helps me and it's just just you know makes me
[00:24:35] want to okay like you've come a long way you've you achieved your blend you're good yeah
[00:24:39] yeah definitely but it also makes sense that you know now you've reached that point
[00:24:44] you've worked so hard you've learned so much and now it reached that you've reached that point
[00:24:47] where it's about scalability and if you're looking at scalability then delegation is a key aspect of
[00:24:52] it because at the end of the day we still have to arms when we've got eight more arms and nothing
[00:24:57] that we can talk about I don't know how much we like tell each but yeah you do have to arm
[00:25:02] that the end of the day you really can't help it you have to have a delegate and I think
[00:25:06] that's okay you know like I'm honestly starting to you know honestly 2022 or 2021 I was like really
[00:25:11] like oh no no way more because also that you know why it happened because I felt constantly that you
[00:25:17] know maybe some expulsion will not be able to understand at length of you know what depth
[00:25:22] that I am understanding at you know because I am dealing with it every day I am you know making
[00:25:27] every day I am having those challenge every day you know somebody else who have to narrate
[00:25:31] the story to how much will they even understand uh you know and how much exactly exactly how
[00:25:38] committed will they be but then like you said then you know eventually you have to
[00:25:42] because you know how much can you even so then you have to really trust your gut and hope to find a
[00:25:47] team player that really is running in the same direction as you you know um so I guess that
[00:25:53] again you have to like be lucky or you have to like really be resourceful like you said you
[00:25:56] know because I truly truly believe I found so many people just like that and really good
[00:26:01] people like really um you know just had good blends and reports with eventually who have just
[00:26:08] found out from Facebook or like you know social media mediums who have just connected randomly we
[00:26:12] don't know each other at all like person is sitting in Bangalore person is sitting in Pune
[00:26:16] I'm sitting in Bombay zero clue zero mutual friends zero nothing but you know uh you know
[00:26:22] yeah Rapa was there you know the opportunity got created it just clicked it just happens
[00:26:27] it happens if you allow it you know so I just mess out too much like oh my god I just wanted
[00:26:32] I wanted this way but then if you know exactly like what you're looking for then it'll come find
[00:26:35] its way to you I believe right I completely agree what are the key considerations that go into
[00:26:41] like building a brand because you've taken so much effort to you know cultivate and nurture
[00:26:45] it like your baby it is your baby at this point so what are the situations when you have to
[00:26:50] nurture your blood so you have to really um you know see at the end of the day we have to realize
[00:26:57] we are in the service industry it is a service that we are offering to our clients and customers out
[00:27:02] there so number one needs to be really what what you're catering to right like since we are catering
[00:27:07] to uh you know people with sweet tooth or you know dessert lovers you know we need to make sure
[00:27:12] at least two two factors of those things are at least on point one would be taste
[00:27:16] one would be appearance right because logically if you think about it why would you and I
[00:27:22] you know go to a home baker who does not keep ready-made cakes probably charges a little
[00:27:27] premium than the outside bakeries but you know still people go to her why what is it that she
[00:27:31] offers so you know you have to you have to question yourself that and what are you offering
[00:27:35] that people are coming to you or you know I know sometimes question myself keep why would I eat
[00:27:39] from my yeah like why would why would I come to my brand and eat it what is my brand giving
[00:27:44] so much that other brands are not so then you know then you have your answers really right by
[00:27:48] giving taste by giving uh you know lots of home baker also like I've seen so many I talked to
[00:27:52] you know um like you said you know you have to talk to people uh in the like about your
[00:27:57] journeys or just uh you know your business I am such a chatterbox when it comes to my business
[00:28:02] for my yeah like I will my friends eventually get tired they're like
[00:28:08] that's changed and maybe sometimes they don't even say that's so sweet like that but
[00:28:15] you know you can always understand in the way that I realized that I talk so much about it because
[00:28:20] I'm like you know why why why would somebody come to me why would somebody try from me
[00:28:24] you know so it's it's like you have to it's not like there are other homemakers not available
[00:28:28] there's like a whole array of people doing so many yummy things that's so many reasonable prices
[00:28:34] right but then at the end of the day you have to realize that you are catering what audience
[00:28:38] you're catering to uh what kind of niche you have got what kind of people target in terms of ages
[00:28:44] you're looking at you know uh what is what is that it thing that you are bringing uh you know
[00:28:49] for your brand and so many times and this is just my clients telling me honestly because I
[00:28:53] again really take care of feedback uh it's it's a very very crucial part of my business
[00:29:00] you know I I personally do that with my clients like if I have orders given to them next day I'll
[00:29:05] text them or the after I'll text them to you know let me know your feedback what you like what you
[00:29:09] didn't like you know so these these points are especially customer care like I remember recently
[00:29:14] we had like a mishap from our side and what happened was um and this was again an error from
[00:29:19] my part um what happened was we got an order and um I don't know maybe there was some
[00:29:24] miscommunication or some misunderstanding that happened which kind of led to us not being
[00:29:28] able to do that order for them and you know eventually the clan got really upset and you
[00:29:32] know she was uh really bugged and whatever so my instant gut was like okay we've screwed up
[00:29:39] you know firstly you gotta learn to accept that you've screwed up because even your ownership
[00:29:43] right yeah you gotta own that so I was like okay I am sorry like you know we had a conversation
[00:29:48] I apologize I accepted it I took my ownership everything um uh you know like after that
[00:29:53] whatever like she the conversation got done like it really didn't convince her so much but then
[00:29:58] I was like okay few days past I think about a week past I had her address she's a regular
[00:30:02] I sent her like a bunch of things from our side and with a cute note that said hey we really missed you
[00:30:07] uh and you know uh we really hope that we can let bygones be bygones and start afresh
[00:30:12] because you know you are our valued customer and we would not want to be losing that
[00:30:15] you know so instantly like that just you know she texted me she was like oh my god that's so
[00:30:20] sweet you know uh you know that I know so many homebakes out there but really nobody keeps those
[00:30:24] things uh you know constant so those little little details those little yeah highly matter
[00:30:30] highly matter you know um especially with uh keeping I think main thing is like when you
[00:30:36] when clients come to you you really need to value them that you know those who do actually come to you
[00:30:41] must be valued yeah yeah because uh you know they are the actually potential one that will
[00:30:46] keep coming back uh you know to you so if there has been a screw up I think it's okay you can
[00:30:52] accept it and just move on and just like you know do your bit and then you know let rest be the
[00:30:56] rest let let go to the rest you know because what I have up at my local give me hot me chode
[00:31:00] oh he'll also help you out right because I think at the end of the day your intention is good
[00:31:03] you want to retain back your client so I don't see that with a lot of homemakers honestly I talk a
[00:31:08] lot like I I try to research I try to keep like a market the way or you know just to see
[00:31:13] what kind are available out there and a lot of people have told me that those
[00:31:17] on integrity is not something uh you know that they do you know like for example another example
[00:31:22] I would have in mind is like when we do like at love and flower what we do is we give them
[00:31:27] when we like we have our own deliveries we say we will give you our own deliveries right so
[00:31:33] and when we say we do we'll give that means an executive from my end will come to your door
[00:31:37] step and give the cake to you okay so like this is not the case with a lot of homemakers
[00:31:42] and so many of them I know don't even give are like you know you pick it up or some will
[00:31:46] just put it up in an Uber then after that whatever happened in Uber you know when people actually
[00:31:50] ask me what is it that you're bringing there are some homemakers I actually tell them these points
[00:31:54] that you know this I mean taste and uh uh appearance is one thing but then these are a lot
[00:31:59] of other factors you take care of the which are painstaking you know it's a lot time consuming
[00:32:03] as you do actually exactly but it is very time consuming it is super time consuming but also
[00:32:10] I'll tell you it's really fun because it's uh it gives you a lot of learning and it gives
[00:32:13] you a very good insight on uh what you should uh you know you should or you want to how you want to
[00:32:19] portray your brand so like someone who's like me who's really like I'm always like okay how can I
[00:32:24] improve this how can I improve that how can I do this how can I do that you know I mean I'm sitting
[00:32:28] here I've done the I do the market survey I know what kind of audiences exist I know what
[00:32:32] kind of homemakers exist I know how they cater I know what kind of services they're doing
[00:32:36] so if these elements are only not taken care of why would someone even come back to you
[00:32:41] why would they choose you you know there's always going to be competition and even the
[00:32:44] fear of losing clients you know that's also a fighter thing that people don't even care about I feel
[00:32:49] because it's like oh you know it's like a role it's like one goes another one comes but yeah that it's
[00:32:53] it's the connect that you have with the person like because and also whenever you have a service
[00:32:57] it needs to have some unique so even when you're in the business of food and you're making
[00:33:00] cakes and all that it's not just a cake that is baked and sent out right you are doing it with
[00:33:04] yourself you're doing it with a lot of creativity you're doing it with passion you're doing it with
[00:33:08] love and it's a very long process in terms of like even for a new customer coming to you
[00:33:14] I'll say this person doesn't know about you and he's just like he's come to you he's gotten
[00:33:18] on your page and he's cool he she is clueless they don't know what it is so right even from
[00:33:22] helping them out to you know like understanding what is the event about what they require
[00:33:26] what are our offerings what can we do how can we personalize that how can we tailor make it
[00:33:30] to their requirement to you know that's something that they act they like and they really
[00:33:34] go like wild on saying that okay you've really done a good job so it's really a journey of taking
[00:33:39] them through you know if you think about it because they go get up outside bakeries it's not the same
[00:33:44] you just go you see the cake you pick it up and you're gone right there's really not much
[00:33:47] happening but when you're going to a home baker you are going with an intent you are going
[00:33:51] with an intention to really plan things for your occasion whatever it may be when they come
[00:33:58] to you they are expecting you to give them you know really like in like really a one-to-one
[00:34:03] interaction like say for example a client comes to me says okay it's my wedding I want a cake
[00:34:07] I have to sit down and you know like ask them like when to play 20 questions with them and be
[00:34:12] like you don't tell me what you want how it is you want you know that's when even the client
[00:34:16] starts understanding how much for the person is really serious or in you know wants the work
[00:34:21] that's the integrity that you have right in the work that you bring in like this you
[00:34:25] know that this is what adds that value and when you're taking money this is the level of
[00:34:30] commitment that you are showing towards it and you really want the customer to know that
[00:34:34] you genuinely care about their experience and not just for the money to hit your back and I think
[00:34:38] that's true for any service and any you know any field if any of the women entrepreneurs out there
[00:34:43] also if you're thinking of creating something don't just think about the money as the end goal
[00:34:47] think about as Sara beautifully said think about the journey that you're taking them on
[00:34:51] taking the service is just a facilitator of that journey but it's truly the experience
[00:34:56] of the customer and it's up to you to create that with integrity and commitment so
[00:35:00] correct because who else but you right if they're coming then who else but you have to love a icon
[00:35:04] yeah you're the face of it yeah and Naeeto they can always go to like the bakery out there and
[00:35:09] just pick up what they want right so they're coming to you with an intent they're coming to you
[00:35:13] with something to be tailor made for them so then you know why not and I do like keep telling
[00:35:19] people this specifically like I keep telling that you know why would you not go to a homemaker
[00:35:23] wouldn't you like your products to be tailor made just for you rather than just being picked up
[00:35:28] like you go to hotel you like alakard because it's tailor made fresh made it's you know whatever
[00:35:32] like it's it's fresh it's some just yeah exactly I think why would you want to do that to yourself
[00:35:38] especially especially if it's occasion based you know like if it's just another you know
[00:35:42] something that is a possible event that can really be fine fair but if memories you want to
[00:35:49] you know your cake is like a core thing of any party of after the big birthday anniversary
[00:35:54] is wedding if the cake is also not right you know or there's an emotion yeah and I have seen this
[00:36:00] I have seen this like I have seen this and especially that's why that's why the whole thing
[00:36:03] it's all like really if you think about it's only all entangled together but you only have to
[00:36:06] think from a customer's point of view more than anything you know to actually give them
[00:36:12] that x factor or whatever that hut k factor that you are offering then you're hooking
[00:36:17] them on you're hooking them on it's a true journey of an entrepreneur this is very honest like
[00:36:20] if she's just been flat out honest with her journey and that's wonderful to see so
[00:36:24] any last message Sarah you would want to give to all the women entrepreneurs out there
[00:36:28] who might be you know starting their own thing I would like to tell all the women entrepreneurs
[00:36:34] whoever is struggling or whoever probably haven't found they're calling it I really think that
[00:36:38] there is everything there is you know like everybody has something for them you know
[00:36:43] it's just a matter of finding it and it all eventually comes down to what I said in the
[00:36:47] start like how how hungry you are you know so I really feel and I honestly want to say that
[00:36:53] you know really they need to I really wish and hope that they find their calling and that
[00:36:58] my story really reaches out to multiple of them because this is really raw unfiltered me wanting
[00:37:04] to speak my story I have honestly been very enthusiast to really see my story to people
[00:37:09] because it really is one for the books and you know something that really I feel a lot of women
[00:37:14] will take take back with them at least you know watching the video or seeing the podcast listening
[00:37:19] to it you know I feel like because you know I feel like listening to other people's journey
[00:37:24] is that sometimes you know when you start imbibing in your cell that okay
[00:37:27] vo kar sakte to meh bhi kar sakte you know so I really feel that I hope that this story
[00:37:31] helps them and of course like I'm I would really be happy to speak to them directly or
[00:37:36] indirectly whatever you know to really help them because I'm really one for
[00:37:40] you know having women entrepreneurship you know for all of them having it
[00:37:44] it's the support we have to have each other's back you know I mean that's how much one woman
[00:37:49] is doing so much then you see how much we need to do that all of these women come together and how
[00:37:54] much they can establish like one woman itself is so can do so many things like so that's why
[00:37:59] it's just it's wonderful to see women supporting women because nobody else knows the intricacies
[00:38:03] and the challenges that one has to go through and all of them have heard this same judgment
[00:38:06] you know all heard all these kind of labels of what she won't do there she's just yeah she's just
[00:38:11] she's just lucky people just give her the all all you know all kinds of labels that thank you
[00:38:16] Sarah more power to you thank you everyone for tuning in and thank you so much for having me
[00:38:22] thank you so much bye bye take care
[00:38:33] you
[00:39:03] you
[00:39:33] you
[00:40:03] you