This month’s Hustler is a genuine, humble and hardworking young woman.

She worked in the banking industry for over 10 years but her heart was beating only at the sounds of whisking ingredients looking to make the perfect brownies.

Meet Agatha, born in Sri Lanka, grew up in Singapore and write down every piece of advice this incredible woman has to give when it comes down to keep it real, persevere, stay humble while achieving your dreams.

M: Hi Agatha, you and I met at Boutiques Fair in Singapore not long ago, I remember cruising around looking for my next Hustlers, I always look for uniqueness and stories that can reach my readers hearts. I saw you at your stall, there were so many people tasting your brownies so we couldn’t talk much but the sparkle in your eyes, your smile and extreme kindness is what got me to stop (along with the amazing smell of your desserts which are to die for!). We quickly exchanged contact info and since then, I literally visited every page of Lucia Cakes website and, I have to be honest, it felt like home.

Lovely words about your grandmother, pictures of perfect cakes that represent a wonderful mix between over the top cakes so in trend today, and traditional home loved cakes. Tell me more about Lucia Cakes and its history, the legacy. I am so curious.

A: “Lucia Cakes is named after my maternal grandmother, Lucy, who lived in St. Lucia's Lane in Sri Lanka, and was the baker in the family. The store opened 3.5 years ago. It is mainly an online store, where people place their orders at least 2 days in advance, and then they can self-collect their orders at our kitchen and storefront at Club St, or opt for delivery. We are best known for our brownies (which was what we were selling at Boutiques Fairs), but we also have a full cake menu to choose from.“

M: Amazing. How about you, what can you share with the readers about yourself. “Who is Agatha?”

A: “I have always loved baking, and used to be fascinated when my mother used to make desserts. The first dessert I remember her making is Creme Caramel, and I wanted to try making it myself. At that time I was so little, I couldn't even pronounce "Caramel" properly. I was born in Sri Lanka, but we moved to Singapore at a very young age. During school holidays, we would go back to Sri Lanka to visit our grandparents and relatives. And during this time, I would learn how to make more desserts from my grandmother and aunts, and I absolutely loved it. But baking was always just a hobby, never something I thought I'd do professionally. I worked in the banking industry for 10 years, before deciding to take a sabbatical to do the Patisserie course at Le Cordon Bleu, London.“

M: Take me to that very early moment when you said to yourself: “I am going to open my own cakes store, no matter what.” How did it all started?

A: “When I was doing the pastry course at Le Cordon Bleu, I remember absolutely loving every moment of it. Plans started formulating in my mind, and that was when I started considering the idea of having my own cake business. The more I thought about the details, and the menu, and the structure, the more I was convinced I should at least give it a go. I wanted to keep it very small at first, as running a cake business was going to be a complete new challenge for me, and I wasn't one who took very big risks.”

M: Life as a business owner is not something people can learn by reading books, it requires experience, making mistakes and a considerable learning curve. What are your top three advices you would like to share with other women out there that are starting their new adventure in becoming business owners?

A: “Life as a business owner is DEFINITELY not easy! And I also think it is not for everyone. I would first say women should be very honest with themselves to decide whether they have the time, energy, and the emotional and mental capacity to deal with LOTS of mistakes, failures and disappointments that will inevitably come one after the other. They must be people who can pick themselves up and keep carrying on. Next, I would think it is very important to have a support system in place, be it family or friends. Very very important, which is something I am very grateful to have. And lastly, to thoroughly research the industry you are forging into with an open mind.”

M: And what are the top three mistakes you would suggest to avoid?

A: “Underestimating the costs involved. However careful one is with planning for expenses, there will always be things that we have missed out, or things that break down that need to be fixed, or things that go wrong that need to be changed. So be VERY VERY conservative when working out the costs involved. Biting off more than you can chew. There is nothing wrong with starting small, and growing bigger once you are more comfortable. Expanding far too quickly. Take your time to grow your business, and enjoy the process!”

M: As a woman in business, have you faced moments where you had the impression that being a female was a disadvantage?

A: “I have to be honest here, I have not faced this. I can literally only think of one situation when I needed to ask a man for help, and that was to move a 25kg sack of flour up a flight of stairs! :) Other than that, I honestly feel it is a very even playing field and we all make our own successes.”

M: That’s wonderful Agatha! During your company’s set up journey in Singapore, what challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

A: “Setting up a business was a challenge because there is just so much to get organised. However, I was also lucky that I had friends also setting up a restaurant (The Coconut Club) near my store at the same time, and so got a lot of guidance and help from them!”

M: Let’s celebrate success! What are the accomplishments you are most proud of?

A: “Someone said to me the other day that there was a survey done on F&B businesses in Singapore, and how most will close down within a year of opening, and only 10% survive beyond 3 years. So am definitely glad Lucia Cakes has made it this far!

We also seem to get quite a few requests to ask if we ship our brownies overseas! And have had tourists stop by to pick up brownies because someone they knew had brought them over when they were in their country!”

M: Wow, thank you so much for sharing your business secrets! We are almost at the end, I would love for you to share a bit more before we say goodbye: what are Agatha’s personal and professional goals for the future?

A: “So after 3.5 years operating as a small kitchen, the next step is to move to a bigger premise and expand the team as we seem to have outgrown our current kitchen. We also have plans to start forging into overseas markets if the timing is right.

Personally though, it is time I learnt to take more breaks from work, after spending most of the last 3.5years working every single day, without taking weekends or public holidays off, and sometimes working for 2 days straight without time to sleep even.”

M: Any tip for Mommy The Hustler’s readers?

A: “And my top tip for Mommy The Hustler readers: definitely give our brownies a try! It makes for very easy entertaining when you are throwing children's parties, or great to have when friends come over, or even at work at team meetings! They come in 14 different flavours, and you can choose up to 4 flavours per box, and we also deliver! It is the thing we sell the most by far!”

Visit Lucia Cakes’s website and let me know if you, like me, fell in love with her creations! They are art pieces!

Love & Hustle,

Ambra

Website: https://luciacakes.com/

Instagram: @LuciaCakesSingapore

Email: Contact@LuciaCakes.com

Tel: (65) 9726 5101

Lucia Cakes' and the incredible story of Agatha's most famous brownies in Singapore you can't miss.