This weekend, South ‘n France turns six years old!  In some ways, it seems like just yesterday that we debuted our company at the 2006 Carolina Chocolate Festival.  In other ways, it seems like we’ve been making and selling bon bons forever.  Steve Jobs said in reference to his tenure at Apple:  “Each year has been so robust with problems and successes and learning experiences and human experiences that a year is a lifetime at Apple. So this has been ten lifetimes. ” 

We hear you, Steve.  It’s only been six years, but we feel like we’ve lived (and aged) at least a few decades (if not lifetimes) since launching South ‘n France.  Thankfully, we’re not yet as world-weary as “Toddlers and Tiaras” beauty pageant veteran, Eden Wood, who at the age of six (with 300 pageant wins already under her glitzy rhinestone-studded belt) announced her retirement on national TV.

As for us, we have no plans of retiring anytime soon.  In fact, like most six year olds, we’re enthusiastic about, well, most everything we’re involved in these days.  We’re finally on the verge of launching the packaging we’ve been working on for years.  Our newly forged partnership with Port City Java is coming into its own, as we plan to bring our product into multiple locations in New Hanover and Brunswick counties over the next few months. (Look for us at the 17th Street Port City Java in just a few weeks!)  Our website is about to get a facelift.  And, we’re planning our first real vacation (with both of us on vacation at once!) this summer.  As any small business owner will tell you, the ability to take a vacation is a true sign of success.

As for lessons, we’ve learned more than our fair share.  There should be advanced degrees for people who run small businesses–at the very least, an honorary PhD from the school of hard knocks.  In many ways, launching a small business was especially difficult for us because unlike most new companies (think hair salons or  daycares or restaurants or repair companies), we had no role model.  Perhaps that should have been our first clue.  No one was already out there making and selling nothing but hand-dipped chocolate bon bons via the internet.  Now we know why!

One of my favorite proverbs is “necessity breeds ingenuity.”  It’s how many of the most successful elements of our business were inspired.  For example, singing telegrams, Bon Bon Parties, our Cafe au Lait bon bon flavor and our now legendary Dinner and a Movie Nights, were all born out of pressing needs.  In our innocence (or some would say ‘ignorance’), we created new products and new business ideas that fanned the flames of our deeply held conviction:  the world needs our brand of sweetness and delight.

Indeed, looking at the world through the eyes of a young child (or a young business), is really quite refreshing.  Here is my case in point:  A 1st grade school teacher presented each child in her classroom with the first half of a well-known proverb and asked them to finish the phrase.  Those six-year-olds responded with these incredible, instinctive gems:

Strike while the…bug is close. 
It’s always darkest before…Daylight Saving Time.
Never underestimate the… power of termites.
You can lead a horse to water… but how?
Don’t bite the hand that …looks dirty.
A miss is as good as a… Mr.
You can’t teach an old dog new… Math.
If you lie down with dogs, you’ll… stink in the morning.
The pen is mightier than the… pigs.
An idle mind is the… best way to relax.
Where there’s smoke there’s… pollution.
Happy the bride who… gets all the presents.
A penny saved is… not much.
Two’s company, three’s… the Musketeers.
Don’t put off till tomorrow what you… put on to go to bed.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and…you have to blow your nose.
There are none so blind as… Stevie Wonder.
Children should be seen and not…spanked or grounded.
If at first you don’t succeed… get new batteries.
A bird in the hand is going to… poop on you.
Better late than…pregnant!

For South ‘n France most things are happening later than we initially expected them to, but we still look forward to a future ‘pregnant’ with possibilities.  Thank you for your loyal support and encouragement over the past five years.  We look forward to growing up in the five that will follow….

Inside our South ‘n France 2012 Bon Bon Calendar, we made a pretty incredible offer:  send us a photo of our calendar hanging in your home or office and we’ll send you a $10 coupon toward any South ‘n France purchase!  Well, the photos have been pouring in, and we’re having a great time seeing how our little calendar looks on your refrigerators, in your your cubicles, and on your walls!   We know that images of our bon bons are already gracing the walls of an optometrist’s office, an architectural firm, a financial institution, and even a dentist’s office! 

But, you’ve made us hungry for more!  There is still time to email us your photo and take advantage of our special offer.  Want extra credit?  Send us a brief description of where the calendar hangs.  While we wait for more photos, we thought we’d share a collage that features a few of our January pin-ups.  Enjoy!

Our 2011-2012 Catalog and Calendar has been printed and posted and should be arriving in your mailbox any day now.  You may be seeing it for the first time, but I’ve been working on it for the past 11 months!  Of course, like any big project, I didn’t do it alone.  I had help from my family and friends.  It all started with the front cover:  I’m lucky to have a Mom who is a talented seamstress and knitter.  She’s quite accustomed to my crazy requests, so she didn’t bat an eye when I asked her to knit 7 miniature winter hats in colors that matched our bon bon foils.  Did you notice?  Each flavor and it’s signature color foil is represented.  From left to right they are:  Cafe au Lait, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cookies ‘n Creme, Coconut, Fudge Brownie, Peanut Buttah, and Pistachio.  Those little hats are so cute, don’t you think?  Mom did a fantastic job!

My dear friend, Millie Holloman, is the uber-talented photographer behind all of these gorgeous bon bon vignettes.  I arrived at her photography studio with boxes full of miniature props and materials that we would need during the shoot (an iron, tape, lots of bon bon “models”, knives, towels and more).   Millie spent most of the shoot lying on the floor in order to get the proper perspective on the world of bon bons, as I worked to prep each shot.

The final result may look effortless, but the process is anything but.  Our July centerfold, for example, is featured lying on a hammock.  The hammock sits on top of wheat grass (purchased by Pascal at Tidal Creek co-op).  It is supported by two bamboo chopsticks.  The problem?  Getting a rather plump bon bon to balance in the middle of the hammock without rolling off of the hammock and into the grass.  It took many failed attempts before we got the shot that finally ended up in our catalog.

Another challenging set-up proved to be our December shot of two bon bons sitting around a fireplace.  In this case, “the stockings were hung by the chimney with care” is a huge understatement!  The miniature garland for the fireplace coupled with the two custom-made stockings (did you notice Bon and Bon embroidered on each one?) proved too heavy to stick to the resin fireplace with any of the tapes we had in our supply kit.  I ended up chewing a piece of gum and sticking it into the back of the garland to get it to stay.  Even then, Millie had to work fast to catch a shot that didn’t include drooping garland!

Each month has its own story, its own unique details, and its own “inside messages”.  For example, take a close look at the December scene, and you’ll see a shopping bag from the famous Parisian department store, Galleries Lafayette.  In February, the books on the nightstand are Harlequin romances with actual miniscule text printed on each page!   March (an autobiographical month) features my favorite brand of bottled water, Volvic.  And,  April is a nod to two of my own nicknames–my girlfriends call me “Bon Bon”; my Mom has always called me “chick”.  The miniature vintage refrigerator for November and December 2012 was borrowed from my friend Matt. (It is a part of his extensive Hallmark ornament collection.)

As the year continues, I’ll share more behind the making of our calendar.  Meanwhile, we hope that you appreciate this gift from “our house to yours”.  Like our bon bons, it was a labor of love, made with plenty of thought, heart, humor, and personality. 

Thanks to you for being a part of the extended South ‘n France “family” and thanks to my immediate “family”– Pascal, Mom, Millie, Matt, my brother Chad, and the others–who played a role in making our calendar come to life! 

Coffee and chocolate are a classic flavor combination, so it’s only fitting that we have joined forces with Port City Java! Starting today, Monday August 1st, South ‘n France Bon Bons will be sold at the Barclay Commons Port City Java (2512 Independence Boulevard near Henry’s and Perry’s Emporium).

As if debuting our bon bons in the Barclay Commons Port City Java wasn’t reason enough to celebrate, we’ve got another special occasion coming up this week—Thursday, August 4th is National Chocolate Chip Day. To celebrate, Pascal and I will be onsite on Thursday morning (8/4) from 8 am-12 pm, giving away free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bon bons (1 per person) to the first 400 customers at the Barclay Commons Port City Java!

We love that Port City Java is committed to featuring locally made products in its stores, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to be one of their local vendors. For years, our customers in Wilmington have been asking for a venue where they can buy a quick taste of our product. The 2-piece packages we will offer at Port City Java are a great snack and a perfect complement to coffee for one or two people.

You can choose 4 different Doubly Good! chocolate bon bon pairings: nutty (Peanut Buttah and Pistachio); chocolate-y (Fudge Brownie and Cookies ‘n Crème); cookie-based (Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Cookies ‘n Crème) and a signature pairing that reflects our personal favorites (Coconut and Café au Lait). Each 2-piece package of bon bons will retail for $3.75.

Yes, I hear what some of you are thinking:  “But my favorite location is the Market Street/Porter’s Neck/17th Street/etc. Port City Java!  Why aren’t you selling bon bons there?” 

If you want to see bon bons in your neighborhood PCJ, be extra sure to go just a little bit out of your way and make a trip to Barclay Commons in August or September!  If our bon bons prove to be a successful seller in the Barclay Commons store, hopefully you’ll be able to find bon bons soon at all PCJ locations!

So what you waiting for?  Whether you’re addicted to java, bon bons, or both, Barclay Commons Port City Java is the place to get your fix!  As always, we are grateful to you for loving our product and supporting us–merci!

If bon bons had resumes, our product would have a diverse job history.  They’ve taken on jobs as get well gifts, forgive me gifts, birthday gifts and more.  But perhaps one of their greatest job titles is that of “The Closer”.

You see, many of our customers use bon bons to win over new clients for their businesses.  For example,  a medical billing specialist often sends bon bons as an extra touch before landing a new account.  A lawn maintenance and landscaping company uses bon bons to ’sweeten the deal’ with prospective clients.  And another talented salesperson will often put our bon bons as a way to showcase her creativity and personality, putting her in a completely different league from her competition. 

We’re proud to say that we our bon bons have successfully landed new business, big accounts, and many dollars in profit our loyal customers.  In fact, it seems that are bon bons are fast becoming synonymous with ’sealing the deal’, ‘closing the case’ and ‘clinching the sale’. 

As evidence, take this recent Facebook conversation between a stellar sales professional and her support system.  She starts the thread by writing: Please send good vibes my way…HUGE meeting this morning with a prospect…praying we can pull this off!!!!

Friends send their support by ‘liking’ her post and sending comments such as:

Good Luck- I know you will do well!!

Once they encounter your charm, it’s all over!

You GO, girl!!!

Praying for you – wish I was there!

Here’s what happens after the meeting:

Although our bon bons didn’t get to play The Closer this time, they’ll be ready and waiting for the next opportunity.  Meanwhile, enjoy this testimonial from another business owner who swears by bon bons as a way to boost his bottom line:

“South ‘n France sent out bon bons to some of my best customers on Monday. One of them got their bon bons today, picked up the phone with their mouth full of chocolate, called me, thanked me for the incredible bon bons, and placed a $1000 order. I haven’t even paid South ‘n France yet, and my ROI is 5 times my investment.

If you aren’t using South ‘n France to send thank you or holiday gifts to your customers, you are CRAZY! Call her today!”  –Kent Milholland, Neonexus Corporation

On Thursday, December 9th, South ‘n France Bon Bons, Wilmington’s premiere chocolate company, opens their doors to you from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for its annual holiday Open House. 

 Great discounts and door prizes will be offered as a way to say thank you to our local supporters. Forget those crowded shopping centers….check off your list by purchasing delectable bon bons in festive holiday boxes, mugs and tins. Enjoy great music and refreshments while the staff take orders and prepare gift packages to take home (or ship) just in time for Santa’s arrival! For directions refer to our calendar.

This month, Pascal and I became movie stars.  We were actually supporting actors; the real stars were the chocolate dipping pot and the bon bons.  Chris Davis of Chris Davis Productions and his talented crew descended on the bon bon factory to film a 2-minute promotional video about South ‘n France.  I hesitate to use the term ‘video’ because the quality and the production value of this promotional piece reads more like a mini film than like the unsteady, poorly lit, amateur YouTube spots the word ‘video’ brings to mind.

There is a lot that goes into making a 2-minute movie of this caliber!  I couldn’t help but think of a variation on that old joke, “How many people does it take to screw in a lightbulb?”  In our case, it was “How many people does it take to stir a pot of chocolate?”  The answer, if you’re filming, is five.  One to direct, one to assist, one to light, one to film, and one to actually stir!  I snapped a few photos while Chris and his team adjusted lighting and directed Pascal to get a perfect shot of stirred chocolate complete with visible steam escaping in curvaceous, sexy vapor waves from the pot!

The Chris Davis Productions team really knows its stuff.  They think of every single detail (like the steam) and they make it fun and interesting for us amateurs.  I learned a lot!  For example, it is very uncool to call things by their real names.  Camera men (there were no women in this case) call clothespins “C-47s”.  And if you want to plug something in, you ask for a “stinger” (never an extension cord!)

There are all sorts of neat lighting tricks to achieve desired effects; sadly, they have yet to devise tricks to make me look 50 pounds thinner on camera!  But, they did use filters, water glasses, hand shadows, cardboard, and all sorts of other creative tools to cast light and shadows that give the video its warm, inviting feel.

As for the casting, that’s where I came in.  I didn’t want to disappoint Chris, who works on amazing shorts with perfectly selected character actors (just watch his reel, or what I call a portfolio, to see what I mean).  So, I did what I always do when I’m out of my league.  I turned to the professionals.  I called my friends Rob Powers and Sydney Pennyand asked them to do me a big favor.  Lucky for me, they were willing to accept an evening of bon bon tasting in exchange for their industry knowledge.  You might recognize Syndey, who is a Daytime Emmy-nominated actor, from her roles as Julia Santos Keefer on the soap opera All My Children and Samantha “Sam” Kelly on The Bold and the Beautiful.

I filled in the cast with a couple more friends (including Heather Tompkins, our company’s top ”model” and Bon Bon Princess) as well as a few people I had never even met!  I actually found one of our actors via Twitter when the film studio retweeted my announcement that I was ‘casting’ for our video.  Talk about the power of social media!  I was happy to have “new customers” in our video so that my subsequent voice over was truthful.  The “trying flavors for the very first time” was also true–our actors all got to try our seasonal Pumpkin Bon Bon for the very first time, even if some of them were already loyal fans of other bon bon flavors.

We tried to serve some wine to our volunteer acting crew as a supplement to payment in bon bons, but the bright lights and an open door (for a shot that didn’t make it into the video) were a powerful magnet for an entire family of gnats who loved our wine so much they decided to skinny dip in our decanter!  Our next two bottles were corked, but we finally managed to get something that didn’t taste like rotgut in their glasses….

When the filming was complete (enough footage to create a few minutes of film takes dog years–or at least multiple visits!), the editing process began.  Multiple visits created a new challenge:  continuity.  Like any movie, watch very closely and you’ll spot a tiny inconsistency or two.  In our case, it was Pascal’s hands.  Can you see the difference? 

Chris and his team worked wonders in the editing room!  For example, although Pascal and I felt a bit silly when they asked us to dance for the camera, that little snippet of the two of us is one of our favorite clips!  I’m also impressed that they actually got Pascal to smile.  I don’t know how they did it, but I’m grateful.  When I came in during the final stage of editing to record the voice-overs, I got to see how they control sound volumes versus background music to create a seamless product.

There is so much more I could tell you, but why don’t you just watch it? Meanwhile, know that I highly recommend Chris Davis Productions.  While we were filming, I joked about having two huge cameras trained on me, while  I stood on my marker and took breaks to powder my nose.  “This is as close as I’ll ever get to knowing what it is to be a darling of the paparazzi!”, I said. 

Truth is, Chris makes his clients feel like stars and he delivers a product that is worthy of being nominated for industry awards (in fact he’s won quite a few in his day!)  Chris is at once an artist and a consummate professional, not to mention a super nice guy.  We were lucky to work with him and his team of talented young men and we’re happy to have a video that shows everyone who visits us online a little bit more of what we’re all about.

We hope you enjoy watching our promotional video as much as we enjoyed filming it.  And, “y’all leave feedback in the comments now, ya hear?”

Recently, we had an opportunity to participate in the Cameron School of Business (UNCW) internship program.  We advertised for an intern position with a heavy focus on marketing.  The candidates who applied were all great; I wish we could have taken them all!  We offered our first internship spot to Lorraine, who is already proving to be an invaluable addition to our team.  Together, we’re accomplishing a lot of fun, new projects for the bon bon business, just in time for the holidays!

Lorraine’s favorite bon bon flavor is the Café au Lait.  In fact, she loves coffee so much, every day she and Pascal share a pot made in his French press.  This Thanksgiving, I have a lot to be grateful for, and Lorraine will be at the top of the list.  Here are her first impressions of life as an intern at South ‘n France:

As the newest member to the South ‘n France team, I would like to take a second to formally introduce myself. My name is Lorraine Schwartz and I am a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington working on completing my Marketing degree. Only one semester left!

Born in Dallas, TX and raised in Raleigh, NC I grew up heavily involved in cheerleading and student organizations. When it was time to leave the nest, moving to the beach was an easy decision. After four years here I am still falling deeper in love with the city and the people every day.

A couple of weeks ago I received an email informing me about a great
opportunity to intern with South ‘n France. I was first intrigued by the nature of the business (since I love to cook) but also thought I could learn a lot from working with Charlene.  With her extensive background in marketing and recruiting I knew she would have plenty to teach me.

After interning here for only a few weeks, I can already say that I love it. Charlene is great to work with and I get to use my creativity on fun and interesting projects. For example, we just completed the 2010 holiday catalogue to be sent out in the next couple of weeks, as well as launching South ‘n France products on Chocolate.com. I can honestly say that I am learning a lot. Pascal’s not so bad either (don’t let him fool you; he is a gentleman at heart

With plenty more to be done for the holiday season I look forward to continuing to work with Charlene and this great company.

I did my undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago.  For those of you unfamiliar with my alma mater, it is an elite, private college of about 5,000 undergraduates that has a reputation of devotion to academic scholarship and intellectualism.  If you know me and you’re wondering how on earth I ever fit in at such a high brow institution, the simple answer is “I didn’t”.

 I once took a class in the symbolism of gestures and non-verbal communication.  While others focused on serious subjects like children with autism and adults with multiple personality disorder, I based my research on different types of beauty queen waves.

The University of Chicago claims the most Nobel Prizes awarded to faculty, former faculty, and alumni of any university. Affiliates of the University of Chicago have won Nobel Prizes in every field except Peace, with the highest number of laureates in physics (one of my worst subjects). Last I heard, there were seventy-nine Nobel Prize laureates (Saul Bellow and Milton Friedman to name a couple) with ties to the University of Chicago, thus its nickname: “Nobel Alley.”  Bon bons could do a lot for world peace—maybe I could help round out that record! 

All kidding aside, you can’t spend four years at the University of Chicago and not have a little bit of “geek” rub off on you.  I’m still a “student of life” and most people would say that I exhibit more than my fair share of nerdy tendencies.  For one, I like to read the New Yorker.  I think their cartoons are funny and I think being the subject of a New Yorker cartoon would be the ultimate compliment.  (It’s always been a secret desire of mine….)

Richard Adams of the United Kingdom Guardian said of their high brow cartoons: The New Yorker is famous for its cryptic cartoons, which seem to require at least two decades of residence in New York City plus a diploma in Woody Allen Studies before a reader can stroke his or her chin and think “Ah, I see why that’s funny.”

That’s exactly what makes them so appealing.  It’s like sporting a Hermes Birkin or Kelly bag–only a select percentage of the population would even recognize one and even fewer get the privilege of owning one.

Well, folks, it ain’t New York, but The University Chicago Press is close enough.  In fact, the university is home to the largest university press in the United States, with more than 130,000 alumni receiving its monthly magazine. 

I was nearly speechless (which is so unlike me!) when a representative of the magazine contacted me with an incredible opportunity.  The Balvenie, a single malt scotch whisky distillery, wanted to honor craftsmen who handcraft products just as they do.  South ‘n France had been identified as a great match….

I’m delighted to announce that in the current issue of the University of Chicago magazine, you will find a profile of our company, along with the most intellectual quote I’ve ever given about bon bons:

“We believe people can taste the difference between machine-made and handmade:  the palette can recognize real ingredients; the mouth can feel subtle variations in texture that come from chopping and mixing by hand; the spirit can sense the energy, passion and patience that we infuse into the process.”  To see the full profile, visit our press page.

But the best part of being singled out by The Balvenie?  Our product (and my name!) actually made it into their high brow New Yorker-esque cartoon.  I couldn’t be more flattered (or proud).  Even Nobel Peace Prize winners don’t get an honor like this:

Keep Calm and Carry On was a poster produced by the British government in 1939 during the beginning of World War II, to raise the morale of the British public in the case of invasion. It was little known and never used.

 But, in 2000, the poster was rediscovered in a second-hand bookshop in Alnwick, Northumberland. Since Crown Copyright expires on artistic works created by the UK government after 50 years, the image was in the public domain.

In recent years it has become an iconic image, adopted by graphic designers and used as the decorative theme by numerous private companies for products ranging from posters to clothing, to mugs, to stationery to doormats.

Flickr has a pool of amusing design variations and parodies of the vintage poster, including: Keep Calm and Carry Om (for yoga enthusiasts), Keep Calm and Avoid Comic Sans (the typeface most hated by graphic designers), Keep Calm and Eat a Burrito (go figure!) and Keep Khan and Curry On (which I think should be at the entrance of every Indian restaurant).

Of course, my favorite:  Keep Calm and Eat Bon Bons!  That sentiment could not be more a propos for me than at this time of year, when I’m pre-buying for our Christmas season.  As we lay out thousands of dollars for ingredients, tins, gel paks, cartons, catalogs, postage and more, I can tend to get a bit panicky!  Will everyone remember to buy bon bons for friends, family, co-workers and clients this holiday season?  Will we sell out of bon bons or have leftover inventory?  Will all of those catalogs actually generate the sales we need to break even?

The poster seems to work.  Keep calm.  Carry on.  Eat bon bons.  That’s all anyone really needs to do.  I feel better already.