Inspired by her late grandmother’s traditional cooking and driven by her passion to preserve her culture and heritage, 28-year-old entrepreneur Lianny Bujang, who hails from Lundu, began running a Dayak-themed cafe in April last year.
Located in the heart of Kuching, the cafe called Entangen – Serian Bidayuh for sidewalk – serves Dayak-based cuisine such as bamboo-cooked chicken and pork, smoked pork and midin, as well as unique coffee and tea prepared in bamboo.
Its menu also includes a Dayak-Western fusion dish, namely spaghetti cooked with tapioca leaf, which is well-liked by both locals and tourists.
Running the cafe gives Lianny the opportunity to break away from the nine-to-five job she used to have as a tutor at a local college.
Still, having such freedom requires hard work in managing a newly-established cafe, whether in procuring necessary ingredients, ensuring the cleanliness of the premises, speaking to customers for feedback, cooperating with her staff in operating the business, or planning various aspects of the start-up.
“I also do some marketing – how to invite people, how they want to know about this cafe – because the greatest challenge is to create awareness and encourage local customers to try and appreciate traditional Dayak cuisine,” she told SarawakYES!
Interestingly, while running the cafe, she also dabbles in the construction field as project manager at her family’s construction company, and studies part-time at a local university, pursuing an MBA in Construction Management.
“I’m helping my dad as a project manager because he wants me to learn something new, so I’m taking this part-time programme to learn how to run a construction business since I don’t have a strong foundation in this field.”
Nevertheless, as daunting as it might seem, juggling her time between her cafe, the construction company and her studies doesn’t deter her, as she is able to lead the flexible lifestyle that she has always wanted and is surrounded by people from many different fields and backgrounds.
In fact, she hopes to open another branch that serves halal Dayak food and also manage her own construction business in the future.
She therefore believes that those intending to pursue entrepreneurship need to have passion, drive, creativity and initiative.
“Everybody can achieve their dreams, so just get up and don’t delay them. If you want to do it, just go ahead,” she said.
You can catch the video interview with Lianny on the SarawakYES! YouTube channel or the SarawakYES! Facebook page.
This is a weekly column by SarawakYES! – an initiative driven by Faradale Media-M Sdn Bhd and supported by Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM) Sarawak – to provide advice and stories on the topics of education and careers to support Sarawakians seeking to achieve their dreams. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
This article first appeared on The Borneo Post, visit this link: http://bit.ly/2iSEwpM
