A FORMER tech expert has decided to quit her job and pursue her passion for making colourful pasta in her kitchen.
Fiona Afshar, 57, has written software and worked as a florist, but said she never thought her “Gucci” pasta would earn her six figures.
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From the comfort of her Malibu kitchen, the mum-of-three expanded her pasta empire and now sells her homemade products for up to $240 a box.
Last year, she brought in $129,000 in pasta sales, brand deals and online classes.
She also has 485,000 Instagram followers who go crazy for her rainbow dishes.
In 2021, Fiona began doing paid promotions, starting with fashion retailer Ssense.
Read more on side hustles
She then moved on to bigger brands like Anthropologie and Italian giant Gucci.
She usually makes between $4,000 and $5,000 per partnership.
That same year, Fiona started selling her pasta online.
“At the beginning, I had no idea you could actually make money,” she told CNBC Make It.
“I was blown away because this is what I love doing, but putting a price on it.”
Fiona’s journey with food began when she was a child in Ahwaz, Iran.
“Growing up in a Persian household was really based around food,” she said.
“Food was a language of love – that’s how we show our love.
“The more we feed you, the more we love you.”
Fiona went to school in the UK, where she earned a degree in computer science.
She then moved to Los Angeles in 1987, where she met and married her husband, Ali.
Once she had her third child, the mum-of-three kept wondering what would the next chapter in her life and career be.
“I was itching to get my creative side out so I poured it all into the kitchen.”
Fiona’s pasta journey began when her eldest daughter left for university in 2018.
She wanted to teach her easy and delicious meals to prep and cook away from home, and found out that filming short videos was the best way to do so.
Fiona’s youngest daughter then chimed in and suggested her mum to take her cooking and filming skills to Instagram.
It was around this time that Fiona developed her passion for pasta-making.
“I had watched a tutorial from a very famous chef – Tom Keller – and realised it was actually really easy,” she revealed.
“I also discovered that pasta dough can be really forgiving and versatile, and that’s how my pasta journey began.”
The business owner often goes for bold colours and patterns when making her state-of-the-art pasta.
She revealed her colour palettes are not usually planned ahead as she decides to choose the moment the dough is laid out in front of her like a white canvas.
Fiona also flavours and colours her tasty product with seasonal ingredients, such as parsley or beetroot.
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