It was never my plan to run a chocolate company. I spent the early part of my career in corporate marketing at Microsoft, until I made the decision to step away to raise my children full time. I was fully immersed in and gave my all to each of my first two careers. But in the early 2000s, my children were getting older, and my husband at the time and I stumbled on an opportunity that changed my course and introduced me to my third career – that of a CEO and entrepreneur. Through several twists and turns, this experience has not only taught me critical lessons about business and people, but it has moved me into the mindset of a family business leader, which has brought me more joy than any other part of the journey.

Some friends introduced us to the founders of a local chocolatier in the 1990s, Seattle Chocolate. It was a much-loved but regionally bound brand, known for its cheerful packaging and truffle bars, especially in the Pacific Northwest. We became investors. That might have been the extent of our involvement if there hadn’t been an earthquake. In the aftermath, as they looked at repairs and rebuilding, it quickly became clear that Seattle Chocolate would not be able to recover; they were going out of business. At the time I thought, Come on. How hard can it be to get this thing back on its feet? Little did I know. But my then-husband and I decided to help, and we became the owners. I stepped in as CEO.