We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tanya Sciarra. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tanya below.
Tanya, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Rewind to my childhood. My dad pretty much abandoned the family and left my mom with two young daughters to raise on her own. My mother along with my maternal grandparents being a block away, were very involved in my upbringing and instilled a strong work ethic.
In October of 2018 I met up for a lunch meeting with one of my corporate suppliers turned friend, We talked about my love of baking shortbread cookies and how my kids would always tell me to start a business. Surprised by what she had just heard, she placed an order! That day, I registered Dolce Shortbread and solidified my purpose!
Being in the corporate world for just under 15 years strictly for the paycheck, when they eliminated my bosses position, I saw it as my out to pursue my love of baking and handed in my resignation the next day, At the time, I was already committed to my baking business and would have days where I would work eight hours at the office then come home to bake all night.
The business is homebased and everything is baked fresh to order. Dolce Shortbread now ships across Canada and the US and has been purchased and given as gifts in Brazil, Germany and Israel. Our cookies have become world travelers!
Besides baking, I also have the love of running. It all started in my early 30s when I decided to train for a 5km race on my own. Crossing that finish line on a sunny March day with my family cheering me on was so exhilarating that I kept training and ran my first half marathon in September of that same year.
In total, I have run seven full marathons, twice in Hawaii, twice in Upstate New York, the rest in Toronto, Canada along with countless shorter races.
I was the first even run ambassador for Lululemon Vaughan Mills and also taught many people to run from beginners to Marathon runners through the Running Room as well as privately.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Being the owner of Dolce Shortbread brings me more joy that you can ever imagine! Getting to create new flavours and a gourmet creation that people absolutely love gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment. The connections that have been made though the love of baking and getting to know the individuals ordering them has been incredible!
These gourmet creations were created with the shortbread connoisseur in mind. A sinfully delicious cookie known as Dolce Shortbread!
When my daughter was born, I wanted to be there for all of her firsts so when my neighbour was looking for a nanny, I volunteered! they absolutely loved shortbread and asked me to make some and the rest is history. That was 31 years ago!
Our motto is You haven’t lived la dolce vita until you’ve had our Dolce Shortbread!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Passion, Discipline and Determination/Drive.
To succeed in anything you take on, it is essential to possess all three. When you are passionate about something, you eat, breathe and live it. Everybody around you can feel that energy seeping from your core.
Through the good, bad and the ugly, discipline will carry you through it all. Discipline will teach you how to stay focused even when you feel like giving up on those tough days.
You were born to be challenged in life and your determination and drive will keep you going. Stay focused on what you set out to do and prove to yourself that you can overcome anything that is thrown your way. If you have to pivot, do so and don’t be apologetic about it.
I came this far because other people said I couldn’t! And I did it to prove it to myself, not to anybody else. Do it because you believe in yourself wholeheartedly. It is worth every struggle and obstacle you are going to have to overcome to get to where you want to be!
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my mom did for me was to teach me at a very young age to be resourceful and independent. Not to depend on anybody else financially or emotionally and to find happiness and strength within myself. From the age of 13, I had a job and was able to provide many things for myself without asking for it from anybody else. This gave me a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Contact Info:
- Website: Dolceshortbread.com
- Instagram: Dolce Shortbread
- Facebook: Dolce Shortbread
- Linkedin: Tanya Sciarra
- Other: Google Business Page: Dolce Shortbread
