Questions and answers with professionals who have unique and exciting jobs : Simla, party planner and Web entrepreneur.

iaam: What do you do for living?  What is your job title?
Simla: I'm the founder and creative director of It's a Piece of Cake and co-founder of cocukvizyon.com.  
It's a Piece of Cake, based in San Francisco and specializes in custom-designed children’s parties and hosts educational workshops for kids and parents.  www.cocukvizyon.com is an online city guide for parents based in Istanbul.  A guide to fun activities for the family, kids events, shortcuts to the city at its best: its parks, stores, professional services, restaurants, babysitters, places to stay, and entertainment, among other things in Istanbul.

iaam: What motivated you to start your own business?
Simla: One of my mentors, Sharon Miller says “being an entrepreneur is in people's DNA - its life an E-chromosome that directs them to make it their own way.”
I always had the entrepreneurial spirit in me.  I wasn't into the cookie-cutter careers out there.  I loved performance and visual arts.  I also loved working with children. Children always have inspired me.  It took me so long to figure out what I wanted to do.  At the age of 29, I finally figured out that I can have it all! I can have my cake and eat it too.  But I had to do it my way...

iaam: What does a typical day at work look like for you?
Simla: During the week my mornings are pretty typical.  I check my e-mails, do my facebookin’ and tweetin’ , researching, data entering  and doing the paper work.  I am very hands-on for both of my companies.  I attend to each client inquiry personally.  In the afternoons depending on a party theme in hand you can find me in my workshop making theme related props / costumes/ games or goodie bags.  I usually schedule my event preliminary meetings in the late afternoon.
Weekends are my real workdays, where I work 12-14 hours non stop.  It goes like this: loading the truck, setting up the party, decorating, breaking down the party, unloading the truck and re -organizing everything.  Yes I do have assistants who help me with all of these things but like I said, I’m very hands-on.

iaam: What are the best and exciting parts of your work?
Simla: Working with children. I love the way they think.  Their imagination has no limits.  Making children's dreams come true is the best part of my work.
I live for information and learning, dreaming and creating…I love the fact that my work allows me to research, learn and be versatile each and every day.
I also get to work with very creative people, and incredible performers.
Life at It’s a Piece of Cake is never boring!!

iaam: Would you mind sharing some memorable and fun things that have happened in your business?
Simla: The most memorable thing was seeing my company profile on a leading industry magazine for the first time.  It touched me quite a bit. Starting It's a Piece of Cake had been so difficult, yet so magical.  I was doing a job that I loved and making a decent living too.  I had to pinch myself here and there to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.  I guess seeing my company profile in writing made me realized that it was real and I was on the right track.
As far as fun things go, we are talking about a party business, it is all FUN!   

iaam: What are the things you like least/hardest part about your business?
Simla: Doing the math (budgeting, facing the numbers, billing) and paper work.

iaam: What motivates you to get up and go to work every day?
Simla: I like working, I like challenges, I also like to challenge myself.  Some people call me a “workaholic”.  I don’t agree with them.  When you do what you love, it doesn't feel like it’s work.  Imagining kids faces when they see their personal party favors motivates me.  Hearing kids laugh and giggle motivates me.   Guiding parents in the right direction with the right information motivates me.  Providing work for artists, entertainers and college students motivates me.  My line of work makes people happy.  Making people happy has it’s own rewards.

iaam:  What was your first job?
Simla: My first job was babysitting.   Over the years (18-29), I had a variety of different jobs like catering, waiting tables and teaching art.  These all have to do with who and where I am today.

iaam: Does your work satisfy any of your personal hobbies or passion?
Simla: I custom designed both of my companies with personal hobbies and passion in mind.
My businesses allow me to apply artistic license while still challenging my business acumen.

iaam: What career did you want to pursue when you were 18?
Simla: Performance or Visual Arts, anything in the creative field really.  I also wanted to study early childhood education.

iaam: What advice would you give to a young adult about deciding on a career?
Simla: Do not rush when deciding on a career.  Take your time, unless you know what you want at an early age.  In that case do whatever it takes.  Whether it is schooling or working with someone who is the best in the field.  For undecided folk like me if there is not a career out there that you’re interested in, why not create one!  Where there’s a will, there’s a way.  Trust me on that!! As cliché as it sounds find something you truly love.  Think outside the box!

iaam:  How did you learn to manage your money?
Simla: I have to give credit where credit is due: My father.  I grew up hearing “Don’t owe anyone any money.  Spend and invest wisely.“ Managing money is not an easy thing to do and certainly not fun, however we all have to learn.  When I started my business I took many finance classes/ workshops from the local SBA and Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center to learn about small business accounting, taxes, etc.

iaam: What Goal is yet to be accomplished?
Simla: First of all I would like to finish my children’s book.  Then travel around the world and read my stories to kids who are interested in hearing them.

To learn more about Simla visit her website www.Itsapieceofcake.net