Universitas Gadjah Mada
Faculty of Economics and Business

This is the story of Agnes Puspita Sari, who became the best graduate of the Master of Management Program at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM) in Yogyakarta. She graduated with a cum laude distinction and achieved a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.97 during her one year, seven months, and three days of study.

At 36 years, seven months, and 12 days, Agnes finally realized her long-deferred dream of continuing her studies. For many young people today, pursuing a master's degree is expected. However, for this hijab-wearing woman, being able to attend a master's program was a testament and commitment to herself. She had to wait over ten years to continue her education. "My way of life might have changed, but my dream did not. The most important thing is that what I do today, God willing, will not bring regrets in my old age. The desire to continue living with a sincere smile without saying 'if only' or 'what if' is important and becomes an extraordinary blessing," she explained on Wednesday (July 24) after the graduation ceremony at Grha Sabha Pramana UGM.

Deferred Desire

Agnes pursued her undergraduate education from 2005 to 2009 in the Agricultural Industrial Technology department at Universitas Brawijaya. She admitted that her desire to pursue a master's degree had existed since her undergraduate studies. However, she had to hold back her strong desire due to financial constraints.

With the enthusiasm of a fresh graduate, the woman from Malang, East Java, was determined to find a job first. She was accepted to work at one of the subsidiaries of Danone Specialized Nutrition, specifically at PT. Sarihusada Generasi Mahardika. Upon entering the company, she was immediately entrusted with the position of Production Supervisor.

Despite working at a prestigious company, Agnes' desire to continue her studies was still burning. In her spare time, she searched for scholarships for further studies. As a result, at the beginning of her career in 2010, she obtained a scholarship and was accepted to study in the Master of Systems Engineering (MST) program at UGM. "I studied in the MST program at UGM for about 1-2 months and finally decided to leave because I had difficulty managing the rhythm of work and study. Eventually, I focused on my career first," she recalled those times.

Agnes then focused on pursuing her career in the company. For 12 years, she held various roles, including Production Supervisor, Production Manager, Project & Improvement Manager, and Performance & Factory System Manager. At some point, her desire to study resurfaced and grew stronger. "After a long time, whenever I heard the news of friends pursuing master's studies, it always motivated me, then subsided, and then motivated me again," she said.

So, what motivated Agnes to continue her studies? According to her, the answer is quite simple. "Being able to learn as much as possible is about increasing opportunities. Whatever it is, I believe a positive change will happen," she said.

A Big Decision

Finally, in 2022, Agnes made a big decision that changed her life's path. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she gained many insights. The dreams that once dimmed reignited, especially with the support of her husband, to realize one of her dreams of continuing her studies. Not only that, but she also made a significant career change by resigning from her well-established job, which was a dream for many people. "Resigning from my routine job, learning to do business, and studying business to support the primary need at that time, which was to build my own business," she said.

In 2022, Agnes continued her studies in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at the Yogyakarta Campus, taking the Senior Executive MBA (SEMBA) Program. "It turns out that the dream from 10 years ago has not changed. What was dreamed before was hindered due to limitations, but now it can be done. The dream did not change, only the way to realize it was different," she explained.

Answering F&B Business Challenges Through Kitchensync

While pursuing her MBA, she started a business in the Food and Beverage (FnB) sector. Agnes founded a startup called Kitchensync in collaboration with three colleagues. Kitchensync was established to provide solutions for FnB business operators and tiny to medium-sized restaurants (SMEs) that need operational support services. Kitchensync's core business is to supply raw materials and semi-finished products and provide research and development services. The company affiliates with several restaurant brands such as Nolda Pocha (Korean street food-themed restaurant), Nasi Iskandar (Malay/Nasi Kandar-themed restaurant), and Oetak-oetak (Palembang Pempek), with over 15 branches spread across Java, Bali, and Sumatra. "Besides that, we also have our restaurant brand called Udon Mura, a Japanese-themed restaurant located in South Tangerang," said Agnes, a Co-Founder and COO of Kitchensync.

Running a business takes work, especially for her as a newcomer. This young business experienced ups and downs. For example, one of the founders suddenly withdrew at the company's beginning. Moreover, the team member turnover was relatively high. "However, the show must go on with a clear vision and mission, and we continued what had been planned, and thankfully, it could continue until now," she explained while adding that they are currently developing a sustainable business by designing a Cloud Kitchen-based business.

Don't Be Afraid to Dream

Agnes admitted that she had no experience when starting a business. However, she had a strong will and determination to do business. Therefore, she encourages anyone who wants to do business not to be afraid to dream big. "Just start. No matter how big the business is, it always starts with small things. You have big dreams and create a supportive circle of friends. Because the people closest to you reflect who you are now and in the future," she said.

According to her, business can start from anywhere. A company does not have to start with significant capital but can begin with the simplest things. Especially in today's digital era, as long as you have a phone and an internet connection, you can run a business without waiting for tomorrow.

"As a millennial generation, I experienced the end of the transition to the current digital technology era. I used to think that to start a business, I had to gather capital by saving or investing my income while working as a team member," she explained.

She once saw several colleagues in her office feeling restless when approaching retirement and thinking about having their own business. This condition prompted her to start a business at a young age.

"I thought if I waited to start a business at 50, it would be different from doing it at a young age. If I started a business at a young age, the risks of failure could be addressed quickly, and I could get back on track immediately. The spirit and energy at a young age would be greater than later in old age. This drove me to set a timeline to start a business as early as possible rather than waiting until old age," she explained.

Time Management Is Key

Pursuing studies while running a business is undoubtedly challenging. However, Agnes admitted that with good time management, both could run simultaneously. She applied several tricks to aid her learning process while chasing her dream of becoming a businessperson. One of them was summarizing various literature books and slides from lecturers by chapter with handwritten notes.

Another effort Agnes made was routinely accessing information through various business-related learning media. She usually did this routine for 30 minutes to 1 hour before bed. Additionally, during her travel from Jakarta, where she currently resides, to Yogyakarta for her studies, she would take the time to read the materials to be discussed in class.

"I utilized the train journey from Jakarta to Jogja every week to read the materials that would be discussed in the weekend or full-day classes on Saturday. Besides that, I also engaged in discussions with classmates to get different perspectives from various professions and industries," she explained.

Agnes stated that being part of the MM UGM Yogyakarta family is a pride and a golden opportunity not everyone can experience. Here, she learned about management theories and concepts and absorbed various essential values that would shape her character and readiness to face the professional world. "Some valuable lessons I learned during my studies are about integrity and ethics, independence and innovation to become a visionary leader, collaboration and teamwork. These values greatly helped me, especially in developing the business," she concluded.

Reportage: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum 

Sustainable Development Goals