The Make Mine A Million Raceor the M3 Race, for short, is an organization for women entrepreneurs which is sponsored by American Express, Dell and Cisco, to name a few. The idea is that participants ‘race’ for a targeted sales goal for the entire year. This race for business growth enables you to set the pace, for your financial Independence. The idea is to get women entrepreneurs to increase their total annual revenue of 1 million or more thus empowering women from owning and managing micro-businesses to million-dollar enterprises.
Nell Merlino, founder of Take your Daughters to Work Day is the driving force behind the Make Mine a Million Race.
I heard about this organization last year, but finally decided to look into it. When I was told about this, my first instinct was, how much is this going to cost me? I have seen many business organizations, many with a hefty initiation fee. Some are local, others a larger with a local chapter. But the Make Mine a Million Race is the only organization designed to empower and improve your business. This is not just for networking. For $100 you gain access to an array of resources all designed to help you reach your sales goals. Isn’t that what a successful business is all about, reaching our business goals?
Just listening to one of Ms. Merlino’s speeches is inspiring enough. Nell Merlino’s says that women are used to multi-tasking and not asking for help, which will only hurt your business. Everyone needs a little help now and then, and women shouldn’t be afraid to get the help that they need. The Make Mine a Million organization is one great push in the right direction.
Nell has also written a book entitled ‘Stepping out of Line’. Click on the video to learn more.
In a nutshell, a chocolate maker makes chocolate and a chocolatier works with chocolate. A chocolate maker, takes the raw material from the cacao plant and turns it into chocolate. The term ‘from bean to bar’ is commonly used by chocolate makers to distinguish them from others. Chocolatiers take couverture chocolate to create truffles, confections, flavored and blended chocolate bars. Naturally, there are far fewer chocolate makers than there are chocolatiers.
Whatever your preference is, be sure to buy artisan quality products.
As you may have already heard by now, Hershey’s made an aburpt move and decided to shut down two of the Bay Area’s leaders in the chocolate industry. Back in 2005, Hershey’s purchased Scharffen Berger, a chocolate maker based in Berkeley, CA and the Joseph Schmidt factory located in San Francisco’s Mission district. Hershey has effected the jobs of 150 bay area chocolate jobs.
According to the Washington Post, 598,000 jobs were lost in January 2009 alone making it the most amount of jobs lost since 1974. The Post also states that if the jobless rates keeps up at it’s pace, the nation will see double digits by summer.
Below is a photo of myself, Joseph Schmidt, and Richard Callebaut at the Fancy Food Show taken a week before Hershey’s announcement. Callebaut chocolate was the supplier to Joseph Schmidt’s mega chocolate empire. No one knew what was up Hershey’s sleeve, we were all smiles.
Would Joseph Schmidt and Scharffen Berger have survived this recession as Bay Area chocolate companies if they weren’t bought out by Hershey’s? Most likely, yes. The question is more like, the companies weren’t making enough money for Hershey’s.
Over a span of two years of so, I had made several trips to Joseph’s factory and have watched Hershey’s transformation take place. Wall were added here and there and plastic curtains were hung in strategic places. And during my last visit, Joseph pointed out a recently completed $30,000 enclosure which softens the hammering sounds of demolding chocolates onto a conveyor belt.
But what really gets to me was walking back into his factory, seeing familiar faces and knowing that everyone in the building will be soon out of a job. Completely devastating.
Being in the artisan chocolate industry, believe it or not, usually means that you’ll end up having close friendly relationships with your ‘competitors’. During the short time that I have been in business, other chocolatiers and chocolate makers have been on the extreme when it comes to being helpful. We bounce ideas off of one another, give each other information on vendors and equipment, and even share recipes and techniques.
If you haven’t already heard about Neo Cocoa, a very new San Francisco based company, and the newly formed Xan Confections from Orange County, let me be the first to introduce you to two of my greatest chocolate friends. Neo Cocoa is founded by Christine Doerr (right in photo above). She uses fresh local ingredients for her shell-less European Style truffles including warm ginger root, crushed bittersweet nib, and my favorite, the freshly zested lime. I was pleasantly surprised to see Neo Cocoa at the Draeger’s Chocolate Boutique Event a few weeks ago. It was Jade Chocolates and Neo Cocoa’s first event together.
Below is a photo of Neo Cocoa’s 5 piece box taken at the Draeger’s event. Both of our companies will also be at the San Francisco Chocolate Salon held at the Fort Mason Center Herbst Pavilion on March 21st, 2009.
Tracey Downey (middle in first photo), head of Reseach and Development for the newly formed Xan Confections which offers special collections of satisfying , all-natural chocolates that are non-dairy, gluten-free, vegan, low-glycemic, and low calorie. Tracey just recently closed up shop last year (her then company Downey Chocolates). She has formed a new relationship the founders of Susan’s Healthy Gourmet. Xan Confections offers 49 gourmet chocolate pieces. Included in her Saintly Sins collection is Raspberry Symphony. My absolute favorite.
