Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nagla Shawkat, founder of Macaronage, located in Ottawa, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My business is about baking macaron with love, my customers are like my family as I cook to my family with love, I bake to my customers with love too, I put my heart in each piece of macaron as it’s my only one.

Tell us about yourself

I’m a decorator with an Architectural degree who find her passion in baking macarons, then I made a career shift to be a macaron artist.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Currently, my biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been actually making my dream come true of having a brick and mortar in my small town. The idea of bringing a business to the area will draw in visitors for an experience and showcase all the beauty that eastern Iowa has to offer. I am also super proud to be building a team of amazing artists to help service more clients.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest thing about being a business owner is that you have to be “ON” 24/7 even if you are not working but your mind is always busy with new challenges.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Find your passion and use it as a North Star to guide you, listen and respond to your customers’ feedback and hire helpers to handle the additional load to help you to concentrate on the core of your work and achieve new challenges.

Anything else to share?

The best thing that happened to me is when I turned my hobby to a work actually, I’m enjoying even the stressful moments, sometimes while you're doing what you love, you lose track of time and feel proud of the results of your efforts.

Where can people find you and your business?

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macaronage.ottawa/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/macaronage.ottawa/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.