Digital advertising professional by day and a baker by night - Riya Malik's take on leading double lives

"Baking was not a part of my agenda and I knew nothing about it till 3 years back. I unknowingly took it up during a rough/lonely phase in my life and it just stuck. The feeling of spreading joy through good food, that you make, is unparalleled to anything I’ve experienced in my life. From once a week it slowly became an almost daily thing for me. I spent more and more hours learning, reading and practicing. I felt like a child again. Now comes the important question – make your passion your job?

​I really didn’t know. I quite liked my job and was doing great there so I didn’t want to leave that. Moreover, I’m not a big risk-taker so I did not like the sound of not having that monthly paycheck to fall back upon. I started testing the waters to see what the demand for homemade desserts was like. Slowly and steadily I launched my brand, The Pink Truck, and the orders started picking up but I still kept my day job. How do I manage it? This I get asked a lot and the answer to it is that it's not that rosy. It involves a lot of planning; many sleepless nights; a dwindling social life as you start working on weekends and holidays and so much more! I try to finish my baking and deliveries at night or in the morning before I come in to work. It’s tiring and hectic – I was prepared for that. But I've stuck to it as I know it will surely support me in the near future. Through the uncertainties one faces while planning their lives post college, I've realized one should just say 'yes' more often; to that weekend trek plan, to taking up a cooking/baking class – you never know when and what might stick."​​​

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