How an immigrant from Russia turned a hobby into a successful business in Israel

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.

Photo: Facebook sasha patisserie

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 that I needed to get out of the house. I didn't care where. But I heard that you can go to Israel. Mom wouldn’t let me go, wouldn’t let me go, wouldn’t let me go: “I have to finish school, I have to go to a special class, I have to go to university, I have to finish...”.”

Sasha studied at Voronezh University for six months and left. Not knowing the language well, she came to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and took 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 - to rent an apartment in Tel Aviv, and to travel abroad - and in general for everything, for everything, for 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, I can almost see the sea from my window, but I didn’t go to the sea at all: I work during the day, and in the evening you return home - the sun is already setting. I began to realize with horror that my job was to transfer numbers from one column to another and show it to the big guys who make some decisions. Out of boredom, I started looking for something to do, something to do.”

Photo: Facebook sasha patisserie

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 company is excellent. The people around are pleasant. But the activity 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, need an even more interesting place. And when I realized that the salary was increasing from place to place, but there was no interest, then I began to think about what I wanted. It wasn’t depression—it was self-exploration.”

After completing the courses, Sasha applied for resignation, which surprised her colleagues and friends a lot.

Photo: Facebook sasha patisserie

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 - it is 60% organization and 40% very hard work. Non-stop. This is a boutique, these are small chocolates, handmade, not a conveyor belt, but you don’t stop, you work all the time. If you don’t make chocolate, then you talk to suppliers, or those who buy, or those who bring packaging material.”

“Chocolaterea” is the brainchild of one girl who makes this chocolate herself. There my eyes were opened that this was all very difficult, but very interesting. And at the factory everything was so full of life, unlike the office. And every second something exciting happened. Or someone shouted at you in the kitchen, or something fell and broke - ahhh, everything, the end of the world, fell and broke!!!”

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 the movies - everyone is shouting at each other, and the chief boss walks around and says, “quickly, quickly!” The kitchen is necessarily very small, there is no space, and you rub against everyone, the fire burns, someone pushed you - you scream “awww.” It was physical fire. I worked in a pastry shop - it’s always in the kitchen, just a little to the side. And everyone else discriminates against us - they don’t accept us as real chefs.”

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.

Photo: Facebook sasha patisserie

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 groceries. Doubts began to arise. Sasha allowed herself to take a break and left for three months - to Altai and Karelia.

Photo: Facebook sasha patisserie

Step by Step

“When I returned, I realized that I had six months of savings left. It was a turning point, I had to decide - either I stay in the “confectionery” or go back to work and live like all normal people.”

Sasha chose “kitchen”. I quickly found and rented an apartment with access to the roof in the center of Tel Aviv, brought a stove into it and started working. “It was difficult - I didn’t yet consider myself a real pastry chef, but because I “had to” - I just did it. Wrote posts in Facebookled her Instagram, brought her products on sale, at hen parties, in beauty salons. I did everything to be recognized. ”

Business took off after the famous artist and blogger Nastya Tsvetaeva (more than 100 thousand followers on Instagram) ordered a cake from Sasha. “Someone she knew recommended me, and she offered me to make a sweet table for her daughter’s second birthday - for PR on Instagram. After her post, my subscriber count grew from 200 to 800 overnight. It inspired me. And orders for cakes poured in from Nastya Tsvetaeva’s friends.”

“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! ”

Now Alexandra Zhebrak has 3000 friends and followers on Facebook, and 4000 on Instagram. She does not have her own website. All customers are users of social networks. All ads are word of mouth.

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. Everything depends on the situation. For example, if I have few orders at a certain period, then I make more posts on Facebook. Or I'll do a sale. Or I'll come up with a new product. Or I’ll give an additional master class. Master classes - yes, they take more effort, but they bring more money. Or another format - hen parties and children’s birthdays outside: they invite me instead of a stripper or a clown - I’ll make both a show and delicious pasta!”

Photo: Facebook sasha patisserie

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. ”

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