Perhaps it is best to begin this blog with a disclaimer…I am not by any stretch of the imagination a seasoned blogger.  Consider yourself forewarned. In all honesty, I have neither written a blog entry before, nor have I ever read a blog, but I am committed to this and, at least for the moment, my enthusiasm outweighs my general skepticism and mild aversion.

I have been told that it is best to establish some kind of contextual framework for a blog, and I have thought about this aspect quite a bit.  Never one to consider myself an authority on any particular subject, nor to find my personal life and musings of any particular interest to the rest of the world, I have been at a loss as to how to approach this.  But it occurs to me that the experience of abandoning a somewhat lucrative and stable career to start a completely unrelated business without any knowledge of how to do so, and, more specifically, a business that focuses on chocolate and confections only 6 months after “graduating” from a pastry arts program provides fodder for a discussion that will be somewhat educational, mostly interesting, and certainly amusing!

In some ways I wish that I had started this blog at the beginning because I have already learned so much and made so many mistakes (some horrifying, some hilarious…and all costly), and I feel there are lessons to be learned and laughs to be had from that.  But here we are, about 3 months into the business (if you count from the launch of the website…9 if you count from the first official transaction) and in the middle of what I hope will be the first of many significant growth spurts.

Needless to say, it has been quite a year.  I have never felt so unprepared, ill-equipped, overwhelmed, enthusiastic, passionate or terrified about anything I have ever done.  And I have never worked so hard in my life, which – as those of you who have known me for awhile will attest – is quite a statement. Seriously, I’m exhausted, and convinced that truffle truffle has aged me 10 years already!  But more than anything else, I feel so lucky to have this opportunity to build something that is uniquely mine, to do something creative that makes people happy (even if it is superficial and fleeting), and to continue the entrepreneurial legacy of my family, which goes back three generations at least.  It has been – and continues to be – a whirlwind, a rollercoaster, and sometimes a complete nightmare, but one that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

And with that, for now, it’s off to work I go!