Cash on your emotional agility. It is really never too late!
Every single day, depending on the way I wake up, my life seems either worth an OBE or just the rubbish bin. I guess this is the sweet torment of any entrepreneur, even more, if one does not fit the imaginary profile of a young ’30s. ( I am 48)
I made the big jump some years ago, abandoning the green pastures of a financially rewarding job in the City. Yes, I had been following ” the right path” until then: I was a good daughter, had good uni grades, fulfilling work at JPMorgan, married, and with four beautiful kids. Let me clarify one thing: The big jump was rather a big push. My body and mind forced me to stop everything and deal with a severe depression that I had really not seen coming. Life constrained me to change my choices and thanks for that!
So here I am, same me but with new and fully customised wiring. It has been a bumpy ride impossible to have taken without the help of specialists and loved ones. With time I have learned how to carve my own work purpose: one that involves the fight against overconsumption, strengthening the woman empowerment movement, whilst involving my kids in the project. Those are the seeds of Mediterranean Bio, a sustainable food start-up offering disruptive solutions to global problems. Inspired by the concept of Mindful consumerism, I am betting on people’s eagerness to vote with their wallets and positively change their food habits. But no sacrifices needed here. I want to play as if we had a magic wand, wouldn’t we want food that brings total joy and a feeling of community? buying products that feed both your body and soul?
Nutrition is a major instrument for change and I want to be part of it. My first product tackles a daily food with a major overall negative impact: Sugar.
Yes, a big challenge but also a huge purpose and motivation! I have made good use of my hard-earned emotional agility and just launched SWICILY. Organic grape sugar from Sicily: the most sustainable, trustworthy, and natural of sugar choices exclusively made with heritage organic Sicilian grapes. The sweetest invitation to change habits: quality food with nutrients brought back from Ancient History and reinvented in a version in line with our current aspirations. A natural sugar Ethically made presented as a multi-purpose product appealing to a vast array of consumers, from family, the chef to the sportsman.
All the branding, design, and social media is done in-house, with my kids. That definitely gives us something to talk about around dinner time!
As I am starting to contact buyers and the pressures of any self-funded venture build-up, I still cannot believe that this is a reality. The entrepreneur torment I mentioned earlier is also a renewable energy source that feeds by batteries: a more sustainable way to manage my work-emotional needs balance. It’s just a pity I had to wait so long to be pushed into finding my real purpose and enjoy taking calculated risks.
Love and courage,
Patricia
About the author
Patricia de Middel Puch is a business woman, Art patron, disruptive talents coach and mother of four. Her positive curiosity and social engagement has led to a breadth of challenging life projects – from setting-up the first international social media in West Africa, totally managed by local talents, to heading client relations at JPMorgans or coaching start-ups at the most renowned universities. Patricia founded Mediterranean Bio in her quest for disruptive solutions to global problems.
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