BEAU BAKERY #ChooseToChallenge : On The Leading Edge

"I believe women are already empowered, self-directed, and intelligent enough to make success happen for themselves; we just have to provide them with opportunities to do so. All that business leaders have to do is provide a canvas and platform for them to show their potential and all they've got! Open up leadership positions for more women, give them more opportunities to create, contribute and speak their minds." - Talita Setyadi, CEO of BEAU BAKERY

Talita Setyadi is undoubtedly the central figure behind the founding of BEAU BAKERY. A leading artisanal bakery in Jakarta. Notwithstanding her achievement of attaining Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 in 2018, she snagged the Ernst and Young Inspirational Women Entrepreneur award in the middle of the pandemic back in December 2020.

The Covid-19 pandemic came to Indonesia in the middle of March 2020, which immediately impacted society and business as a whole. This phenomenon resulted in large-scale social restrictions whish greatly affected small and medium enterprises in Indonesia, including BEAU BAKERY. Business owners everywhere mustered up their energies to find ways to survive.

BEAU BAKERY's top management layers consist of powerful women, along with instances where a single lady solely runs some divisions. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Talita trusts her team's flexibility to adapt and look for opportunities in unexpected circumstances. The early difficulties of dropping sales and delayed projects were tackled successfully, with changes made to the bakery's productions and service standards. Through it all, the team managed to bounce back even more robust with higher sales numbers, greater efficiency and better service than ever achieved in previous years.

Now, the question is, of course, how?

Putting 'Equality' as one of the company's fundamental principles, BEAU BAKERY strives to provide equal opportunities to staff from all walks of life - no matter their gender, race, or creed. The BEAU BAKERY management team comprises mostly of women. The diversity allows them to get broader perspectives on specific issues, and how it affects different communities.

In building her business, Talita confesses that she was always more successful at building rapport, teamwork, and vision with fellow self-directed, strong, and smart women. Her leadership style centres around giving autonomy and freedom while providing support from the backdrop. It had succeeded in awakening the spirit of self-direction and self-leadership from the managers and supervisors.

There is an inherent myth in society that having a woman leading the office will only result in an impulsive, emotional, and dramatic working culture. Being masculine and "logically decisive" is still believed to be the best way to solve problems and grow a business. However, having women in higher positions allows a higher degree of empathy and relatability towards individuals inside and out of the company on every business partnership level. "I don't see why being more emotionally directed a bad thing. Decision-making processes purely based on logic, overlooks the humanity and needs of our staff and stakeholders, which should always be considered." She stated.

Woman International Day 2021 has an even stronger meaning to the bakery than it was in the previous years before the pandemic happened. Biases, misconceptions and discriminations against women have surfaced worldwide during times of crises and stand to be challenged. As a Female-led company, BEAU BAKERY stands on the frontlines to do its part to enable more women to advance in their careers. "I believe women are already strong, self-directed, and intelligent enough to make success happen for themselves; we just have to provide them with opportunities to do so. All that business leaders have to do is provide a canvas and platform for them to show their potential and all they've got! Open up leadership positions for more women, give them more opportunities to create, contribute and speak their minds."

Talita's stand on empowered women is attributed to her gratitude to have grown up in a supportive family that gave her the trust, love, freedom to reach her highest potential to claim her destiny and be the person she is right now. "I also want to be that support/springboard of love and encouragement for other women out there, to be able to forge their path ahead too." She proclaimed.