If you watch the smooth waves of dark chocolate cascade down the three tiers of Trisha's chocolate fountain, it's possible to understand why the ancient Mayan civilization revered cocoa so.
The fountain is a crowd pleaser - especially among women - and has been featured at events such as the grand reopening of the Terra Cotta restaurant, an event for Women Business Owners and the Arthritis Foundation's D'Vine Wine Extravaganza last year.
Trisha's chocolate fountain also represents an almost complete refocusing of her core business.
In May 2004, Trisha was struggling with educating consumers about her services as a personal chef. Her intent was to build her clientele list while continuing to promote her catering services.
That all changed after a visit to the local wedding show. "They had this chocolate fountain and I thought, 'Brilliant,' and then I never thought about it again," she said.
Prior to the show, Trish had listened to her coach's advice that she "make the catering part of my business my meat and potatoes while I grow the personal-chef part," Trisha said - and she'd followed that advice
A one-time catering event for a pharmaceutical sales company had turned into a lucrative contract, and referrals were coming in - enough to keep her busy.
But a call from a client requesting something a little unique had her thinking in a new direction.
A high-end housing development was organizing an opening and wanted Trisha to cater the event, but they wanted something different for their upscale guests. Suddenly, Trisha remembered the chocolate fountain. It was a hit, and Trisha hasn't looked back.
"It has gotten me into more doors . and helped tremendously in exposure," she said.
The fountain gets her in to events, and Trisha uses the opportunity to promote her catering services - usually by donating gift certificates for silent auctions.
"Not only has it gotten me more business and helped me grow as a company, but I've established great relationships with nonprofit organizations, restaurants, hotels and other businesses," she said.
Those relationships have also yielded greater interest in gift certificates for her catering services.
Her coach suggested she develop close contacts with professional associations and other similar organizations, and Trish has done so, recently joining the Chamber of Commerce.
She hasn't been able to follow her coach's plans for creating presentations and partnering with physicians or nutritionists - one way of developing her personal chef business.
The fact is, she said, her rapid growth hasn't left much time for that.
The past year "has been a growing year for me," she said. But, "I'm a little more stable. I know where I'm going this year."
martin@activ8life.com www.activ8life.com
