Whenever I greet Joseph Schmidt with a ‘How are you?’, without fail he always responds with ‘I’m lucky!’. He has constantly reminded me that he’s been lucky in the chocolate business and that he’s got a chocolate angel to help. I’ve looked over his shoulder plenty of times and never seen anything resembling divine help from above.
I don’t have a chocolate angel, maybe I’ll inherit it one day when Joe Schmidt retires. I do have the next best thing and her name is Anni Minuzzo. I first met Anni while taking a class at the SBA (Small Business Administration) entitled, ‘From Kitchen to Market’. It was a class catering to people who want to produce food items. She is a food specialist consultant, who thanks to tax payers dollars, consults for free. She just sold her successful biscotti business, ‘Biscotti Nucci’, and has taken her experiences over the years from her biscotti business and helps others learn from her successes as well as mistakes. We meet at least once a month and she’s helped with identity branding and packaging, to sourcing ingredients to cost analysis. We also establish timelines and goals for my company which has helped me stay focused.
Our meetings are relaxed and informal, often sipping coffee or hot milk at a local cafe. I saw whatever’s on my mind, and she does the same. It’s like talking to an old friend with solid reason and advice about my business. She’s got a great personality and loves to give her personal input. Starting this business has been extremely overwhelming, it’s nice to know that I have a little help on my side.
Thanks Anni.
