Soupreme - Soups with Imagination

There have been many times in my life when I've started anew...change is always good, right?  For example, when my high school buddies were all heading to a particular Florida university, I chose the one (GO NOLES) that was less attended by south Floridans.  Graduate school in a new city was also a very conscious decision - one of the best I ever made because I met my amazing husband of nearly 30 years there.  It was love at first sight - we were married within a year.  Children followed - we have five!  Another fresh start was going back to school in my mid forties for a Ph.D. sociology. Teaching at the college level, as new career, teaches me so much. As a gift to myself, I trained for and ran a marathon to celebrate turning 50.  Yikes, did I say 50?   OK, so you catch my drift.  I like to do new things to keep me fresh and on my toes.

So, when I got the idea to start a food-based business last summer, I viewed it as another challenge... an opportunity for fresh start at a time in my life that was getting too comfortable. Many of my friends, after long careers and raising families, were starting to cut back on family and work comittments in favor of more lesurely pursuits.  My business idea  was the opposite of that.  As a woman of, ahem, a certain age, parts of my brain kept telling me that I didn't need the crazy hours, or the mental and physical physical stress that comes with a startup business, especially one that involves food preparation.  Other parts of my brain told me that I couldn't NOT pursue a dream. Life is all about dreams.  Mine would not be silenced.

I approached my idea with a healthy dose of realism.  I had never worked for myself before. There was a lot to learn before deciding to jump in.  I went to SCORE meetings, got counseled at the Florida Women's Business Center, bored friends and family to death with my ideas, wrote a business plan (and researched all that went into that masterpiece), got certified in Food Safety all before finally deciding to jump in.  Even though I thought I knew what I was getting into, there was more complexity to my business than I ever imagined.  Bank accounts, incorporation, licensing, equipment, space rental, marketing, accounting, websites (and now blogs) and practical recipes were but a few of the core concerns. Each had their own mini-drama(s). But, with each day that passed, I felt more and more electrified.  

On December 6th, Soupreme: Soups with Imagination launched!  I created eight soups to sell at my very own booth (#66) at the Yellow Green Farmers Market in Hollywood, FL.  I made my first sale at 8:30 am (a quart of Cowboy Chili Soup).  The next day and the next weekend, I created eight new soups.  I call out to market strollers "try our hot soups!"  Sometimes they come over for samples...some buy, some walk away, some say they'll be back.  Some actually come back.  I think I've alreaday got a few regulars.

I wake up at 5 am to be at the market for 6am to be ready for opening at 8am.  I get to create new soups and nurture others with my products.  I'm always on the prowl for new tastes and figuring out how to punch up the classics. My friends forward me recipices and food websites that feature soups. I get to chat with people at the market - tell them about my food passion. The farmers market patrons I've spoken with also seem interested in what I'm selling and what I've got to say through soup.

My co-vendors seem incredibly supportive.  They've been where I'm headed.  We all stand on the shoulders of those who've come before.

My imagination is soaring with ideas for soups and with ideas for the future of my business.  This challenge will take me in new directions. Wow, I'm so looking forward to the journey!

Check out my website:  soupremesoups.com


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