At 23 and just a year after finishing college, Trisha Mae Marquez has launched a new business. Her vocation is her avocation, with the venture's core competency being one of her many passions – as she now runs a bake shop operation in Payless Supermarket in the Micronesia Mall.

She told KUAM News, "Well, I think it's just a rewarding feeling when you make something for someone and the joy that they have on their face, the smile that they express, especially when you make them food. So that's one of the biggest reasons why I decided to go into food-&-beverage, even though I had no prior experience. But just the fact that I was baking out of my out of my home and giving it to people I loved. I that that feeling is so addicting and you just want to keep doing it so that more people can experience the type of love that you're able to give.

"And for me, that's creating and baking."

Trish is naturally creative in photography, music, and writing, so the culinary arts lends well as another medium on which to make things with a personal slant. And this "BakerBoss" describes this synergy perfectly.

"Cakes look so different," she continued. "And for me, it's really the artistic part that I enjoy and it it relieves my stress. And so, it it really ties into my creative abilities and I want to be able to to showcase that to other people because when people come to La Mae's Bake Shop, they come in for a custom cake. It's because they want to give someone a cake where they can look at it and know it was made especially for them. And so that was one of the most rewarding feelings. No one cake is alike."

Far beyond just the treats Trish and her staff serve-up for any occasion, there's the authenticity of customer dialogue she has with every customer, who she masterfully converts from hungry to happy.

More than the secret behind her scrumptiuous gingerbread and red velvet recipes, the team bakes with love and infuses Trish's heart, family and culture into each design and every bite.

And you only have to glance upon La Mae's Bake Shop for a few moments before the undeniable branding washes over you at the storefront and extending all the way through the kitchen - that this operation is distinctly pink. Marquez says that hue emits joy, which is her personality and her business plan.