Following Your Passions: Thereasa Black of Bon AppéSweet

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What happens when the road you’re on is no longer the best choice for you and your family? Is it better to accept a life of financial safety, or worth the risk to follow your passions? My guest today is living proof that necessity is the mother of invention.

My guest this week is Thereasa Black, the founder of Bon AppéSweet. She is here to tell the inspiring story of how she brought her chocolate company from concept to reality…all while on deployment in the United States Navy. Download this week’s episode of The Profit Express to hear how Thereasa found the bravery to make a change in her life, with some very sweet results.

This week’s episode of The Profit Express is brought to you by Corbett Public Relations, Promoting and Protecting Businesses and Brands for over 30 years.

A Timely Deployment

Thereasa had just completed the bar exam when she got word of a year-long deployment. With an 18-month-old daughter at home, she began to question everything that she had been working for over the years. She knew she had to start her own business to provide for her daughter.

Passion Versus Safety

It’s a tale as old as time. You spend years in school and jump into a career that offers you a safe life. But is that what will truly make you happy? Listen at 6:10 as Thereasa explains how by being forced to sit down and think about her future, she avoided making a jump into work that would make her miserable.

A Sweet Treat

Thereasa has always been into food. When she first got pregnant, she transformed her diet, cutting out processed sugar. At 8:35, she tells the story of how she brought this healthy mindset to one of the least traditionally healthy foods, and ended up killing the local market with Bon AppéSweet.

Getting Off the Ground

It is no secret that the food and beverage business is difficult to break into. Listen at 16:45 Thereasa discusses how she spent her year of deployment thinking and pitching ideas to get her chocolate off the ground. She took that feedback to heart, did endless research, and hit the ground running when she returned home.

Remembering Her Why

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing. At the beginning of Bon AppéSweet, Thereasa was routinely working on very limited sleep. In between working with the Navy, making gelato, taking care of her daughter, and working at farmers’ markets, there were moments she’d question what she was doing. At 23:20, she lays out the reason there was no chance of her quitting: her daughter.

Just the Facts

While she does not work as a lawyer, social justice is still as important to Thereasa as ever before. Listen at 36:20 as Thereasa discusses how she marries this difficult topic with her chocolate, making the facts more accessible for everyone.