Friday 28 June 2013

The Marshmallow Diet



What an amazing roller coaster the last few weeks have been! So much has happened it’s hard to know where to begin.

I do find it hard to keep things in perspective sometimes when it comes to the business. I think it’s because there is so much of me vested in it - I don’t think I have ever had a job that has meant more to me. So all the highs are exaggerated – and equally so the lows. Luckily my partner Dave helps me to keep some kind of perspective on things!

I must say there have been way more highs than lows. And if I’m honest, the lows have been down more to my own fears and imagination than anything else. Getting the Monster Mixer and the rack was a big step forward. All of a sudden we can produce waaaaaaaay more marshmallow than we used to! Which is just as well, because the other thing that seems to have happened is a rise in orders.  It’s been weird that – because I have been working full-time whilst trying to build the business, every new order has felt like a really positive ‘Yes!’ as well as an ‘oh my god – how am I going to fit THAT in?’ It has been a real stretch having a full-time day job and a full-time evening/weekend job. 

Which brings me to the next fabulous-yet-terrifying event – going part-time! Apart from a couple of years when my son was little (he is now 14) I have always worked full-time for someone else. With Little D definitely on the up, I decided that (to avoid being hospitalised) I just had to take the plunge and reduce my hours. I don’t expect, to be honest, that I will be working any less hard. But it will be so liberating to be able to spend some of my working week focusing on growing the business! I have definitely (as the entrepreneur books say) been working ‘in’ the business rather than ‘on’ the business!  It all starts on Monday – which is, coincidently, my birthday! Yay!!!

And finally, I was completely blown away that Little Delicious is in the finals of the Hampshire Life Food and Drink Awards! Huge, ENORMOUS thanks to everyone who voted for us. To be honest, I didn’t even think it would be worth mentioning it to our customers as we haven’t had much of a market presence and we are so young I thought we wouldn’t get enough votes. But then I was told the evaluation was based on the quality of the comments, rather than the quantity, and I thought, well, why not mention it! And all you lovely people must have said some nice things about our marshmallows because we are in the final!!! One of three in the category of Best Newcomer - you can read about it here



So on the 22nd August, we are heading off to The Four Seasons hotel (we have splashed out on a room – EXPENSIVE! Hope it lives up to the reviews!!) to find out if we have won. And before then I have to (gulp) meet one of the judges for a chat and (even bigger gulp) have a TV crew coming to our base to make a short film! How many pounds can I lose before-hand I wonder? Maybe if I just eat fat-free fruit marshmallows I could reach my target. Yes – that’s it!! The Little Delicious Marshmallow Diet! It’s got to be better than cabbage, surely?

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