Love & Quiches Founder Pens Book
A business memoir from Susan Axelrod, founder and chairwoman of Love & Quiches Gourmet, a multi-million dollar manufacturer of dessert and quiche products, will be released on May 6.
“With Love and Quiches: A Long Island Housewife’s Surprising Journey from Kitchen to Boardroom” details Axelrod’s four-decade entrepreneurial journey from suburban housewife to the head of a successful family owned and operated specialty food business.
“I’m excited to share my story with others, especially fellow business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs,” said Axelrod, who started Love & Quiches from her kitchen back when many people had never even heard of quiche. “I had no preparation whatsoever for becoming a business owner, yet I had passion and turned it into a business, honing my entrepreneurial skills along the way. I wore many hats in those early days; I was the baker, buyer, salesperson, porter and delivery guy.”
Axelrod chronicles: Love & Quiches’ chaotic early years; her evolution from an accidental entrepreneur who “put quiche on the map as an alternative to the hamburger”; her deep love of food; and the role of family in her life and business. She also imparts critical business advice and the decisions that allowed her company to prosper during difficult economic times, including in the aftermaths of Sept. 11, the Great Recession and Hurricane Sandy.
Axelrod’s writing style resonates with readers, including her industry peers. “With Love and Quiches is a candid story of how business intelligence, entrepreneurial fortitude and intense passion brought a small home food business into a globally respected brand,” said Sarabeth Levine, founder of the popular Sarabeth’s restaurants and specialty food line.
There’s also another story: unknowingly to her, Axelrod, was among the growing number of businesswomen paving the way for future generations. “When I first started, there were very few women in the manufacturing arena and even fewer role models,” she remembers.
Axelrod hopes her book inspires other entrepreneurs, including people of all ages who want to start their own businesses. “I founded my business pre-Internet, when there was nowhere to go to find out how to run a business or to connect with others,” she said.
The book includes some of Axelrod’s favorite recipes, including the company’s signature quiche au fromage.
(From Gourmet Retailer)