What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?
I'm naturally quite enthusiastic and good at communicating with people, particularly if it's about something I'm passionate about. I do genuinely enjoy meeting and chatting to people, which has helped in networking situations, in sales meetings and especially when I demonstrate the joys of raw chocolate making to others. I'm also quite open to new things and have an ability to learn pretty quickly, which means I don't expect to know everything outright and feel I can learn as I go along.
When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?
Do you know it's taken me nearly 20 years to discover what I'm naturally good at! I've worked in so many different jobs throughout my career and it wasn't till I reached my 40's (3 years ago!) and sat down to think about what am I actually good at and what makes me happy, that I realised I loved chocolate, loved chatting to people and had gained such a range of experience that perhaps I had most of the skills I needed to set up my own business.
What emotional attachment do you have to your work?
Because I run my own business I am completely emotionally attached to it. It's hard not to be emotionally attached when working with chocolate! In fact it is this strong emotional attachment that works for me and keeps me motivated because I genuinely care about what I do and absolutely love working in something I am so passionate about.
What tips do you have for other women who'd like to do your job?
It helps to love what you do and I think it's important to find what parts of your job you really enjoy and what you could perhaps get more support with. Above all, you do need to be persistent and determined when setting up your own business, there are great highs and lows, so really believing in your business idea and being able to communicate this belief to others is incredibly important for the success of your business.
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