Ayesha Curry is spreading some holiday cheer a little early! The restauranteur recently surprised a working mom who runs her own baking business with an array helpful treats.
The good deed was documented on the first episode of Fempire — a web series that features Curry, 30, delighting hardworking female entrepreneurs with tools to take their businesses to the next level.
In the inaugural installment of the series, which is produced by Ellen DeGeneres’ Ellen Digital Network in partnership with Lorissa’s Kitchen, the Seasoned Live author headed to The Ellen DeGeneres Show offices in California.
Once there, Curry paid an unannounced visit to a longtime staffer named Melanie, who is a working mom with a baking business on the side called Melanie’s Bakeshop. The budding company sells “bomb” baked goods that Melanie makes in her own kitchen, but since Melanie does all the work herself, she is unable to fill large orders or maintain a website.
“I just have an Instagram [account] right now because that’s all I can handle,” she told the Ayesha’s Homemade host of her business. Though the baker “obviously” wants to grow her brand, she knows that once she creates a website “orders will start rolling in” and she won’t be able to keep up.
“I still have this drive in me that I know this is what I’m meant to do, so I’ve got to figure it out somehow,” Melanie added, noting that she’d basically reached her breaking point just before Curry surprised her.
With that in mind, the Toronto native then gifted the hardworking mama with some tools she can use to scale and brand her business. First up was some of Curry’s own bakeware. “I want you to be able to go onto the site and order whatever it is you need to be able to scale your business. This is just a representation,” she declared. “Whatever you need, please let me know.”
Next, Curry told Melanie she was going to help her secure a food handling license, which would allow the businesswoman to sell to cafes and restaurants. Since an endeavor like that would require a larger work space, Curry also revealed that she was gifting Melanie with 100 hours at a commercial kitchen near her home. That surprise was enough to make the Ellen employee a tad emotional.
“That’s amazing,” she said through tears.
But the Little Lights of Mine owner wasn’t done yet! She also set up five meetings for Melanie with local eateries in the area interested in selling her products, agreed to help her build a website and arranged for an impromptu branding photoshoot with her family.
“Ayesha, you have literally changed my life today,” Melanie said. “This is the momentum and the steps that I needed to really take this to the next level and I’m going to make you proud. I promise.”
She concluded: “[This opportunity] means the world to me.”
