Really loving what you do clearly makes for a rewarding career. And there is no better example of this philosophy than Millie McWilliams, who runs 'Melting Moments' bakery in Lisnaskea.

For Millie baking has always been a passion and now she has made it her job. Millie left school at sixteen and began working on a part-time basis in the Cherry Tree bakery in Lisnaskea, and it was here that she learnt her craft under the guidance of Isobel Charles, who taught her all the skills necessary to work in a bakery, showing her how to make everything from bread right through to the more delicate items such as cakes.

Over the years Millie always continued baking on a part-tine basis, but she also worked in the office in Andrews Milling and it was when she was made redundant from her office job that she decided to take the jump of faith and open her own business: "When I was made redundant, I thought what am I going to do, I'll have no job.

"Yes, I did think about starting up on my own and then Ken Neely, who I am now in business partnership with, said why don't you do it and I'll help you out.

"That's how we started off . I used my redundancy money to help set us up and we went from there," she recalls.

"It was a very small scale operation at the beginning. I stayed in and did all the baking, with help from my husband, Reg, and our children. Ken bought a wee van and he went out round the local shops and got trade built up that way. The local businesses were very supportive of me.

"It got then that people were coming to us because they liked our products, and it just got bigger and bigger from there," Millie explains.

Now 'Melting Moments' employs 15 full and part-time staff and distribute their products right across Northern Ireland.

However, back in early days life was not as certain for Millie and her family: "It was difficult, there was a lot of tears and sweat, it was a huge commitment. My life stood still I just worked the clock round to get it going."

In a way 'Melting Moments' became a family business for the McWilliams as Reg gave up his job in the building trade to join the team, and with both parents working such long hours, the three children Julie, Craig, and Tanya, also found they had a bigger role to play in the family home: "I couldn't have done it without the support of my family," Millie is adamant.

For anyone thinking about a career as a baker, Millie warns they can expect to work hard: "I get up at 4am, and I'm in work from 4.30am. Some of the rest of the staff arrive in for the 5am shift when they start by making our scones and then moving on to Swiss rolls, cakes etc.

"More staff arrive at 6am, with the final batch of staff, 'the decorators' arriving at 7am. This means that the ones who come in at 5am can have a lot of the stuff made and it has a chance to cool before 'the decorators' arrive to start adding cream, jam, icing etc. The goods are then boxed, labelled and put out for delivery to shops."

Millie estimates that each day staff would be working on 15 to 20 different items every day from scones, muffins, cakes and buns.

Millie also appeals to any young people thinking about the job to remember it is not just a job for the girls: "I'd like to see more young men come into the baking trade because it is a good opportunity for them.

"There is quite a lot of heavy work involved, especially when making breads, which is more suitable for men to do, and this is a good environment for them to work in.

"Yes, it is hard work. But then what work isn't hard physical work, and it is rewarding."

She also explains each individual can mould the trade to suit their own interests: "Once you have learnt the basics then you can concentrate on the area you are particularly interested in. Be it making some of the speciality breads, concentrating on the decorating end, such as wedding cakes, or even moving into desserts making pavlovas or things."

The basic training to be a baker will usually be provided on the job. Millie actually prefers her staff to have little experience, as she explains: "It's a job that is suitable for any age, from someone leaving school, to someone looking for a change in career, we can give them all the training necessary.

"In fact one of the downsides is when you have get somebody who has picked up bad habits and you have to retrain them to an extent."

As the years have passed Millie has built up a strong capable team which she relies on daily: "Yes I can step back a bit now, I can even take a day off now which I couldn't do in the first few years.

"My staff are like a family to me, they give me 100 percent, if there is something wrong they know they can come to me.

"I think if you work with people, you go in and you're not afraid to scrub the floor with them or do whatever is necessary, and if you treat them right then they will respect you all the more."

For Millie starting 'Melting Moments' allowed her to combine all her experience, as she could put into practice her baking talent, but she could also call on the administration and business skills she learnt in her office job.

So with some vision and determination Millie believes anyone can make their dream a success, and she adds: "It is nice to run your own business, and it is satisfying to see people enjoying the products. I would tell anyone yes go for it, start your own business but be prepared to work hard. If you have to be there from 4am to 10pm then you just have to do it, there is no alternative."

For Millie one of the defining moments in her career came when she first saw one of her products in a shop: "To be honest I didn't believe it, I thought somebody else was doing it.

"Would you believe for a long time I felt it was a dream that I was working for somebody else.

"Then I just thought I'm really doing this. This is it I am managing staff and running a business. andI just have to get on with it."

And now six years after she took the plunge, Millie has built up a successful and sustainable business and one which she is rightly pleased to call her own: "I am proud of what I have achieved, and I'm glad that I decided to take the risk."