Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariana Ibarra.
Mariana, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My great grandfather and grandfather were both bakers, my grandfather opened his first bakery more than 50 years ago. Since I was about 15 years old, I saw myself managing my grandparents’ business at some point in my life. I studied international business, keeping in mind that I would end up having my own business or working for the family business.
I have always loved to bake, I did it as a hobby and was always the one who gave cupcakes or brownies to my friends on their birthdays. My mother was always involved in my grandparents’ business, I would always be around her when she supervised wedding cakes or when she decorated cookies. When I grew up, finally one night in my house I decided to help her decorate some cookies and thats when I realized that I was good at decorating cookies and not only did I begin decorating but began baking all types of different cookies.
I have always been very proud of my family business, the quality of the product, the talent of the employees, the details in everything we do and I realized that it was up to me and my mother for my grandparent’s business to continue. After my mother’s talent and what I had discovered in myself is when I decided to create a new image and a whole new brand, creating Malu cookies and sweets and opening our first bakery almost a year ago!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was not to easy at first trying to convince my dad that this is what I wanted. My dad wanted me to just have a good job and not get involved in family business. Having to quit my job and letting go of a weekly consistent paycheck while having some debts made me think more than twice. After all i was confident the hard work would pay off and that my dad would be proud of me.
Having to plan and create everything by myself was a challenge, but it was one of the best things I’ve done. I would advise young women to go for it, take risks, you have more to lose if you don’t take the shot at it than if you do. Be confident of what you are and what you can become.
Please tell us about Malu cookies and sweets.
I am a pastry chef, not by career but by passion and family inheritance. I specialize in cookies, cakes and other pastries. We use high-quality ingredients, take care of the details and make sure our customers come back not only because of our product but also because of our customer service.
We sell ready to take desserts as well as customized desserts for any event: cake pops, cupcakes, cakes, cookies, to mention some. We created a space where customers can stop by for a dessert and coffee. What we offer in our bakery is what customers can order for their event. If they tried a slice of chocolate banana cake, they can order a personalized cake in the future. We have a whole history behind us, more than 50 years of experience in quality, taste, management, customer service, and more. We intend to express this to our customers in the final product they receive.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
My mentor has been my grandfather, grandmother and mother. I advise to always look for experienced mentors, someone who has been involved in the area for a long time. Even though we are a new generation with new ideas, we have more to learn from those who have been through the ups and downs of the industry.
Taking advantage of social media has been amazing, creating a personal relationship with my customers has worked a lot. Creating events in my bakery has also helped me network and position my name little by little. Being patient and understanding that positioning myself may take time and requires a lot of effort.
Contact Info:
- Email: infosweetmalu@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/malucookiesandsweets?igshid=wwgyhpj1leu6
- Facebook: Facebook.com/malucookiesandsweets
Image Credit:
Narrativa Studio
Gisele Esquer
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