Meet Alina Ali | Sweet Petit Founder, Dessert Shooter Stylist & Full-Time Registered Nurse

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alina Ali and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alina, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?

I come from a family of immigrants.

I’m a first-generation Shia Muslim Pakistani American, and this signifies more than a label.

It’s who I am. It’s how I behave. It’s what ignites me to be who I am today.

My parents left the comfort of their home, their friends and family, and ultimately, a place of familiarity, to give a better life for their little kids whom couldn’t even comprehend the kind of love behind this sacrifice.

My parents faced rejection to immigrate three times before God paved their way into America. The journey to arrive to New York was not easy, and the hardships didn’t end after landing here.

My mom worked night shift to take care of us during the day in opposing schedules with my dad, just so there was someone with us at all times.

My father worked in positions he could to put food on the table for us while knowing minimal English. My father never stopped working.

Even up until his last day in this world, he was always working to provide for us.

Just speaking on the topic is making my voice crack, and my heart heavy, because they deserve so much more.

Despite being turned away from their dreams, they never gave up. My parents knew the American Dream was meant for them even if it came with adversities the entire time.

This taught me more about the fundamentals of life than a basic education could ever provide

The discipline, passion, and drive my parents had even after being rejected, gave me the confidence and inspiration to be who I am today. Nothing good comes easy in this life, and I knew I was going to do everything I could to create my path to success.

Even at the age of 17, observing the efforts of my parents encouraged me to work part-time and fund my own braces because I knew there was no limits to my potential so long as I had the ambition to do so.

As a freshman in college, my ambition was triggered when I saw my dad come home at 3am while I was up studying. He just came home from work and a long commute.

This killed me.

I couldn’t bear to see this, and I knew I needed to do more to take of myself and my parents. So, I quickly changed my major and applied for nursing. I couldn’t let my dad work until I was finished my education, so I had to find the financially smarter alternative. I transferred out of University to community college where my degree was all paid for by financial aid!

Today, I am a Registered Nurse with almost six years in my career and now also chasing my passion of part-time baking! None of this could have been accomplished without my parents’ being my inspiration.

The passion of true immigrant parents shaped me into an ambitious, caring, and hard-working individual that I am today. I watched them struggle to give me a better life. I knew everything I was doing was for them, so their sacrifices were never wasted. I always want to do more in life to carry on my father’s name, not only for him, or my mom, but also for the life of my future kids.

What an honor it is to know my parents loved and love my siblings and I so much, that they sacrificed their comfort for our opportunities.

I am embodying the work ethic of my immigrant parents, and I am their by product: A first generation, Shia-Muslim, Pakistani American.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Sweet Petit was founded to share life’s most precious moments, in the sweetest way possible; through desserts!

Joining my passion for baking and being an extrovert that thrives off of people, I wanted to create something that would leave an ever-lasting impression not only with my desserts, but as a memorable experience, however, I soon realized that was easier said than done.

I recently moved from the east coast and this created my biggest challenge as a new business owner and vendor.

It was extremely difficult to start a business in a new area where I knew no one, had no friends, and had no resources.

Imagine being a new kid in high school. No one knows you. No one WANTS to get to know you. Everyone has already established their friendships, connections and vendors, so why would anyone branch off to a stranger?

I felt like a high schooler trying to break into vendor/event community because people referred who they knew and trusted.

And no one wanted to establish rapport with ME, a new dessert vendor that no one even heard of.

I struggled to gain clientele. I even went three months without a single inquiry from anyone.

I felt defeated.

I started to feel anxious signing onto my social media account.

I didn’t realize this would be a huge barrier to my success. Then a moment came were I had an epiphany. I had to stop getting in my own head and remind myself that I was offering more than desserts… I was offering ME.

The industry didn’t have my authenticity, my creativity, or my personality and I knew this was more than enough to set me apart.

I invested myself into the world of Instagram and used this platform as my main source of marketing and business. I had extensive knowledge already as a fashion blogger, so I knew in today’s climate, Instagram was the source of breaking into the event industry.

I began following Instagram coaches, and Pinterest for advice on how to start Sweet Petit from scratch.

I discovered Instagram Reels was, and still is, the fastest way to grow my business and reach potential clients. I then shifted my following on Instagram to accounts which educated me on the 101 of reels.

I consumed all of my free time during, between, and after my 12 hour shifts, in researching, and creating content that was attention grabbing. I constantly edited and revised content intended for my future clients, with trending audio, proper captions, local hashtags, SEO’s, and call to actions. All inclusive of the materials I learned for the perfect reel. I was constantly adapting to the ever-changing algorithm, while consistently posting whatever baking content I could.

I took a step further, and enrolled myself in online Instagram marketing classes to really grasp the understanding of social media, how to connect my business on the platform, and how to build trust between potential clients and converting that into inquires and not just a follower count.

If I let myself get into my head when everything was against me, when the odds were not in my favor, then I would have never made it this far! It all goes back to my inspiring parents who pushed through each of their hurdles as the obstacle became more difficult than the last one. And fast forward to now, where I am sitting here doing an interview with an LA magazine?! (Glory be to God). I would have never seen or imagined taking my business this far. The sky is the limit when you believe in YOURSELF.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Hands down, I would take my friends to my favorite coffee shops and beaches located in the heart of orange county! No day can begin without a cup of iced lavender coffee from the anti-karen cult called Coffee Dose! I am so obsessed with their coffee! Then I would chase an adrenaline rush with a hike at Valido Trail. The top of the beautiful hike is a sweet oasis showcasing the many blue hues of the Laguna beach coast and why I love living in SoCal. In between, our day, I would take my friends to Newport Beach Fashion Island for refreshing outdoor shopping in the boujiest way possible. Plus, the outlet mall has the best gelato ever! Gelato Paradiso hazelnut gelato is a Nutella dream on steroids, but the legal way. Then I would end our adventure in the perfect way possible.. California sunsets! Nothing is dreamier than our painted skies as the sun’s going down on the coastal line of Corona Del Mar. Such a beautiful and peaceful site to see.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Sweet Petit could not have been what it is today without the help of God and the two strongest women of my life; my mom, Anna, and my sister, Ammara.

The devoted prayers by my mom grounded and humbled me and the constant mentorship from my big sister gave me the courage to start this. She’s the same person who taught me how to use my first whisk and gave me the confidence to bake on my own. My sister is also the brains behind the brand name!

A special shout out to all the new friends I made here! I found the most genuine and supportive friends who made my transition into SoCal so much easier. They helped bring Sweet Petit on the map as they amplified my growth in the community with their constant reposting, sharing, and unwavering support. So thank YOU guys, for believing in ME.

And, a special thank you to my husband Jaun. Thank you, Jaun, for being such a supportive & loving husband throughout this entire journey. Sweet Petit was just a vision until my husband came in to help. Sweet Petit events could not have been possible without his weekend sacrifices to assist in setting up, and helping with all the endless tasks Sweet Petit comes with. Thank you for being my right hand throughout all of this. <3

Instagram: Instagram handle (@sweetpetit__ ) // https://www.instagram.com/sweetpetit__/

Other: Email: info@sweet-petit.com

Image Credits
Dania Zaidi @DaniaZaidiPhotography’ Alan V Photos @alanvphotos Jono Copeland @Jcopephotography Chelsea Loren @ChelseaLoren_ Deepicka Mehta @DeepickaMehta