At 36 years, 7 months, and 12 days old, Agnes Puspita Sari finally fulfilled her long-held dream of continuing her education.
For many young people today, pursuing a master’s degree is common. However, for Agnes, being able to study at the master’s level is a testament to her commitment to herself. She had to wait over ten years to advance to the next level of education.
Fortunately, Agnes became the best graduate of the Master of Management Program at Yogyakarta Campus, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (MM FEB UGM), during the postgraduate graduation ceremony held last Wednesday (Jul. 24).
She graduated with cum laude honors, achieving a grade point average (GPA) of 3.97 over one year, seven months, and three days of study.
So, what motivated Agnes to continue her studies? According to her, the answer is quite simple. “Learning as much as possible is about increasing opportunities. I believe that any positive change will happen,” she said on Friday (Aug. 8) at the UGM campus.
Agnes shared that in 2022, she made a major life-changing decision. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she gained many insights. Dreams that had once dimmed were rekindled, especially with the support of her husband to pursue one of her dreams of continuing her education.
In a bold move, she simultaneously made a significant career shift by resigning from her well-established job, which many people aspired to have. She had been working at Danone Specialized Nutrition Group, specifically at PT. Sarihusada Generasi Mahardika, as a Production Supervisor.
“I resigned from my routine job, started learning about business, and enrolled in a business program to support my main need at the time, which was to build my own business,” she explained.
In 2022, Agnes began her studies in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at the Yogyakarta Campus, enrolling in the Senior Executive MBA (SEMBA) program.
“It turns out that the dream I had ten years ago hadn’t changed. What I once dreamed of but was hindered by limitations can now be realized. The dream remains the same; only the path to achieving it has changed,” Agnes elaborated.
While pursuing her MBA dream, Agnes entered the Food and Beverage (FnB) business. She co-founded a startup called Kitchensync in collaboration with three of her colleagues.
Kitchensync was established to provide solutions for FnB entrepreneurs, particularly small to medium-sized restaurants (MSMEs), who need operational support services. Kitchensync’s core business includes supplying raw materials, semi-finished products, and research and development services.
The company is affiliated with several restaurant brands, such as Nolda Pocha (a Korean street food-themed restaurant), Nasi Iskandar (a Malay/Nasi Kandar-themed restaurant), and Oetak-oetak (Palembang’s pempek), with more than 15 branches across Java, Bali, and Sumatra.
“In addition, we also have our restaurant brand called Udon Mura, a Japanese-themed restaurant located in South Tangerang,” said Agnes, who serves as Co-Founder and COO of Kitchensync.
Running a business is no easy task, especially for someone new to the field. The fledgling business has experienced its share of ups and downs. For instance, one of the founders suddenly withdrew early on.
Additionally, employee turnover was quite high. “However, the show must go on. With a clear vision and mission, we continued what we had planned, and thankfully, we have managed to sustain it until now,” she explained, adding that they are currently developing a sustainable business by designing a Cloud Kitchen-based business model.
Agnes admitted that she had no prior experience when starting her business. However, she possessed a strong will and determination to succeed. Therefore, she encourages anyone who wants to start a business not to be afraid to dream big.
“Just start. No matter how big the business, it always begins with something small as long as you have a big dream and a supportive circle of friends. Your closest friends reflect who you are now and in the future,” she advised.
Balancing school and running a business was undoubtedly challenging. However, Agnes acknowledged that both could be managed simultaneously with good time management. She implemented a few strategies to aid her learning process while building her business.
One of them was summarizing various literature books and lecturers’ slides chapter by chapter by hand.
Another strategy Agnes employed was regularly accessing information through various business-related learning media. She usually engaged in this routine for 30 minutes to an hour before bed.
She read the materials discussed in class during the journey from Jakarta, where she currently resides, to Yogyakarta.
“I used the time during the Jakarta-Yogya train journey every week to read the materials that would be discussed in the next day’s weekend or full-day classes on Saturdays. Additionally, I engaged in discussions with my classmates to gain different perspectives from various professions and industries,” she explained.
Agnes expressed that being part of the MM UGM Yogyakarta family was a privilege and a golden opportunity not everyone could experience. There, she learned about management theories and concepts and absorbed various values that shaped her character and prepared her for the professional world.
“Some valuable lessons I gained during my studies were about integrity and ethics, independence and innovation to become a visionary leader, collaboration and teamwork. These values have greatly helped me, especially in growing my business,” she concluded.
Reportage: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif