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Finance and art may not seem like natural bedfellows, but to budding creative and certified Davaoeña financial advisor, Tutti Vishendas, they’re not worlds apart.
Niña Luchi Ariane Vishendas Galang, or “Tutti” for short, is a multi-faceted career woman who wears different hats, embraces her strengths, and finds comfort and stillness in her being. There’s a certain magnetism in her personality and character, her immeasurable talent and competency in various fields, which naturally draw the attention and interest towards her.
More than just a pretty face, she takes the corporate world in her own fashion and follows her bliss in visual and culinary arts. While she considers art and lettering as her form of leisure, she also puts her skills to good use in decorating her own brand of pastries and cakes.
Life figures
At the time I met Tutti about 5 years ago, she was in charge of marketing for an international fashion and accessory line. Long before she joined the prestigious yet challenging world of retail, her first entry into the corporate world saw her in the same field as her parents’. “My first post was in the banking industry, having been influenced by my parents who used to be bankers as well.”
In between posts, she took on the role of financial advisor for AXA Life and is now celebrating her 8th year with the company.
“My job in AXA as a Financial Advisor has been the most fulfilling career I’ve had. Noble and rewarding altogether, it feels like you are turning a customer into family — one deal at a time. And that’s what’s important at the end of the day. You hold your clients together not only because of what you sell, but because they associate themselves with the service and sincerity you offer them. Addressing your clients’ needs is important, but being able to connect with them on a long haul is a non-negotiable imperative.”
“I regard myself as someone who’s inherently congenial, always making my daily encounters with clients, friends, colleagues, and family a meaningful experience because I find inspiration by listening to their stories.”
Photo courtesy of Tutti Vishendas Galang
Living it out loud
Art and calligraphy have always factored into Tutti’s life, and she continues to practice painting and calligraphy to this day. “I believe I was born an artist. As they say, ‘Once an artist, always an artist.’ As a child, I’ve always been interested in visual, literary, and performing arts. In school, I remember participating in most activities which required singing and dancing, writing or painting. It’s something that helped me strike balance between academics and extra-curricular even at such a young age. And I guess it’s also how I’ve been trained to breathe in between pressure and toxicity later on in life.”
“Calligraphy for me is a lifestyle, and I seem to take it with me anywhere: from exams to reports to handwritten greeting cards, poetry, and love notes. It’s something I guess I naturally have in my hands, so no matter what pen or brush I hold, I would almost always end up with a decorative penmanship.”
“With painting, I guess I’ve honed my creative process over time — from a spontaneous mess to something that’s less ephemeral, more soulful. I now choose my concept and medium more carefully so much so that the audience actually feels what emotions I put into it, and they are able to connect with the artwork as I have related myself with it.”
Bakeology
On this side, Tutti works as a cake artist for a line of cakes and pastries, a venture she shares with her sister.
“Bakeology is a home-based baking business which my sister and I set up in October last year. After her stint as a ‘chef mom’ for a global food brand, we decided to continue to share her flair for cooking and baking to those with an appetite for the good life. She’d bake and I’d decorate the cakes. It’s a perfect arrangement because she was diligent in the kitchen, while I am ecstatic about art and creating masterpieces out of anything. My sister and I learned the art of baking primarily because of family tradition and experience. I was excited in starting with this business, driven with the objective of turning another one of my passions into an enjoyable and edible experience. Here, I learned that one can always start messy, but with enough passion to do better, every recipe eventually becomes a tasteful art.”
“Our bestsellers include Matchawacallit (Japanese Green Tea), Strawberries & Champagne, Deep Dark Chocolate, Blueberry Galaxy, Banana Walnut, Peach Mango Medley, Java Prune, Chocolate Peppermint, Scarlett J. (our version of Red Velvet), and Pink Lemonade. The same flavors are available for both cupcakes and cakes. Since inception, our customers keep coming back for the Deep Dark Chocolate and Strawberry variants – both being sinfully rich in taste and generous in our signature cream cheese frosting. The other ones appeal to those with a unique, adventurous palette. We customize though according to our customers’ request. Everything is possible at Bakeology and we put our customers’ wants first at all times. Our cakes are celebrated by customers because we infuse both flavor and art into them. Every piece is old-fashioned yet distinct, nostalgic yet full of surprises. We mostly play with mom’s recipes, and add a hint of what’s new and stylish.”
Bakeology offers free delivery in Davao City for a minimum order of 3 dozens of cupcakes or 1 whole cake. For orders, call 0928 520 4897.
Photos courtesy of Tutti Vishendas Galang.
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Story published on my newspaper column in Edge Davao.
