The time I thought I’d become Willy Wonka

A tale of chocolate and career pivots

I like chocolate an unhealthy amount. Me and chocolate during university? I’d buy those Symphony family-sized chocolate bars OR a full bag of Hershey’s kisses and go to town while I read my Victorian novels (English major over here). Again, it wasn’t healthy but, my love for chocolate? As deep as the ocean.

the chocolate bars I indulged in. I was also a big fan of the one with almonds

So naturally I thought HEY. Everyone is talking about passion. Find your passion. Go after your passion. Live?your passion. This message was plastered everywhere, in sweeping italics with beautiful, always productive people smiling while they made ?? doing what they loved.

And you know what I loved? Chocolate ??.

And I thought okay, this is what I’m passionate about. A delectable treat made out of cocoa beans.

At the time I was living in Austin, Texas working as a software engineer for a Series C startup. I was going on my second year in tech and spent my time debugging features from a beanbag. All in all? Life was pretty good. But it still felt like something was missing.

So, what did I do next?

I went to Google and searched the words chocolate shops.

And I came across one built by a lawyer turned confectioner, Maggie Louise Confections. Featured in Oprah’s Favorite Things! Boy, this was promising.

And the chocolates? A work of art ????.

But you guys. It was the HARDEST WORK OF MY LIFE. I spent hours upon hours cleaning customized chocolate molds shaped like cockroaches (the client was a landscaping company) with a teensy, tiny cotton bud (water and soap would have been damaging). It was not like Willy Wonka and I was not whimsically throwing orange zest and coconut flakes into concoctions while people yelled “Bravo!!” Not even the employee benefit of eating the broken chocolates could get me through.

I lasted 2 days.

So, this is not a tale of how I landed my dream career.

But, it is a tale of how to go after something and be okay with it not working out.

It’s about trying something. And then regrouping. And then trying again.

And you know what? Each and every time gets you and me a little closer to what we really want.

Tell me - what is something you have tried in your career? What is something you want to try now that’s at-your-fingertips?

Start With Hello is a letter of quips, tips, and stories for the always curious. It’s written by Sarah, a coach, engineer, founder, and Sushi Go aficionado. I offer 1:1 coaching for women in tech and if you’re in a rut, I’ve got you - book a consultation.