Passion, hard work, and perfection in a cookie

MANILA, Philippines — “In every bite, I want them to experience the taste of passion, hard work and perfection that I put in my cookies.”

Those were the words of Cecilio “Cy” R. Ynares, a 32-year old entrepreneur and a member of the LGBT community.

Cy, who has a home bakery business, admits he is a perfectionist. Making his own recipe of marshmallow-based cookies, he performs more than a dozen times of trial and error, formulating a perfect procedure.

“It takes me 13-15 repetitions in formulating a perfect recipe. It takes a lot of testing. I don’t let people taste or see the cookies until I’ve found the right flavor, texture and feel. Maybe because that’s how I treat life, I want things to be in the right place and the right time,” he said.

Cy added: “I am somebody who likes to do things properly; a person who is meticulous especially on how my cookies taste. My mom used to work in a cookie store in the US so ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved baking. I found baking fun, relaxing. I left the advertising career to pursue this passion.”

Baked to perfection

Just like perfecting his method for baking cookies, Cy waited a long time until he decided to come out and admit that he is gay. At the age of 12, he was already aware of his sexual preferences but was afraid of acknowledging it in spite of a supportive family. He even had girlfriends back in college.

“In life you will undergo a lot of trial and errors. My life is like baking cookies. When I decided to come out and tell the world that I am gay, I know that I am prepared. Free from inhibitions and bad taste,” said Cy.

He again applied his baking background to one’s search for love, saying that in doing so, one must be “as meticulous as a baker.”

The business and Instagram

Cy uses the advantage of technology in his bakery business. He advertises his cookie on Instagram. Capturing a specific market, Cy’s “The Bald Baker” caters to  middle and high end consumers, selling cookies for P65 to P70.

“The cookie industry is really a saturated one. You just really need to break through and find a way to stand against the clutter. I have to look for my own market. I join bazaars but most of my clients really come from Instagram,“ said Cy.

He said an important quality in any venture is passion. “It reflects who and what you are. If you love what you do then you will have a saleable product to offer; and it is not just for us, the LGBT community; it is for everyone”

“Be passionate with what you want to sell, not for the profit but to share the happiness you feel every time you create something,” Cy said. – Rappler.com