In Full Bloom: Martha Ware
I am a Brazilian-American who loves life and is fueled by challenges. Married to the love of my life and very proud mother of Camilla. I am a dog lover and have two (rescue) furry babies, Gibbs, a lab/pit mix and Solo, a German Shepherd.
Describe a difficult situation that impacted your business…
My business, Mallow Box is pretty new. We opened our first store last November and have been strongly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. I started making gourmet marshmallows from home a couple of years ago but last November, took a leap of faith and left my job to open our first s'mores bar at Willow Bend Mall. The mall is currently closed so we are just filling the online orders. We offer a great variety of drinks and desserts besides our "build-your-own" s'mores but unfortunately, when people think about coffee, they think Starbucks (for example,) and even though we offer coffee drinks that are unique, scrumptious and delicious, people don't necessarily think of us. So, the small businesses got hit pretty hard.
How are you overcoming this adversity..?
We are trying to grow our online presence so people can buy from our website and we ship. We started to offer curbside pickup (and we will resume it once the mall reopens,) and are negotiating some delivery services. I am also delivering in person to Frisco and some surrounding areas. We are also adapting our products, packaging them more conveniently to be shipped, making marshmallow decorating kits and more.
What is your advice to other women experiencing similar adversity?
“Don’t panic. Use your time to plan for the near future. Be flexible and adapt your products or services to the new reality.”
How has adversity changed how you see yourself, your clients, and the way you do business?
Everything that is happening now seems surreal. I love personal contact, I am a big time hugger, so, social distancing has been so very hard on me. We all had to adapt to this new situation and it has been taking a toll on many of us. But it also showed me how we, as human beings, don't have control over everything. So, we have to practice our spirituality; to rely on God. That's why I am preparing for when this is all over, I am making plans, I am working on my plans. We are having to do business differently. You have to communicate differently, to adapt. Everyone is having to exercise patience, persistency and compassion. Everyone is having to exercise faith, so we don't lose our hope. Businesses are doing all they can to survive, and we should keep this in mind.
What is your quote to live by?
I don't really have a quote that I live by. Situations like this make us understand how vulnerable all of us are. One day you are here, the next you may not. So, be happy now. Do not dwell on bad experiences, they will all pass. My dad used to say that 'If you are not going to remember it in one, five or ten years, just let it go.' Enjoy your loved ones TODAY, laugh TODAY, live TODAY.
On a second note, I try to encourage everyone to NEVER GIVE UP!
“We might stumble here and there, face adversities we don’t think we can overcome and don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s there. This all shall pass and we should be ready for what comes next.”