Shella Faeiz has had an affinity for sports ever since she was a kid, lead. With a passion for fitness, she took it upon herself to help others look as good as they feel. The young, enterprising founder of The Baked Sdn Bhd shares with CSR Malaysia on what inspired her to start her own slimming product and what motivates her to do her best in her business.
Shella Faeiz enjoys being active and playing sports since she was a little girl. “Taking care of my health and body is one of my main priorities. I always aim to be a better version of myself.”
The Baked Sdn Bhd was established in September 2018. “I was already a fitness enthusiast for ten years before I started selling my own product in the market,” says Shella. “Fitness is my passion and it is also part of my lifestyle.”
As a fitness enthusiast, Shella was constantly checking out health products that are manufactured overseas. “A product from United States with lots of good reviews inspired me. In 2017, I came up with the idea to invent my own product in a form of fat-burning gel. Thus, I researched and learned the ways to get the right ingredients so that the product would be beneficial for me and also for my customers,” shares Shella who chose to emphasise quality over quantity.
After a year of handing out samples for the product and also applying it on herself, Shella was truly satisfied with the result. “The first box was sold in the market in September 2018 and we sold one thousand boxes in just four days,” says Shella happily. “I promoted the product on Instagram story and there were many interested buyers. It was a pleasant surprise as I only promoted it on my personal Instagram story!”
In just a period of three years, The Baked has sold around 50,000 boxes of fat-burning gel. The Baked now has around 100 stockists and agents in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia. “I decided to pursue this business in selling health products as I’m very much into fitness and taking good care of my body and health. Being health conscious is important to me as it gives me confidence to work and meet people. I’m also aware of the importance of self-love,” says Shella enthusiastically.
The Baked’s product is created from water-based gel and it is applied to body fat whereas other slimming products are consumed orally. “We are aware of the worries customers have on slimming products as they are afraid of experiencing internal side-effects after consumption,” says Shella.
Shella is dedicated to her job and does her job wholeheartedly. “My team members are like siblings to me. I established The Baked and told myself that once I succeed, I will give back to the society by helping those who are underprivileged. Our team enjoys Corporate Social Responsibility activities and we will donate to people in need.”
The Baked Sdn Bhd has been actively engaging in a variety of CSR activities. The company has contributed to helping single mothers, donating to relief efforts for the Pahang flood victims earlier this year, donating carpets to suraus in Bera and feeding the homeless.
“Currently Baked is involved with an NGO for Persatuan Suara Haiwan Malaysia whose aim is to create awareness on the importance of promoting kindness and compassion towards all animals great and small, aiming to alleviate cruelty and reduce suffering. I do have plans to be involved in more CSR activities in the near future.”
But Shella doesn’t just talk the talk; she encourages firm sustainable practices when it comes to her own products. “The materials that I use to produce Baked have minimal impact on the environment, and they do not contain toxic or ozone-depleting substances like the packaging for instance is made of cardboard and I use paper bags instead of plastic bags. The ingredients we use in the gel are also safe and KKM approved. It is harmless.”
When asked if there have been any charitable associations that have caught her eye in hopes of a future collaboration, Shella had this to say: “Of course! We definitely want to collaborate with Ebit Lew. He’s amazing at what he does, and to collaborate with him would be an honour.”
“I am motivated and inspired by successful business people, especially businesswomen,” says Shella. “Sincerity is an important trait in business dealings. One would need to understand and prioritise the needs of the public in order to produce a beneficial and useful product. When you earn the trust of your customers, your business would flourish. In five to ten years, my dream is for The Baked to be known as one of Malaysia’s most successful companies.”
“For those who are interested to start a business, do not be afraid to take the first step. Do not feel stressed and pressured when you witness the success of others,” says Shella. “The journey is difficult for everyone and failure during the start is a norm. The ones who succeed are the ones who never gave up. Everyone will succeed at their own time so do not be lazy to work towards your dreams.”
