We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aamina Masood a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Aamina, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
I know how important it is to be seen as a Muslim doing things that people do not associate Muslims to be doing such as being a chef. Even now, when I meet my fellow hospitality peers, I am usually the only hijab wearing Muslim chef. Sometimes, I am the only woman. I find this in my technical field of cybersecurity and growing up doing STEM. Very often, I would be the only girl who liked to code. At first, there is a certain discomfort knowing you are standing out like a sore thumb. Now I take pride in it and hope that even if one girl or muslim sees me and thinks hey I can do this then I have succeeded. It gives me strength that I can positively impact someone else and give hope.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I have been a Pastry Chef for many years creating party and wedding cakes. During covid, business dwindled and I pivoted to add some products to my repertoire that I truly believed in. I started making halal marshmallows. As Muslims we cannot have pork and most gelatin comes from pork. I noticed that a lot of muslims have never tried home made marshmallows so I decided these would be my niche product. Another new product I added were authentic Pakistani short bread cookies. On my visits to Lahore, I loved eating these cookies from old town Lahore. I found a good recipe and started making these. At a recent bazaar, I completely sold out on both items. I am also studying cybersecurity and recently passed my CCNA. I hope to work with a nonprofit one day and encourage women to follow STEM careers.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
One thing I firmly believe in are faith and hope. I have faith in Allah (God) that He plans for us and gives us challenges that we are capable of facing. Along with faith, I am always hopeful. My battle with breast cancer has shown me that positivity and prayer can help you overcome more than you think.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I would love to collaborate with others who are like minded. I believe in giving back to the communities I belong to. I am a long time girl scout volunteer…more than 12 years. I also volunteer with Les Dames d’Escoffier, Society of Women Engineers and Women in Cybersecurity. With each organization I try to uplift the women around me. I am glad that this last year I have found a great community of women who are like me. I am very blessed to have true friends and caring family who have held me up in my winding journey with its ups and downs.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.brilliantcakes.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/chef_aamina
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaminamasood
- Other: http://www.brilliantcakes.com/getaquote
Image Credits
Photo credit: Mona’s Daimah and Aamina Masood
