Ten relevant pieces of information:

1) I am a chocolatier!

2) Or, I suppose, technically speaking, I am a chocolatière. There is just no way to say that in English that doesn’t sound ridiculous. A Lady Chocolate Maker? Oh my.

3) Though, since I do not know if I am the person actually physically making the chocolates, perhaps it is best that we say that I am in possession of a chocolate shop. I have a chocolaterie. Yes, yes I do.

4) This is a metaphor! And a proxy.

The chocolate shop is not actually a chocolate shop.

For our purposes, however, we will imagine that it is.

5) I would happily give you a piece of chocolate right now, if I could. Actually, since it is metaphorical chocolate, I can.

Please partake of these lovely chocolates, if you wish to. I hope you enjoy them.

6) I am an Accidental Chocolatier.

That is: being a chocolatier is not my dream, it is not something I ever planned on doing with my life, and each day I wake up completely astonished to discover that it is in fact what I am doing.

I have found myself with this chocolate shop, and I am trying like crazy to make a go of it, to the best of my abilities.

7) In this scenario, I do not have the option of turning the chocolate shop into something else that would be more in line with things I do want to do with my life (tried that!), nor do I have the option of having someone else run a chocolate shop for me (tried that too).

We are operating under the assumption here that the chocolaterie isn’t going anywhere.

8) This means: I think I need to make peace with being a chocolatier, and/or to become so good at having a chocolate shop that it doesn’t need me around. Either way, it is up to me to figure out how to make the best of this situation.

9) And I need your help with that. I need you to tell me and remind me why it is that I would make a good chocolatier, or why a chocolate shop that was mine would be amazing and special. Because I cannot remember.

10) Fun fact about me! I have not eaten chocolate in nearly fourteen years. Not because I don’t like it. I love it in a way that is kind of dangerous and scary, and it also makes me wackopants-hyper. Actual chocolate. Not metaphorical proxy-chocolate.

Help me out here! What I would like from you, if you’re up for it…

I would love it if you could say some things about why you think I’d make a good chocolatier. Even if you don’t know anything about me other than having read this post.

Yes, it is true that I do not consume chocolate and have zero interest in being a chocolatier. But let’s say these things are true and I’m also still a chocolatier… why am I good at it?

What skills do I bring to it? What is marvelous about my chocolate shop? How is it made better or more special by the fact that it has me at the helm?

Notes and caveats! As follows.

• Even if you think something is such a super obvious observation that it doesn’t need to be observed, tell me anyway! I am way too close to this.
• You can also list any qualities of chocolate or chocolate shops that you think I share.
• I am not looking for suggestions (“have you tried hiring a manager?”). I just want to know why I would make a good chocolate shop owner.
• Even if you happen to know what the [chocolate shop] is, play along and imagine an actual chocolate shop. 🙂
• I don’t want to hear that someone who doesn’t eat chocolate can’t be good at having a chocolate shop. Though if you have thoughts about why this might make me even better at being a chocolatier, I am very open to that!

A big loving heart of thank you.

Thank you, life, for giving me a chocolate shop and for this opportunity to do something I didn’t plan on.

Thank you, life, for giving me something that is going to help me find the good in everything.

Thank you, me-from-two-years-ago, who set this all in motion, for trusting me-now to be able to handle it.

Thank you, incoming-me, who knows why this is good.

Thank you, chocolates, for being beautiful. Thank you, people who love my chocolate shop and want to support it.

Thank you, everyone who can help me figure out why I would be good at having a chocolate shop.

Thank you, commenter mice and Beloved Lurkers. Thank you, everyone who reads.

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