 After reading many versions of my biography, written by those who thought they could do a better job, I thought it would be best written by me. Pure and simple. After all, that is the philosophy of our chocolate business, SweetBliss—simply expressed and casually eaten. No pretense, no formality.
My story started at N.Y. Hospital on June 11, never mind the year. Could my appointment by Cesarean section, or rather my mother's, possibly be the reason for my ADD, OCD, ADHD and whatever other acronyms I suffer from in any given month? I consider them an asset to SweetBliss, though I think my staff may sometimes disagree.
I grew up on Long Island during the days when fairs and carnivals were real and the fireworks on the Fourth of July were done manually without the aid of computer science, all of which became an even greater influence on my business philosophy.
Being an average to below-average student, I was distracted by anything that crossed my path, especially if it would entertain me more than history or math—not unlike other students, of course! For me, art was great and obviously I excelled at playground. At an early age I was convinced that I was going to become the next great Perfume Maker, to the joy and pleasure of my parents, who believed I had developed an aptitude for science. That is, until I mixed ALL of my mother's fragrances into one bottle. She's much more approving of my current experiments with chocolate (partially because I'm no longer using her kitchen, and the fringe benefits are great).
Giving up science and my career as a Perfume Maker, I went on to the Rochester Institute of Technology, where I received a BFA in Photography with a GPA of 3.7. I decided the only career for me would be as a Fine Arts Photographer—not much chance of making a living. Finding it difficult to develop the success I worked so hard for and unwilling to compromise my ideals, I decided to switch careers completely.
I went to culinary school and excelled in cooking but failed miserably in pastry and baking. Once again my OCD, ADHD and PMS apparently reared their ugly heads when it came time to follow directions and recipes. With cooking, though, I could feel, taste and smell my way through. I graduated and went to work for major hotels in New York City. I hated working in hotels and eventually discovered that catering and being a Private Chef were far more satisfying.
In 1993, I landed a dream job as Ralph Lauren's Private Chef. Thinking I would do it for six months and staying for eight years, I obviously loved almost every minute of it. No two days were the same, and miraculously ADD, OCD and ADHD (unfortunately not PMS) all but disappeared. We flew every weekend to a different house, and I developed the menu to complement the environment. No one was ever bored. I loved the way Ralph viewed the world and his way of thinking and I became very inspired by his success and vision. What I admired in Ralph Lauren and learned from him finally rubbed off on me. The skills I developed under pressure all lent themselves to my taking the plunge and starting my own business.
Through many conversations with my friend and soon-to-be business partner, Iris Libby, SweetBliss was born. She had the courage and business savvy, and I had the love of food and talent to bring flavors together. We didn't start small. For me, no way! We had a sales appointment with Bergdorf Goodman in the fall of 2001 and on February 7, 2002, we launched my line of vintage, gourmet chocolates. Learning through trial and error to master the fine art, the frustrations, and the science of chocolate, we were well on our way...
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