We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jennifer Burrow. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jennifer below.

Hi Jennifer, thanks for joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Mad Chocolates: Well, that could mean a number of things, couldn’t it? And in fact, it does. I came up with the name about 14 plus years before I actually started my small business. At the time I was unhappy in my full time “career” job and mad that I couldn’t figure out how to start over, pursue what I loved, and still pay the bills. So, I set a glass jar on my desk at work with a label that said “Mad Chocolates Start Up Fund.” I think I received about $200 in donations. Fast forward to 2021, marriage, divorce, single mom, a big move to a new town and still working in the same field. Two things happened; I found I was home way more than ever, thanks to the Pandemic, and I turned 50. I came to a couple of realizations: One- I wasn’t getting any younger and Two- what was I teaching my daughter? As I encouraged her to pursue different interests, there I was finding excuses why I couldn’t follow my own dreams. Was I teaching her to settle, to never take risks? It was then I decided to revive Mad Chocolates, but this time the “Mad” behind my venture had a new origin, inspired by my daughter Madison.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

There are few things in life that bring me more joy than Chocolate. My interest in creating chocolate didn’t come from a background in culinary school, pastry, chemistry, or even working in a candy store. It came from the sheer love of chocolate itself. You can say my love affair with chocolate began at a very young age. I could turn down lollipops and taffy, gumballs and sour candy, but I could never resist a piece of chocolate. I love the smell, the color, the texture and the variety. I truly feel it’s my love for chocolate that has helped me create my collections, why I try so hard, why I worry so much about how they look and how they taste. I would never want to disrespect chocolate!

Through my course for Professional Chocolatiers, I first learned the history and the science of chocolate. Just like any artist, you have to understand your medium before you create with it. I continued my education with courses from chocolatiers from England and Sweden. One thing was clear- use the best ingredients you can find. And that is what I do, I source quality ingredients for my bonbons and other confections and I don’t add any unnecessary products just to prolong shelf life. I feel if you give your best, you get your best.

Although I am creating and selling my own creations, I still (and probably always will) very much consider myself a student. There is always something new to learn. I get excited to create new recipes and try new design techniques. Chocolate is truly a labor of love. It is a combination of steps, skill and accuracy combined with creativity and imagination!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

In person sales. I was relying on word of mouth from friends and family, but that only gets you so far. My biggest struggle is putting myself out there, to show the face behind the business. I recently did my first market and it was better than I could ever imagine. I got my product out to dozens of people who had never heard of Mad Chocolates. And, expanding on the market and strategies, I offered samples of almost everything I was selling. It is an additional expense, but I can say with certainty, that providing samples absolutely helped with sales. I had people take a sample, say thank you, walk away, and then come back to make a purchase. A great source is other established makers. They can help you understand which markets and events are worth attending. It can also be an opportunity to partner with another maker. That is what I am exploring now.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Being safe. I had to unlearn playing it safe. I have always chose the safest path, the least risk. Whether it be my job, my 401k slections, you name it, if it was the least risky, that’s what I picked. I had to find something that I was willing to fail at. And I was willing to fail at making chocolates that people would want to buy. It took me a long time to make the decision to start, but here I am, and I’m so glad I did!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.madchocolates.com
• Instagram: madchocolates_soco