Serendipity or Passion?: Building a Successful Business One Lesson at a Time [Paperback]

When Passion Meets Opportunity, Success Is a Natural ...Eventually

A philosopher once said, Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Stephanie Blackwell puts it a little differently: Success is what happens when passion meets serendipity. You need passion and you also need the right opportunity. That's the magic formula.

Still, success doesn't happen overnight. Serendipity or Passion? tells the tale of the growth of Aurora Products from a tiny backroom operation with four employees to a thriving, nationally known packager of all-natural foods with over 200 employees. It's not a book of business lessons; rather, it's a collection of stories with business lessons embedded in them. She hopes fellow entrepreneurs will gain value from her experiences, but most of all, she hopes everyone enjoys the ride—as she has!STEPHANIE BLACKWELL earned her master's degree from UAlbany in the '70s and tried her hand as a polymer chemist, real-estate developer, stay-at-home mom, teacher, glass-etcher, hydroponic farmer, distributor to supermarkets, and newspaper operator before landing her calling as the founder and owner of Aurora Products. Today she lives in Fairfield, Connecticut, with her husband, two shelties, and the abundant wildlife in her backyard. Her passions lie in her family and her business, where she revels in the laughter and camaraderie of those sharing this amazing journey with her.PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS GROWTH OF AN ENTREPRENEUR ALL GROWN UP INTRODUCTION TO THE BUSINESS WORLD DETERMINATION AND HARD WORK AMALGAMATED PRODUCE INC. TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS TRANSITIONING AWAY AURORA PRODUCTS INC. SORTING OUT INSURANCE NEEDS EXPANSION INTO NEW LOCATIONS FINDING YOUR TEAM MAINTAINING HIGH-QUALITY FOODS FINDING A NEW SALES TEAM GROWING CURVE TRADE SHOWS SOCIAL AND NETWORKING EVENTS MY ENCOUNTER WITH IMUS FAMILY MEMBERS AT AURORA THEFT PEOPLE DYNAMICS NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT THE UNION COMES A-KNOCKIN’ A BIG STEP FORWARD Gl£#