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Meet Marisa Baxter of Truffles in Paradise in Longmont

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Marisa Baxter.

Marisa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My journey to this amazing world of chocolate has been full of many twists and turns. But every twist and turn has brought me to be exactly where I am today. The journey began with the studies of marine biology in undergrad, then on to graduate from Santa Clara School of Law, with a specialization in International Human Rights. I had planned on becoming a big-time attorney in Washington, DC shaking things up, but a month before leaving, I met my husband and my life did yet another about turn. Fast forward a few years. I had been a stay at home mom for two years, enjoying raising my son, but I was itching to get back to work. I wanted to control my hours, so I would never miss anything important in my son’s life. I have and always will be, mom first.

I have always loved to cook and bake, so at Christmas, I would make candies and basic hand-rolled and dipped truffles. I started to get more requests from friends to create chocolates for them, and the wheels started turning. I did a test run over Valentine’s Day and sold out 50 boxes of chocolates in 3 days. After much thought, I decided that a chocolate business was viable, even in a recession, and Truffles in Paradise was born.

The next step was to learn how to convert making truffles at home from friends, to creating truffles to sell as a business. I got every book I could on chocolate making and studied endlessly. I still do! I am completely self-taught, which, in my mind is an advantage. I am not limited by what I am taught in school. I am only limited by what my imagination comes up with.

I started with very basic hand-rolled and dipped truffles, but I felt they were limiting for things I wanted to do. My dad is an opal miner in Australia and Brazil, so I have always loved shiny and colorful things. I discovered colored cocoa butter and began studying different techniques. I bought myself an airbrush and spent months working on technique. It adds a whole other element to the process of crafting a beautiful art piece. The cocoa butter must be tempered perfectly. The molds must be polished to perfection. The chocolate must be tempered exactly. Unlike traditional truffles, there is no wiggle room for hiding mistakes.

We are very much a word of mouth company. I allow my creations to speak for themselves. Have we grown as fast as many businesses? No, and that is the way I like it for now. As my son grows, I can expand. I continue to learn every time I am in the kitchen. I continue to be inspired to create new pieces. I truly love what I do.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As with any business, the road is rarely a smooth one. I have learned that the second things are going smoothly; the chocolate gods will throw you another curveball. But I’m okay with that – I love a good challenge. I have learned to stand my ground and to fight for my integrity. Every piece that I create has a story behind it or a reason for creating it. I have a piece called “Bubbly” that uses J Cuvée Sparkling wine from Sonoma. It is the first bottle my parents bought me when I turned 21. It is also what I had at my wedding. But it is not inexpensive. I was told by a chocolate shop that my ingredients were too pricey and that I needed to use cheaper ones so that they didn’t have to pay as much. I do not sell my product at that shop. I am not willing to cheapen my product to meet their low standards. This is a labor of love for me. It is my passion. There is no compromise. I use only the freshest of ingredients and pride myself in creating local partnerships. I also like to know where my parts come from. I have visited the cacao plantations were some of my single origin chocolate comes from. I met the vanilla farmers while on my honeymoon in Tahiti, which is why I have a piece called “Tahitian Night.” My chocolate is not just something that I sell. It is my story.

Please tell us about your business.
One comment I frequently hear about my confections is, “they are too pretty to eat.” But then, they try them and the look of joy is like nothing else. It makes me so happy. I believe that we eat with our eyes first. However, it can’t just look good. The taste has to live up to the visual aesthetic. That starts with the best ingredients. Local cream, European butter that is rich and dreamy, real fruit that is cooked down, high quality chocolate. There are no artificial ingredients in my confections. If they were only pretty, we would not have been able to stay in business.

Truffles in Paradise is known for not only our artistry but for our unique flavors. Inspiration can strike at any time; I just have to be listening and open to it. My favorite mojito is a mango mojito with vanilla rum, so I made that into Vanilla Mango Paradise. My father is from Norway, so I created a piece for him called Aurora Borealis, combining the unique flavors of lingonberry and Linie Aquavit. This liquor took me to 30 different liquor stores to find the right kind. Or Italian Balsamic Fig, which came from gifts brought back by my husband from a business trip to Italy. I am constantly creating new flavors, some of which are successful, others are not. I like to play with flavors, mix up textures, try out new techniques. I sometimes feel like a cross between Willy Wonka and a mad-scientist.

I am very proud that as Truffles in Paradise has grown, it has allowed me to give back a lot more, although not nearly as much as I would like. We will get there. I have had the honor of working with such great organizations such as the Shining Stars Foundation, Mountain States Children’s Home, and Safehouse Alliance – all very close to my heart. It makes me proud that we can help where we can. I particularly like to help other women start their owns the business, whether it be in chocolate or another field. We have to help each other out and if I can give a little guidance or encouragement, then I am happy.

Who else deserves credit – have you had mentors, supporters, cheerleaders, advocates, clients or teammates that have played a big role in your success or the success of the business? If so – who are they and what role did they plan / how did they help.
Running a business, especially while being full-time hockey mom, is no joke. Even the most accomplished business owners have needed help and I like to acknowledge those who have helped me along the way, as I respect them and appreciate all they have done for me. Nobody does this alone. First and foremost, and I know this is such a cliché. Still, it’s so true. My husband is my biggest supporter, my PR manager, my box designer (for which he won a National Design Award), and my business developer. It is very comforting to know that I can take risks, I can fail, and he is there to catch me. But he is also there to celebrate my successes, and to make sure I acknowledge them. And of course, my 12-yr old son, who is the “Official Taste Tester.” He is always there to cheer me on.

My story is a little unique in that I didn’t have any training. I didn’t go to culinary school or study pastry arts. As a result, I often second-guess myself. I always wondered if I was on the right track.

When I was first starting, I was at a show in San Francisco. I remember seeing this elderly man being ignored by so many other vendors. When he came to my booth, we began talking and he asked so many questions, grilling me about my flavor profiles, asking how I airbrush, inquiring about my start. After some time, he asked me if I knew who Joseph Schmidt was, and I answered, “Of course! His domed chocolates are gorgeous!!” He said, “Well, I am Joseph.” My husband said my mouth about hit the ground. Joseph encouraged me, told me my flavor profiles were on point, my designs were beautiful, and that I would go far. He took me under his wings and gave me confidence. He had just bought back most of his chocolates from Hershey’s, who had destroyed his business after purchasing it. He took me to his storage room, where there were hundreds of boxes of his chocolates, as well as all of the molds and supplies from his shops. Joseph trusted me with many of his industry secrets. My butterfly molds, which were used in his stores, were a gift from Joseph. I continue to use them to this day. I treasure them, especially knowing what history they have.

Then there are those people who offer support without ever knowing it. José Andrés is one of those people for me. I met him years ago while I was an exhibitor at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. He came to my booth and tried my confections. In his bellowing Spanish voice, he said, “You! You are going to be HUGE one day!!” That simple statement has gotten me through some tough times when I have doubted myself. In the next few years, he would always stop by and I always had a special box set aside for his young daughter. I am not surprised that he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

I am very grateful for the support that I have received along the way. It is never just a one-person show. I look back on my journey and am thankful for all of those that have affected my business in varying ways. Even those who were negative, telling me I was doing something that couldn’t be done, or that it was too complicated or hard. I appreciate those people because they pushed me to prove them otherwise. I am proud that I run an ethical business that gives back when it can. That uses ethically sourced ingredients. That is built on a passion and a drive to create beautiful and delicious creations for people to enjoy. Especially in today’s world, smiles are worth everything.

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