Life & Work with Lindsey Paige of Raleigh

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Paige.

Hi Lindsey, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Paige Patisserie began as a happy accident. When I was in high school, I made the ganache center for the truffles while trying to make something else (cheesecake, I think). I made the chocolates a few times (mind you, they didn’t look as pretty back then) for bake sales, school events, and such, even though I completely forgot about the recipe.

When I graduated from college, my boyfriend at the time and I were attending a lot of events, friends’ parties, and family functions. I wanted to bring a gift that was more than something I bought at the store, a memorable kind of dessert. I remembered the recipe I had made long ago and started bringing the chocolates as gifts. The response was positive, so I continued until I had people asking if they could buy them. At that point, I figured, why not see if we can make something out of this? I knew I always wanted to start a business and had a background in visual design, but I also knew that a service-based company was not for me. So instead of opening a marketing agency, I designed and created a brand around these chocolate truffles, wanting a premium look and feel to match the premium dessert. I spent approximately a year perfecting and adding to the recipe, learned how to temper chocolate, use polycarbonate molds, and sampled chocolate from around the world to decide which would be best fit my vision for my dessert.

Ultimately, I settled on organic chocolate from Taza Chocolate, which directly trades cocoa with small farms in Ghana, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.

I then moved to North Carolina and started growing the business but had a major obstacle: I’m a serious introvert!  In order to share my product, I had to go out, meet people and talk—the realization of having to socialize terrified me. So, with the help of my mentor Dan, we resolved to make the idea of selling chocolate easier by sharing my passion for my product and my purpose to make people happy through truffles.

I began by attending farmers’ markets and events in the RTP area but realized that if I wanted to reach my target market, I would need to pivot. So I split the business into two parts: events and corporate gifting. I added a personalization aspect to the truffle packaging and started attending chamber meetings, BNI groups, and open wedding houses.

Initially it was difficult and very draining, but I found that when I brought samples and shared my passion, the response was positive and instant.

Since then, Paige Patisserie has become a unique gifting company that creates lasting impressions from business owners to clients. Our truffles are given as gifts from roofers, bankers, realtors, home inspectors, etc., as thank you gifts to their clientele. Also, our boxes are placed on guest tables at weddings, gifted from venue owners to couples that tour their property, and as thank you gifts when couples book at a certain venue. Each box includes a custom-written note and a business logo.

It’s been a long journey, with many lessons learned along the way, and still many to learn. But through this company. I’ve discovered my passion for making people happy through chocolate truffles and that I enjoy connecting with people and being memorable. I like to say, “give a unique gift to an influential person in your life because they deserve it.”

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Our biggest challenge came from learning how to ship chocolate so that it stayed in one piece and didn’t melt. Because we wanted to be a bulk order shipping company, we needed to be able to ship year long. We started with a chocolate box that included a custom tray to ensure that the truffles would arrive at their location undamaged. Through a lot of trial and error, we sent out boxes to our friends with different types of bubble wrap, paper, and ice packs. Finally, we settled on a one-rate shipping box packed with a cold pack, heat-resistant bubble wrap, and packing paper. As a trick, we freeze the truffles before shipping them off to give them a better chance of getting to their destination in one piece.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I make gourmet chocolate truffles for corporate gifting and events; we specialize in personalized branding and love creating gifts that will leave a lasting impression. We have become known for our products’ unique flavors, packaging, and the premium truffles we create. Our audience loves that we make and package our product in North Carolina and get most of our ingredients from local farmers’ markets (eggs, honey, pecans preserves, etc.) We’ve taken it a step further and partnered with a few local farms and businesses to make signature truffles from their ingredients.

Also, as our chocolate is imported from a direct trade company, we foster generational wealth for these small farms to keep their method of making chocolate alive. I am most proud of the reactions we receive from our customers. The clients they give our product to are always very grateful for the personalized gift, surprised and delighted at the quality of the overall product.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The chocolate industry is old and in need of innovation and creativity. People are constantly discovering new ways of making chocolate, new ingredients and flavors. I think we will see many new bean-to-bar companies, vegan and infused types of chocolate bars, and desserts being created. I’ve already found that personal gifting has long been lost in many industries, and receiving a memorable and quality gift can greatly impact personal and professional relationships.

I want to become a leader in memorable gifting for my company in the few couple of years.

Pricing:

• We are a bulk order company.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.paigepatisserie.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paigepatisserie/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaigePatisserie
• Other: https://heartofncweddings.com/wedding-vendors/paige-patisserie/

Image Credits
Headshot: Perfect Moments Photography Product Photos: Brian Mullins Photography (although I paid for them so I don’t think they would be needing credit)