International Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March and a yearly opportunity to celebrate the success of women.
Although gender equality is not at it’s ideal level, there has been quite the advancement. Here in Malta we have plenty of women entrepreneurs who are shining bright in the food and beverage industry. Their impact has been significant.
Although we think that women should be celebrated every day, let’s use Women’s Day to highlight the achievements of some of the wonderful entrepreneur women of Malta. We at OMGFoodMalta have spoken to a number of women entrepreneurs we know and have worked with during the past months, to tell us a bit about themselves and what got them into entrepreneurship. Oh, and Happy Women’s Day from us at OMGFoodMalta!
Claire Borg (Mojo’s, Gozo)
Women’s Day, Entrepreneur
Hello! My name is Claire Borg. I am a mum of three and together with my brother Mark I run Mojo’s in Gozo. I do the kitchen part and he does the bar side of things. I am also a food stylist and photographer.
I was born into the catering industry. My grandad owned a hotel and I was brought up surrounded and living in these scenarios. I know nothing better than to live and work in this industry. I started my own business because I was left empty handed and needed to create a better life for myself. So Mojo’s came to life, and it has been nearly 12 years.
The most satisfying part of my job is the creativity. Always trying to be one step ahead and creating foods and images that are pleasing.
My advice for other entrepreneur women is to take advantage of who you are and what you are faced with. Be determined and stubborn and persevere. Being a woman is not an excuse but an asset. Happy Women’s Day!
Chloe von Brockdorff (Rocky’s Authentic Ftira)
Women’s Day, Entrepreneur
I’m Chloe von Brockdorff and I am the creator and co-owner of Rocky’s Authentic Ftira. During the lockdown period, I came to the realisation that I couldn’t find my ultimate comfort food, which is a classic Maltese Ftira on any of the delivery apps. I had a bit of a eureka moment and quickly called my sister who is now my business partner.
My husband was very supportive of the idea and offered to help with the branding as he is somewhat of an expert in this field. Two months later, we had what is called a soft launch. Where absolutely no advertising is done.
We simply went live on all the apps, and let orders organically trickle through. We were quite overwhelmed with the response we received through this alone and two days later, I launched all our social media pages including our website and we’ve hit the ground running ever since! I’m very proud to say that we are the first Ftira joint on the island!
Someone recently sent photos of a factory canteen on a Friday afternoon, absolutely full of Rocky’s bags. That was definitely a satisfying moment. To realise a gap in the market and see it come to life and receive such an overwhelmingly positive response is most encouraging and fulfilling. To have my husbands constant support and to also see my children excited about my business ventures is also very comforting!
If you have faith in yourself and you are confident in your product then you will always find success. Good customer service is key, along with consistency and a strong work ethic. You cannot expect to reap the benefits without putting in the effort, and this applies to all areas of our lives.
Joanna Micallef Farrugia & Diana Mifsud (Tettiera)
Women’s Day, Entrepreneur
Tettiera was launched in the winter of 2016 – the lifelong dream of Joanna Micallef Farrugia and myself (Diana). We’re both passionate about tea, the beauty of it’s ritual and wellbeing benefits and how it almost forces you to stand still for a few minutes and live more with intention.
Within Tettiera, Joanna focuses on strategy, product development, tea blending, business management and operations and sales. Whereas I focus more on brand image & styling, graphic design, photography, product production and presentation. Although Joanna and myself grew up together, Tettiera has proved to be a continuous surprise to ourselves and each other in terms of what our capabilities are.
We both knew we wanted to realise our own concept but it was just a dream until we both decided to explore it more seriously and find a way to make it happen. It was back in early 2015 when we found ourselves excitedly planning and actively developing the concept. We were determined to make it happen and never looked back.
We put a lot of work into developing concepts that add value to the experience of enjoying a cup of tea. Receiving positive and encouraging feedback from our customers is what gives us the most joy and makes the hard work and long hours worth while. We also appreciate the personal growth we experience through growing with Tettiera.
My advice to future entrepreneurs is to embrace being a woman and use it to your advantage but do not let it be your only identity. First and foremost you are an entrepreneur. It is our skills, the way of thinking, how we approach issues and how we form solutions that shape our algorithm as women entrepreneurs and ultimately shape our brands. Get out there and never stop networking especially with other women – there is so much we can learn from each other and so much we can do together.
Stay focused and do not let life derail you. Never stop learning and keep your pot of ideas brewing. Happy Women’s Day!
Samantha Saliba (Sam’s Sweet & Savoury)
Women’s Day, Entrepreneur
I’m Samantha Saliba, recently known as a foodie influencer at Sam’s Sweet & Savoury with platforms on Instagram and Facebook. I am also a regular contributor with my Sam Cooks column on OMGFoodMalta.com. I love to share everyday, easy recipes that can be made in every household. I’m also an occupational therapist by profession. I love to go abroad, spend time with my husband, family and friends, and of course, cook. I’m also exploring a new interest in food photography.
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, I started to share my food plate photography on my personal facebook and instagram accounts and was surprised at all the interest I had started to receive. I was frequently being asked to share recipes and to give some tips in the kitchen and so I decided to start up my new page. It has been growing ever since turning a recipe page into a community of food lovers.
Knowing that I have managed to inspire even a few people to love cooking as a hobby rather than a daily tedious chore is what has driven me from the beginning and keeps me satisfied with my work.
My advice to women entrepreneur looking to start a side project is to never give up. The beginnings always seem so small and difficult but if you put your heart and mind to it, you will achieve great things! I also take this opportunity to wish all women entrepreneurs a happy Women’s Day.
Maria Gatt (Marelli)
Women’s Day, Entrepreneur
I am the chef and owner at Marelli. I’ve been in love with food and cooking from an early age and I’ve been working in kitchens since I was 16. I have always wanted to run my own place and kept my eyes open for an opportunity. When it finally came, I decided to go for it.
The two things that are the most satisfying aspect of having your own business is that look and feel of satisfaction when you really know your customers loved eating what you created. Then, you get to share that feeling with the team you’re working with.
My advice to future entrepreneurs on Women’s Day is to plan, plan and plan! Long, medium or short term planning – just try to plan for everything (including pandemics!) Be patient – it is a marathon. Sometimes look back to see where you started from, it really puts things into perspective. Go on, roll up those sleeves!
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Cassandra Straub (Biome Munch)
Women’s Day, Entrepreneur
I’m 24 years old, born and raised in Canada. I had been a dancer all of my life and decided to come to Malta 6 years ago to pursue a degree in Dance Studies at the University of Malta. I have always been passionate about nature, the environment, movement, health, and nutrition.
I am all about helping people who do good things do more of those good things! Therefore, I also went on to do my Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship at the University of Malta to better understand this world, and how we can make amazing ideas (especially with NGO’s) that are often unsustainable, into a thriving business. Where people can be of service to the community, and have the peace of mind that they can do so for a long time!
With this combined passion and know-how, as well as the passion and know-how of my partner Cane Vella, we decided to form Biome Munch. We love to be of service through growing high-quality produce for people and making it easily accessible. As environmentalists, this also means less transport, less plastic, and no chemicals.
As a business person and entrepreneur, it means we cut out the middle man of the markets and can sell directly to clients, meaning it’s a good deal in cost from both ends. As a dancer and health fanatic, it means we are all taking care of our mental and physical health through moving, being in nature, and nourishing ourselves with good quality organically grown food.
The most satisfying part of being an entrepreneur and having my own business is that every decision is based on my own ethics and morals. That I can wake up everyday knowing that I am being of service to the community in the best way possible. I don’t need to take action on anything I don’t wholeheartedly believe in.
But at the same time, I have the flexibility to listen to myself. If I want to work 16 hours on a Sunday I can. But also, if I need to take a day off to recharge on a Wednesday, I can make that happen too. In this way of working, you are always able to be at your peak. There is no sense in wasting away hours of our precious time.
There is always an intention and purpose to how my days are filled. If I had a bad night’s sleep, and I’m not feeling well and thinking of all the errands I need to take care of, and I need to sit in an office from 9-5, that work isn’t going to be productive. But if I have the ability to listen to myself, that I need to get a couple of hours of extra sleep, get my errands done, and can focus and feel well – that work is going to be productive.
See what I mean? It doesn’t mean you’re working less, not at all – but you work in tune with what you and your business needs – not the structure that was given to you that you have to mold to.
On this Women’s Day my advice for anyone seeking to become an entrepreneur is to be very honest with yourself. Do you want the security of a job? And to follow instructions that are given to you? Or do you want to lead? Create? and Innovate? Do you have some special skills or product ideas? Is this something that people need or yearn for? Can you actually do this?
Keep asking yourself questions until you get really clear about what is possible. Not just what makes you money (but hey, you still gotta eat), but a mission you are so passionate about that it cannot fail.
A mission that drives you to wake up early, work late after your day job to make it happen. That when you get rejected time and time again, and criticized, you keep working towards it. Find what you love, how you can be of service, and take steps every day to transform that from idea to creation. Happy Women’s Day!
Emily Borg Tran (Banh Mi Vietnamese & Asian Food)
Women’s Day, Entrepreneur
My name is Emily and I’m one half of the Banh Mi couple. My husband and I opened our food truck back in 2018 serving Vietnamese and Asian street food. Fast forward 3 years and now we have a takeaway restaurant on Kukkanja road, Santa Venera, continuing to share our passion with food and the colourful cuisines of Asia. You might have heard about us on social media with some curious dishes such as Baoger or Baodog.
Frankly, I didn’t see myself so much of an entrepreneur in the past. It started from the opposite schedules my then-boyfriend and I had. We’d love to spend more time with each other whenever possible, simple as that!
However, when it comes to the actual business, it took us a bit of time to decide on. We want to start a catering business with Vietnamese food at the core, not just because we both love my motherland’s cuisine, but also because of the existing demand at that time. When the opportunity came in the shape of our iconic green van, we went for it together.
For me, the most satisfying aspect of having our own business is the invaluable time together with Jeremy. The business allows us to spend the most of our time with each other, and since business is always evolving and changing, there’s never been a dull moment between us! People usually say it’s usually difficult to work with your life partner, especially in a heated environment such as catering.
However, we grow to understand each other’s characters on a very intimate level. I’d say since we learn everything together and share what we learn with each other, we grow as better versions of ourselves and as a whole.
It’s Women’s Day. To the women looking to become entrepreneurs, I’d say – do your homework well. Listen to advice from other people, but don’t forget to check the facts and statistics to support those claims. I find being curious and staying curious have helped me in many situations. There’s so many things to learn as an entrepreneur, and there will be somebody better than me at something, but that’s what makes things interesting. Keep asking questions.
Also, don’t forget to take care of yourself. I find that I need to schedule my rest time, otherwise I won’t know when to stop and end up draining my battery completely. Simply doing things that you love for as little as 30 minutes a day does wonders to your mental clarity, just block a time for it in your busy schedule, even the most fierce warrior would need a good rest every day!
Last but not least, put away VAT and make a separate budget for accounting and financial activities. That saves a huge headache at least once every quarter. Enjoy Women’s Day!
