Other Women's Jobs // A Day in the Life and Career of Aariana Adnani

NAME: Aariana Adnani

AGE: 17

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @bakedbyaari

JOB TITLE: Founder & Owner of Baked by Aari

MOVED TO THE UAE IN: 2007 (Born here)

Aariana Adnani is a 17-year-old A-Level student and the creator of Baked by Aari, a small-batch baking business she founded in February 2020. With a focus on custom cakes, cupcakes and celebration boxes, every item is freshly baked, individually personalised and packaged by Aariana.

In addition to running a business, Aariana also studies Business, Economics, Mathematics and Art and all of these contribute to and influence her work. From budgeting and pricing, to visual presentation and market research, every topic plays a role in how she operates Baked by Aari. She has also been on food hygiene courses to make sure that her kitchen is run professionally and safely.

The company gives 25% of all profits to charity, a part of the brand since inception. Baked by Aari is more than sweet treats, it’s using a love of baking to spread both joy and positive change.

Let's discover a day in Aariana's career and world:

6AM:

I wake up early before I start preparing for school. I quickly look at my messages to see if there are any order updates or any last-minute client changes. If I have to, I might fire off a fast response before rushing out the door. I do a lot of baking after school so mornings are just for psyching myself up and making sure everything is organised for the day.

8AM:

Most of my day is spent in School. I am at lessons, doing assignments and studying for exams. If we get a quick break or have lunch, I run to Instagram to check in again, reply to DMs and then write down the new orders. I don’t bake while school is in session but I’m always on top of the business via instagram in order to coordinate the evening.

4PM:

After I get home, I’ll spend the first 20 minutes just regrouping and then I review the orders due that day or the next one. I look at my prep list and note what time my orders will be coming in, and I begin lining up my produce. From this point on, I try to wrap up any school-related work quickly so I can focus all of my attention on the business.

5PM:

Baking begins. Depending on the day, that might involve mixing the dough for cookies, whipping up the cake batter or baking brownies for the next-day pickups. I do small batches to keep everything fresh. Organisation is key and with a full day at school ahead, I ensure trays are rotated on time, decorations are laid out and packaging is prepped well ahead while things are in the oven.

6PM:

At this time I will typically review the schedule for the remainder of the week, if there are any large orders or events. My parents assist with logistics such as arranging deliveries or runs to the supply store if something needs last-minute restocking. Their support has been a key factor in keeping Baked by Aari running smoothly throughout the school year.

7PM:

This is when I do as many of the details as possible like frosting cakes, closing up boxes of cookies, finishing packaging, getting tags or client notes ready. And if there are next-day deliveries, I schedule and pack everything up to go out. When it comes to customised cakes or celebration boxes, I re-confirm my clients’ orders prior to making the final product.

8PM:

When everything is done, I photograph the cakes in case I feel like posting them to Instagram later in the week. I’ll reply to messages, confirm future orders, and post content, both to stories, or the feed. I have a lot of customers who message me through DMs so I try to keep it as responsive and personal as I can.

9PM:

Before I go to bed, I clean down the kitchen, prepare dough that needs overnight refrigeration, and update my order tracker and expense sheet. If there’s time, I’ll begin prep for upcoming themed orders or restocks, like seasonal boxes or event collaborations.