Welcome to Wonder Woman Wednesday! Every Wednesday we feature women who are using their business or work as a force for good. The intention behind this blog is to raise awareness on the impact of doing good and to inspire others to think of ways in which they too can use their business or work as a force for good. By doing this we hope we will be creating a better community one business at a time and leaving this world a little bit better than we found it for future generations.

Tell us about your business and how you use your work as a force for good?

Baked by Erica started in 2016. I like to think I am in the business of creating joy and happiness – with every cookie each person enjoys, then passing more of that joy and happiness to the community in the Philippines with the cookie sales. I grew up in the Philippines and still have strong ties with the community and help out when we can. Our main focus is the annual Christmas party for kids in a place called Don Jose Aguirre. My friends in the community invite kids who might miss out on celebrating Christmas and organise meals and presents for everyone. We also invite their parents and everyone gets presents. The presents range from raincoats, gumboots, colouring books and crayons, and bags for the kids, while the presents for the parents will include staples like rice, noodles and laundry soap. It is a huge undertaking as the team coordinates everything – catering, invites and presents for well over 100 people. The budget very much depends on cookie sales so the presents may vary. In 2017, the budget was really tight and we had agreed that maybe there won’t be any presents and just focus on the meal and maybe a small bag of lollies for the kids, but out of the blue, one lovely customer ordered nearly $300 worth of Christmas cookie jars – and that whole sale paid for gumboots and raincoats for the kids! Throughout the year we also get involved in smaller projects – mostly focused around kids and bringing smiles to their faces.  In a nutshell (and this is the best summation of the cookie adventure): On the surface, my product may just be a delicious cookie, a baked treat like any other. To me each cookie I produce is a representation of my resilience amidst unemployment; my strength to build something from nothing; my determination to make a difference and to turn a negative experience into a positive; my dedication to bring joy and happiness to everyone who has a cookie and to also provide opportunities for those who have limited options in life.

What led you to using your business as a force for good?

I started my business after I had to resign from my job due to an injury. In 2015, we had our first children’s Christmas party in the Philippines. It was such a great experience that we decided we would do it every year thereafter with money saved from our income. Sadly the resignation meant no more income for me and our household went from a two income family to one. In order to be able to carry on with the Christmas parties, I had to explore other avenues of earning money. And it ended up with the cookie business / future cookie empire – the cookies were something which got really good feedback when I used to take it on site to share with everyone. So, in the spirit of giving it a go and with the support of my partner, I set out to explore the cookies as a business so that I had some form of money to support the good work that I wanted to do. The irony of being unemployed and feeling the fire in my belly to make a difference in the lives of others is something that makes me shake my head every time the thought crosses my mind. I cannot pinpoint the exact moment the shift within me happened. It has been something I thought about on and off over the last 10 years but I never knew where to start and the idea kept getting put in the back burner. I think having had to reframe my mindset after the injury and subsequent unemployment (which were never ever in the master plan) helped me focus on what I really wanted to achieve in life.

What inspires you to make a difference in the lives of others?

Although I think that this drive to help out and make a difference is something that came about in the last 10 years, my neighbours who knew me back when I was in elementary school insist I have always been like this.  They share stories that I have no recollection of but then again, I admittedly have a fairly shocking memory and am not very introspective (trying to change that a bit these days). Supposedly, I insisted my dad help a neighbour out to ensure his son was baptised. I also allegedly, harassed an aunty to make a cake for another neighbour’s 16th birthday, because no one should be without a cake for their birthday. My parents were always big on helping out too. So growing up, I was exposed to helping out. Those stories were back when I was younger. However, now I feel that the whole reason for my journey and the life that I have had is so that I can share what I have learned with others. Which is why my ultimate goal is to set up a social enterprise restaurant in the Philippines which will educate, train and employ, and make a difference in the lives of others. I can share what I have learned so far in setting up my own business and the path that I have taken. Mostly, I want to be able to empower those in the smaller communities, those who live in poverty, that there is a way to change our path in life.

What is one act that anyone can do today to make this world a better place?

To be grateful and thoughtful of our relationships with other human beings and consider how our thoughts and actions affect others. We get so lost in material things, hitting goals we have set for ourselves, communicating behind screens, using technology to make everything more efficient that we are losing touch with our humanity and our connection with others. Nothing beats being connected with other humans and nurturing that relationship for the greater good.  My relationships are what drives me to make a difference in the lives of others.  Every single person I have met in my journey has helped me become the person that I am today and for that, I am truly grateful.

Find out more about Erica and the work she does here.

The Power of Hope