How an immigrant from Russia turned a hobby into a successful business in Israel
'04.05.2019'
Source: biz360.ru
More recently, an emigrant from Russia, Alexandra Zhebrak, worked as a financial analyst at a bank with a salary that was enough for all the joys of life: rent an apartment in the center of Tel Aviv, visit good restaurants, travel ... But one thing was missing - excitement. The boredom and the feeling that life is passing by, forced the life-giving woman to escape from the “golden cage” and go in search of herself. Now Alexandra is preparing cakes to order, she organizes cooking classes and plans to open her pastry shop, writes biz360.
Zhebrak was born in Voronezh, and emigrated to Israel in 17 years, now lives in Tel Aviv. She graduated from Jerusalem Jewish University, Department of Economics and Statistics.
From Voronezh to Tel Aviv
“I was 17 when I emigrated. From the age of 13 I had a clear feeling - I have to get out of the house. I didn't care where. But I heard that you can go to Israel. Mom did not let go, didn’t let go, didn’t let go: “I have to finish school, I have to enter a special class, I have to go to the university, I have to finish…” ”.
Sasha studied at the Voronezh University for six months - and left. Not knowing the language well, she came to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and passed the exams for the Faculty of Economics and Statistics.
“I honestly understood only prepositions at lectures on economics. In mathematics, it’s still somehow understandable - sigma, delta, lambda. She came home, took a lecture from the Israelis - translated into Russian, then decided and translated back. But in 17 for years, it’s all just - it's a fairy tale, not a life. ”
After graduating from university, Sasha began working: first as an insurance agent, then as an accountant, then as a financial analyst at a bank. “Everything was great. There was money - and rent an apartment in Tel Aviv, and travel abroad - and in general for everything, everything, everything. But at the same time, it seemed to me that life was passing there, outside the window, and not in the office. After all, the sea is almost visible from my window, but I did not go to the sea at all: during the day work, and in the evening you return home - the sun is already setting. I began to realize with horror that my job is to transfer numbers from one column to another and show it to the big uncles who make some decisions. Out of boredom, I started looking for something to do, to do. "
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In Search of Yourself
Thoughts about his business constantly wrapped Sasha in the kitchen: “I often went to restaurants and I was wondering how they do it? After all, they have not just fried chicken, but some kind of magic! ”
At first, Sasha tried to repeat what was served to her in the most refined restaurants of Israel: “I came and cooked at home what I tried in restaurants. Began to read, learn, watch videos about food. I thought: from nothing - flour, egg and sugar - hop and you can make something bright, tasty, people like! I began to praise. That bought me! ”
The food turned out all the more delicious, and interest only grew, and Sasha went to pastry courses at the School of High Culinary Art "Bishulim" in Tel Aviv (The Israely Institute of Culinary Art).
“I had the experience of home cooking only. And I wanted to know how desserts are made. I went to the most extensive course that could be found in Israel, and I studied there for half a year - after work. Around the middle of the course, I realized that I wanted to try to do it for real. Not at home, not on weekends, but for real. Live this life. At the same time, I started going to personal growth trainings, where I learned how to use my potential, how to find myself in this life. ”
Sasha had accumulated enough money not to work for some time and continue “searching for herself”. She began to think about dismissal.
“It was quite difficult to get out of this“ golden cage ”. The salary was very good. The firm is excellent. The people around are nice. But the occupation itself is boring. "
"Before that, it was like this: you have to learn, you have to find a job, you have to move forward with your jobоhigher salary, you need an even more interesting place. And when I realized that the salary increases from place to place, but there is no interest, then I began to think about what I want. It wasn't depression - it was an exploration of oneself. "
After completing the courses, Sasha applied for resignation, which surprised her colleagues and friends a lot.
Checked on yourself
Experience analyst suggested - it is necessary to investigate the market. Therefore, Sasha went first to the Avantage Patisserie factory, where they make pastries, muffins, shortbread dough, pies, mousse cakes and cookies. There she worked for a week in every department. Then she settled in the most famous Israeli chocolate boutique Ika chocolate. At the factory and in Ika chocolate she worked for free - for the experience.
“At Ika chocolate, I understood how this business works - 60% of it is organization and 40% of very hard work. Non-stop. This is a boutique, these are small chocolates, handmade, not a conveyor stream, but you do not stop, you work all the time. If you don't make chocolate, then you talk to the suppliers, or those who buy, or those who bring in the packaging material. "
"Shokolotereya" is the brainchild of one girl who makes this chocolate herself. There I opened my eyes that it was all very difficult, but very interesting. And in the factory everything was so full of life, unlike the office. And every second something exciting was happening. Either someone was shouting at you in the kitchen, or something fell and broke at you - ahhh, everything, the end of the world, fell, crashed !!! ".
But this was not enough for Sasha - and she settled into the kitchen at the best restaurant in Tel Aviv "ToTo":
“It’s like in movies - everyone is shouting at each other, and the boss is in charge and says -“ fast, fast! ”. The kitchen is necessarily very small, there is no room, and you rub against everyone, the fire burns, someone pushed you - you shout "ayuu". It was physical fire. I worked in a pastry shop - she is always in the kitchen, just a little aside. And everyone else infringes on us - they don't take us for real cooks. "
Despite the fact that Sasha worked for money in the restaurant, she survived for only three months. Moreover, the monthly salary was only enough to pay for parking in Tel Aviv. It was very interesting, but the former financial analyst was not ready for the fact that they would constantly shout at her.
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Having received another portion of the experience, Sasha hired a business coach who helped her formalize her business and suggested her first steps. Then she started baking cakes "to order".
“I had everything to start my business - but I wasn’t pressing, you know? I still had money, and I did not feel an urgent need to earn. So I ... smeared. "
And instead of “earning money,” Sasha took up charity work — she held workshops for old people, baked something sweet, handed out, told how it was done, until she suddenly realized that she still lacked knowledge.
Then the girl went online and came across the site of the Maria Selyanina confectionery school in Barcelona (Maria Selyanina House-Pastry Lab. & Atelier Gourmet), where, without thinking twice, she left for three weeks.
At first, Sasha wanted to go to Le Cordon Bleu, the oldest cooking university in the world in France. Education cost 5000 euros for one semester of three. “I had to go there for a year. But I found a cheaper option - Euro 1500 per week, including food and accommodation. ”
Marina Selyanina Sasha took courses with chocolate, modern and classic French pastries. During her studies, Sasha actively posted the results of her work on Facebook: “she boasted about what she learned.” The number of subscribers has grown, friends began to ask how you can make an order and where to try her culinary masterpieces. "And it somehow went away."
But the earnings were barely enough for personal expenses and food. Doubts began. Sasha allowed herself to pause and left for three months - to Altai and Karelia.
Step by Step
“When I came back, I realized that there were six months of savings left. It was a turning point, I had to decide - either I stay in the confectionery or return to work and live like all normal people. "
Sasha chose the "kitchen". I quickly found and rented an apartment with access to the roof in the center of Tel Aviv, brought a stove to it and started working. “It was difficult - I didn’t consider myself a real pastry chef yet, but because“ it was necessary ”I just did it. I wrote posts in Facebookled her Instagram, brought her products on sale, at hen parties, in beauty salons. I did everything to be recognized. ”
The business went uphill after Sasha's cake was ordered by the artist and blogger Nastya Tsvetaeva, well-known in Moscow and Israel (more than 100 thousand followers on Instagram). “Someone of her acquaintances advised me, and she offered me to make a sweet table for her daughter's two-year anniversary - for PR on Instagram. After her post, the number of my followers in one night grew from 200 to 800. That inspired me. And orders for cakes from friends of Nastya Tsvetaeva started pouring in. "
“I myself take pictures of my products and post them on Facebook and Instagram. The only thing I can not do is to describe my cakes beautifully. I only have enough for a post of two sentences in which I can list what the cake consists of. I thought about going to the courses - learn to write, but no. Enough courses for me - we have to work! ”
After that, Sasha went to Barcelona two more times for additional courses. The latter is a course for confectionery consultants, where she learned to organize a confectionery business, in case it comes time to open her own bakery: “So, in theory, I’m already smart enough and experienced to open my own pastry shop. But I don't want it yet. ”
“I call it intuitive business conduct. Everything is according to the situation. For example, if I have few orders in a certain period, then I make more posts on Facebook. Or I'll make a sale. Or come up with a new product. Or I will give an additional master class. Master classes - yes, they take more energy, but they bring more money. Or another format - bachelorette parties and children's birthday parties on the road: I am invited instead of a stripper or a clown - I will make the show and the pasta delicious! "
First results
By this time, three years had passed, when Sasha retired from employment and went on an independent voyage.
“Somehow I decided to calculate everything I spent and spend now - up to 1 Shekel, and compare it with what I earn. And it turned out that I was in profit. It was a happiness! I realized that my business is unwinding, that I can postpone or invest in development. And my life is settled down. ”
In the near future, Alexandra Zhebrak will rent a shop and withdraw production from home cooking, while maintaining exclusivity and a high level of production: “Working at home is definitely good, but when there is a lot of work, I sometimes can’t share — I’m at home or I’m at work . You wake up, legs in slippers - you drink coffee and immediately you warm it up, take it out, that is, you are already working. ”
