STEPHANIE’S SWEETEST DREAMS

JAMES CARLO R. LUCAS

ALTERNATING BETWEEN entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and academics; these have always been the core and purpose of this tenacious woman – to provide for herself, to practice generosity and to earn a degree. Stephanie Jay Ulep, is a graduating student from the Business Administration Department of the College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy. At present, she owns the Sweetest Dreams Refreshments where she sells customized cakes, different pastries, shawarma, and rice bowls. Before she was able to solidify the foundation of her business, she first struggled with the adversities

that an entrepreneur faces when starting a business endeavor. Little did she know that the problems she has conquered would be of great significance in achieving the success she enjoys today.

HOW IT ALL CAME TO BE

In every dream we wish to achieve, there’s always a heavy reason why we take actions to conquer it. Stephanie shared that she grew up having a poor family and that opportunities are limited for her. This was her driving force to work hard and create doors for herself. It was in baking and cooking that she was able to find an avenue to fulfill her plans of building a business. Since Stephanie has an innate passion for culinary and a background in marketing, she started to enhance her skills by watching YouTube tutorials and free learning materials online. With courage and passion, she borrowed PHP. 10,000 from her mother as her capital and bought basic baking equipment and

ingredients. Stephanie initially sold cakesin-tub just to test the waters and find out whether customers would like her recipe or not. Luckily, Stephanie received great feedback about her products – that’s when the Sweetest Dreams were born. The Sweetest Dreams resonates her story as she dreams for a sweet and prosperous life. Stephanie decided to grow her business as most of her clients request her to make customized cakes for various celebrations. She saw this chance as a great turning point and a huge opportunity to enter into a new and larger market. “It wasn’t easy. It was very frustrating especially if I can’t copy the inspiration photos that my clients want me to replicate. But I never stopped practicing and enhancing my skills; and I think it’s safe to say that I progressed compared to where I started” Stephanie said, chronicling the process of mastering her craft of creating customized cakes.

EARNING WHILE LEARNING

Apart from running her business, Stephanie didn’t forget to continue her studies despite the shackles and trammels given by the arduous online classes. She was taught to still prioritize her responsibilities as a student in order for her to earn the marketing degree she always wanted, because even though her business is thriving, Stephanie believes that it is better to have something to be proud of and something that could be considered as a safety net. Though it may seem fun studying and earning money on the side, Stephanie said that it takes a lot of patience and sacrifice to juggle both things considering that we are experiencing a global pandemic. “The number one challenge that I faced was managing my time. Usually, I am passing my requirements barely on time.” Stephanie shared. During the peak season, Stephanie is forced to stay up late baking, decorating cakes, and catching up with the lectures so that she won't be left behind. Despite the toxic academic workloads, altruism still stood up within Stephanie’s class as everyone helped everyone to cope up with all the deadlines. With patience and hard work, she managed to maintain her academic scholarship standing. One may say that engaging in business is all for profit. But for Stephanie, the blessings bestowed to her should always flow fullcircle. As the Sweetest Dreams became a player in the baking industry of Ilocos Norte, Stephanie decided to create her own foundation to help people coming from the under-served sectors. Stephanie shared that the Sweetest Dreams initiated a meals-on-wheels project. “The foundation that we created was about helping other people, especially those who are in need. Out of our pocket and with the help of other people, we distributed food and drinks for our frontliners and stranded kababayans here in Ilocos Norte particularly in San Nicolas during the height of the pandemic last 2021. Furthermore, the Sweetest Dreams’ foundation also distributed pocket WiFis to those students who had problems with internet connectivity. This project was a great help for the student beneficiaries to survive the challenges of online classes. Stephanie also shared with so much joy that her foundation reached the Aeta community in the secluded area of Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte. She remembered the trails and valleys they had to get through in order to bring the food, slippers, clothes, and other supplies to the people residing in the said community. The whole experience was very humbling because Stephanie realized how blessed she is, and how much power compassion and generosity can hold.

AN EMBODIMENT OF A TRUE INSPIRATION

In the first year of the business, Sweetest Dreams were able to partner with four different coffee shops in the province – Bloomfields in Dingras, Palpitate in Laoag City, Bean Brewed in Vintar, and Get Caffeinated in Currimao. Stephanie supplies cheesecakes, and various pastries in the said establishments. Moreover, she is also active in participating in different food fairs organized by different LGUs and the Provincial Government. For Stephanie, she wishes to partner with more businesses and expand her product offerings in order to provide more jobs in her locality as she will need a handful of manpower. Asked about her message to the youth who want to pursue entrepreneurship, she says that how you react to your problems will always be the determinant whether or not you’ll succeed in your business endeavor. As Stephanie goes on her journey for her sweetest dreams, she desires to be someone whom you can draw inspiration from. She says, “Never stop believing in yourself, keep moving forward. If you want to pursue business, be ready with the challenges [and] never give up because everyone can be successful as long as you're dedicated to the things you do in life”