Women in Chocolate Business: My First Experience as a Hostess on a Tour to Cocoa Farms in Ecuador with Friends

To make a long story short, the idea of taking a tour of some of the cacao farms in Ecuador arose from a simple invitation to visit my country. Those who know me know how much I love Ecuador and that I promote it at every opportunity I have. I really don't remember who I made the comment to or where; the only thing I can add is that word of mouth works better than a billboard hahaha

In mid-April, I was contacted by Lauren and Tamara (chocolate makers and creators of their own brands: WKND & BATCH) who were very curious about the tour I was offering. Obviously, I didn't have the structure ready because it wasn't something formal that I was going to do. However, I told them that we could plan the tour together based on what they wanted to know about cacao in Ecuador.

By the beginning of May, Lauren and Tamara arrived in Quito and our adventure began. Our first stop was the farm where Villakuyaya harvests its cacao—Esmeraldas. The experience they had both on the farms and in the collection center was enriching since it was the first time they had the cacao pods in their hands and not just the cacao beans. They learned about floral and fruit aromas, several varieties of cacao (forastero, criollo, trinitario), as well as tests and fermentation methods.

Our second stop was in Guayaquil where we had a kind welcome from Jorge Marun from Hacienda San Jose. The girls enjoyed the juice from the cocoa pulp that refreshed us from the humid climate of the coast, and we also learned many of the processes that Jorge was doing at that time to its CCN-51 cacao to get deeper flavor notes. We then toured the farm and ended with a tasting of all our chocolate bars.

The following day, we headed to Flavio Alfaro in Manabi, where the farms of our friend Santiado Arroyo de Kakawen are located. The farmers took us along all the paths where the fino aroma cacao was found. The girls were amazed at the colors and aromas of this cacao—fruity and citrus notes were the ones that prevailed here.

We also visited in Guayaquil the new facilities of the Vicente Norero Latiali factory, which has state-of-the-art technology for manufacturing chocolate. After days away from home, we returned to Quito and our last activity was with the chocolatier chef Idaly Farban who gave us a bonbonerie class. Indeed, Lauren and Tamara had a unique and fun experience on this trip.

You may wonder why I am writing this story after 6 years. There are many reasons for this, but one of the main ones is that Villakuyaya has allowed me to meet and exchange experiences with other people, especially with very valuable, very talented and very creative women who are fighters in their respective field.

I dedicate this blog to my two friends Tamara and Lauren. Thank you for crossing into my life and teaching me a lot. Sometimes distances separate us but memories unite us... hugs

MOM SUPER POWERS

Talking about mother's day has always been so easy for me. The admiration for my mom, my grandmothers, and all the moms in the family has made all the attributes flow, and I can write letters full of love.

However, today that I started this blog in honor of Mother's Day, I realized that talking about myself as a mother and as a businesswoman at the same time was not so easy. I was left in limbo with nothing to write.It's funny how this unconsciously took me to my cell phone to see memories captured in photos, and without realizing it, have become our footprints in the sand.

And guess what? I found my attributes as a mom—the same ones that I am sure are the attributes of all the moms who have their business, of the moms who get up to build their castles day by day, and of all the moms who put their heart and soul into what they do. Here I leave the attributes that memories brought me and that, of course, have two main actors... Samuel and Villakuyaya:

Tireless Mama

I see this attribute repeated from the first day that Samuel was in my womb. The mind did not stop creating, and this was essential for Villakuyaya to continue on. Today, four years old as my little one, I continue to create opportunities in my business. I continue to fight for it to grow every day, and I think that what makes me a tireless mother.

PROTECTIVE MOM

Watching Samuel sleep was always one of my hobbies when he was a baby. The peace that he had when he slept was vital for Villakuyaya because my mind opened easily to visualize ideas, flavors, and designs that I wanted to do in the business. That vigilance and protection were the guidelines for us to continue on the right path.

SOCIABLE MOM

The moments of joy and fun were repeated daily with Samuel. We were filled with individual and group activities. Along with my social life with my little one, Villakuyaya did not miss any networking event or shows. Everything was scheduled in such a way that to this day we can balance work and fun. Of course, now I take him everywhere.

RESEARCH MOM

OMG, I really made it my goal that my son should eat healthy and started this whole journey of research and education about what foods are the best for his development. It's funny that years later when I decided to learn how to make truffles and bonbons, I was putting this super power back to fill me with all the necessary information so that they come out perfect but above all delicious.

Mother's Day is just celebrated on a certain date; however, if we go to our memory trunk (photos on the cell phone for instance), we can see that the celebration of mothers is everyday. Happy mothers' day to all of the business mom out there!