For many years, I had daydreams of leaving office work to explore something more creative. I was gradually being pulled into the world of chocolate — first as a hobby, and then as a true passion.
In 2015, an opportunity came up to take redundancy from my corporate job. I’d been there for almost three years, and I had already started thinking about working for myself. I knew if I didn’t try it now, I’d regret not taking the chance.
I’m glad I made the jump into chocolate, but starting my own business was harder than I expected. It also made me appreciate the many benefits of regular employment.
I had a good job, but I fantasized about doing something different
By the time I started my last corporate job, I was in my late 30s with a few career changes under my belt.
At this point, I was working for an American organization with an office in a leafy part of London. It was a great gig working with smart people, and I also had a healthy salary.
Still, there were times on my commute through energy-draining morning traffic, or after a difficult day, that I’d find myself dreaming of something different.
Because my company was so large, I often felt like a small cog in the machine, and I wanted more control over my day-to-day work. I was also feeling a pull to do something that made a difference in people’s lives and involved food in some way.
I’d drafted a couple of business outlines — for a café, and also a baking company — but neither felt quite right for me. I was still figuring out my perfect path when redundancy came up as an option, and I knew it was time to take the leap.
I naively thought that by the end of the year, I’d have my business plan sorted and be on my way to profit. In reality, this was the start of a winding journey.
Working for myself helped me appreciate the benefits of ‘regular’ employment
While I considered what was next, I started taking on some part-time roles and freelance work. This included becoming a part-time chocolate tour guide in London (yes, this is a real thing).
It took a few more years of building my skills and my network, and getting clear on my priorities, to build the confidence and experience to start the business I run now: a company centered on chocolate and meditation.
This means I get to create delicious things with chocolate and also do work that feels meaningful to me.
One of the big surprises of working for myself was how it made me appreciate the positives of traditional employment that I’d once taken for granted. In hindsight, I can recognize the security my old job provided.
As a solopreneur, I’m the head of everything in my business. There’s no IT team when my laptop or website goes down. I’m responsible for bookkeeping, business development, marketing, and product delivery.
Although there are ways to build support structures, having to do everything in-house has been challenging.
My previous work came with extra safety nets, such as sick pay when I was ill or holiday pay when I needed time off. Not to mention pension contributions, health insurance, and employee benefits, like training budgets.
Plus, with a regular salary, I also knew how much I’d earn every month. This is a big contrast to the financial ups and downs of self-employment.
It also took me a while to adapt to structuring my own days so that I stayed motivated and on track. Back in my office job, I’d had a clear outline for my day with defined outcomes. I also had a team and a line manager to check in with and review progress.
I’d once wanted more control over my day-to-day routine, but in practice, it was a big adjustment.
Despite the drawbacks of being self-employed, I wouldn’t change my choice to work with chocolate
Discovering my own supportive network of women running small food and wellbeing-related businesses was a game changer. I’ve also had some great mentors and coaches along the way.
Now, over 10 years later, I’m really pleased I took the chance to change direction. Being self-employed isn’t straightforward, but I enjoy the flexibility, freedom, and meaning it provides.
I sometimes miss the benefits of traditional employment and wish I’d valued them more at the time. However, I wouldn’t take them back if it meant giving up a business that brings me so much joy — especially one that means I get to eat chocolate every day for work.
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