Leah Paras, who has been making rice cakes for 15 years, discusses her transition from selling fruits to starting a rice cake business with her husband when their children were young. She shares her lifelong passion for selling, dating back to her childhood in the province.

Leah recounts starting her rice cake business in 2008 with a capital of 800 pesos, money saved by her children. As someone from Samar Leyte, she already knew how to make some rice cakes, and a friend helped her with additional recipes, allowing her to expand from five to ten trays of cakes.

The business offers a wide range of rice cakes including biko, sapin-sapin, ube, maja blanca, puto, kutsinta, and palitaw. The most popular or best-selling items are sapin-sapin, espasol, and palitaw.

Initially unplanned, the business grew to include other vendors after people approached Leah wanting to sell her rice cakes. She welcomed them, aiming to help them earn money for their children's needs, and the network of vendors expanded through word-of-mouth referrals.

Kevin Arellano, a vendor for 10 years, praises Leah for her understanding and willingness to re-employ vendors. Leah candidly shares experiences of being deceived in past businesses like selling peanuts and fish balls, and even with rice cakes, but she maintains trust in people, empathizing with those in need. She recounts a harrowing incident where a long-time vendor, Jerry, was robbed and slashed during his initial weeks, emphasizing the importance of not fighting back for safety.

Leah describes the organized system in her family business where each member has specific responsibilities. She makes palitaw, her youngest son makes tikoy, another handles biko kalamay, her husband's sibling makes sapin-sapin and ube, and an assistant helps with puto and kutsinta. Her spouse is solely responsible for cassava cake because others are hesitant to handle ube.

The vendor network has grown to about 17, with some even staying overnight at a rented spot. Vendors appreciate Leah's flexible approach, treating her more like a sibling than a boss due to her supportive and friendly nature. Leah emphasizes the importance of hard work, humility, respect, and not taking advantage of others, stressing the value of loving one's livelihood regardless of the earnings.