164 318
LIFE&FAMILY
164
May15
#6
PREVIOUS CAREER:
Lawyer, UK and Singapore
Best part of the job:
Achieving positive results
for clients, particularly in my pro bono work.
Biggest challenges:
Saying no! Sometimes it
just wasn’t possible to find a happy solution
to the issue.
Inspiration for career change:
I’ve always been
a foodie, and over the years I’ve fantasised
about running my own food business. The spirit
of enterprise in Singapore helped me turn that
daydream into a reality.
NEW CAREER:
Founder and Chocolatier, Leela’s Fine
Chocolates.
Reason for choice:
What could be better than
working with chocolate? After taking a course
on chocolate-making, I was hooked and started
making chocolates for friends. As my skills and
confidence increased, I expanded to corporate
orders, events and teaching short courses.
Best part of the job:
Seeing customers’
reactions to the chocolates, particularly some
unusual varieties such as rosemary and olive
oil. I get a real kick from seeing suspicious
expectations turn into smiles.
Bigget challenge:
Working with chocolate is
very tricky and you have to be very meticulous
to produce great chocolate products every
time. The shift from being a small cog in a big
operation to running my own small business
has been challenging but rewarding.
Most satisfying achievement:
Seeing a box
of my chocolates in front of 350 guests at a
prestigious event at The St. Regis Hotel and,
later, watching some of the guests scour the
tables for extras to take home.
Old job versus new job
:
Definitely new! I’ve been
operating outside my comfort zone, which
has been a liberating experience. It’s made
me braver and bolder in other aspects of my
life, too.
Leela Titus, Irish
USEFUL ADVICE
There’s a real difference between
enjoying something as a hobby and
spending every day working at it. Test your
passion and resolve before committing full-time
to a career change. After a year of running the
business part-time while working full-time at a
legal job, and working very late nights and
weekends in the kitchen and getting some very
stiff shoulders, I found that I still loved it, which
gave me the confidence to take the leap.