S'pore woman, 29, leaves SIA cabin crew job to run home-based bakery full-time

As with many people, the Covid-19 pandemic was an unpredictable time for Calista Wong.

It threw her dream career as a flight attendant into uncertainty less than a year into the job at Singapore Airlines, but provided her the opportunity to reflect and reconnect with another passion — baking.

While Singapore was under circuit breaker restrictions, 24-year-old Wong started Huarantine, a home-based bakery, with her retired mother.

It was an enjoyable way to pass the time and helped to bring some joy to people during a difficult time.

As the world returned to normal and Wong started flying again, she kept on with this side hustle, and it grew into something more meaningful than she had initially thought.

At the end of 2025, she made the decision to leave Singapore Airlines and focus on running Huarantine full-time, rebranding the business into WKND Bakes.

Dreaming big

Having grown up dreaming of working at Singapore Airlines, it was not easy for Wong to walk away from it, especially after six years.

But over that period, she realised that the lifestyle came with sacrifices she did not want to keep making.

"Constantly living out of a suitcase and being away from home made me feel disconnected from the life I wanted to build in the long run," she told Mothership.

"I wanted to spend more time with my loved ones and be around for everyday moments and big occasions."

At the same time, another dream was calling to her.

Wong had studied business in university, hoping to one day run her own business, to build something from scratch that she could call her own.

Huarantine felt natural, combining her entrepreneurial spirit with her love for baking.

The courage to try

Making the switch, however, meant giving up a good and stable income and plunging into the unknown once again.

"There were many sleepless nights wondering if I was making the right choice and if I was ready to take the leap," Wong recalled.

After much deliberation, she decided that the fear of failure should not stop her from trying.

"Even if things don't turn out as I had hoped, I won’t be starting from scratch. I’ll always carry with me the experience, resilience, courage and growth that I’ve learnt along the way."

She was not being recklessly optimistic about the success of her bakery and knew she was taking a risk.

But it was a risk for a dream she truly believed in.

"To me, the biggest regret wouldn't have been failing; it would have been looking back one day and wondering what might have happened if I hadn’t been brave enough to try," she said.

It helped that she had her mother's support.

They have formed a strong dynamic running the business together: Wong would handle most of the baking, the orders, and day-to-day operations, while her mother would take charge of the inventory, logistics, and supplies.

"It’s not just a business, but something we get to share at this stage of our lives," Wong said.

"Working alongside my mum constantly reminds me why I chose to step away from the global skies and towards something closer to home."

Evolving the business

Once she was set on her decision, Wong wanted to mark this new chapter of her life with a fresh change for her now-matured business.

She thought more carefully about the details, such as the visual presentation of the brand, and the experience the packaging of her bakes creates.

As for the menu, Wong has kept the signature items from Huarantine — Basque burnt cheesecakes and brownies — while getting more creative with flavours, including a pandan twist to the cheesecake for a Lunar New Year special.

Was it the right choice?

Even with her mother's help, the bulk of the responsibility for the business lay with Wong, which sometimes can feel overwhelming.

"There are moments where the exhaustion hits, and I realise that there's no manager to turn to and no safety net to fall back on," she said. "In these moments, it can feel pretty isolating."

Questions of whether she was doing things right continued to plague Wong, especially when she was up at 2am alone in the kitchen, arranging deliveries or creating marketing content.

Then she would get reminded of the reason she started a bakery in the first place — to bring others joy.

When her customers share that a bake made their day a little brighter, the long nights and lonely moments feel worth it.

Her entrepreneurial drive has also not faded.

The goal of expanding WKND Bakes into a physical store, a space where the community can enjoy her freshly baked treats together, has fuelled her to keep growing the business.

"I hope that in time, WKND Bakes will have a home where it can fully come alive for everyone who loves it," she said.

This is still just the beginning.

Top images courtesy of Calista Wong