\"So you wanna be a chocolatier?\"

Hi there. Welcome to the first official blog post of Codinha Chocolate. Where to begin?

Chocolate has literally changed my entire world since I fell upon it. Interestingly enough, that all sort of happened when I asked myself one simple question: What makes me happy?

I asked myself this because I was very much having an early-twenties crisis. The FUTURE was looming and I couldn't see myself in it. Not in the route that seemed predestined for me anyways. Oh yeah, that route was to be a doctor.

So I did some serious soul-searching and I asked myself that question. My answer: shoes and chocolate.

Shoes...well, I don't know how I would have gone about anything with shoes, but chocolate...chocolate was a world unknown. The only experience I had with it was consumption. Massive, massive consumption and knowing that it always brought me joy. Which if you think about it, we spend the majority of our lives working. Shouldn't one of the main criteria be that it brings us some happiness?

My answer was so pure and I didn't really see many other options before me, so I went with it. I didn't know it then, but by shutting everything else out and really tuning into myself, I started the beginning of what has been an incredibly fulfilling, rich, exciting, heart-wrenching at times, but altogether mind-blowing journey.

If you want the more lively version of this, definitely listen to the first "I Heart Chocolate Podcast" episode. It's a story I really hold with a lot of pride because it was the beginning of taking control of my narrative. Of finding out more about myself. Of learning this incredible art and getting to create these little bites of happiness that have gone on to make others happy too.

But I digress. If you want to be a chocolatier, I want you to know that your dreams are not silly or invalid. That it is possible to make that career a reality. And that more importantly, the only person stopping you is YOU.

Chasing chocolate has brought me to meet some very special people and work under some of the most talented chefs out there. I started from nothing. And I mean, NOTHING. Yet over the course of my chocolate career, I have been able to learn from Jacques Torres, Hasty Torres, Melissa Coppel, MOF finalists, MOF chefs, American Chocolate Masters, and so on. Literally some of the best in this industry.

This didn't come out of the blue. This came from putting all fear aside and deciding to jump. To take a chance on myself and see what could happen from pursuing something simply because it made me smile just to think about it. And understanding that whatever may come, has its reasons and that no matter what, this is what I'm meant to be doing.

That connection became very clear to me the moment I said "YES". Yes to new opportunities. Yes to the unknown. Yes to putting myself out there. Yes to heartache. Yes to disappointment. Yes to grueling hours. Yes to learning a shit ton of information. Yes to meeting my husband through this industry. Yes to building our own business. Yes to expanding that business and impacting others. Yes to it all.

So you wanna be a chocolatier?

Look within yourself. You just have to say YES.