Thank you, Ecole Chocolat
Chocolate friends, I super excited to share this with you! I had the amazing opportunity to share my "past life" design experience and my creative journey in developing B Cocoa Artisan Chocolate from the ground up with my chocolate school Ecole Chocolat.
A few months ago I got my email confirmation that I was added to the Graduate Page for Ecole Chocolat. My heart skipped a beat. Maybe two. It was my first concrete proof that I was doing it, that my chocolate dreams were slowly becoming a reality.
I was completely satisfied with that. Life was good. But, I also wanted to let them know that I was so thankful for the experience and knowledge they gave me in their Professional Chocolatier Program that I wanted to help in anyway possible. I told them that my marketing and design background helped me to develop B Cocoa on a small budget and they asked me to share my experience in a Bean 2 Bonbon three-part blog series Building Your Chocolate Brand. It was a great experience writing about something I'm passionate about and I'm so happy to share it with others!
Many times during the last two years, I almost gave up. Blindly navigating my way to the next opportunity, there were many times that I almost gave into my fear of the unknown and quit. I was so close to giving up so many times. The voice of fear and "what-ifs" and "now- whats" was so much louder than the glimmer of hope that I could do it.
Learning to temper was so hard for me!
The struggle is real, folks. Corporate order of 50 boxes of truffles, it's Friday night pizza night with the family, and I am ONLY human! Many messy kitchen days, early mornings and late nights.
My very first chocolate order. Christmas 2015
Now, as I look back that the whirlwind of the two years I am so thankful I was determined enough to keep pushing forward even during the mistakes and brick walls, through the grace of God I somehow got over them. In sharing my experiences, I hope I can help another confused, budding chocolatier develop their dream and make the design and marketing process less stressful and confusing for them.
Kyser Musical Products custom order April 2015
And there's one more thing...I have to brag about something for one moment. These chocolate people, this chocolate industry, they are just amazing. I have received so much support, positive advice and direction from other chocolatiers and Ecole Chocolat, and from Ecole Chocolat's Program and Marketing Director Alysha Kropf who is just awesome, (I'm sure we'd be instant friends if she lived closer.) You don't find this kind of support often, so when you do you truly appreciate it.
To have a school that follows your success and cheers you on and to have extremely talented people in the industry supporting you and gladly sharing their methods to help you learn and improve is very unique and makes me happy to be a part of this industry. I am so grateful for the opportunities I wouldn't have B Cocoa without them.
I've found my people, I've found my place and it feels good.
B
