Press Release: Love and Quiches Gourmet Founder Susan Axelrod Pens Book: With Love and Quiches
An engaging business memoir from Susan Axelrod, founder and chairwoman of Love & Quiches Gourmet® (www.loveandquiches.com), a multi-million dollar manufacturer of dessert and quiche products, will be released on May 6, 2014. 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 global enterprise. Published by Greenleaf Book Group, the book is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online retailers in print and e-book format and in bookstores throughout the country. It can also be pre-ordered online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble or www.800ceoread.com, as well as purchased wholesale through Ingram, Baker & Taylor, or Greenleaf, at 800.932.5420.
“I’m excited to share my story with others, especially fellow business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs,” says 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.”
With her trademark wit and wisdom, Axelrod chronicles: Love & Quiches’ chaotic early years; her evolution from an accidental entrepreneur to an industry icon 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 September 11th, the Great Recession and Hurricane Sandy. “Mine is a story of tenacity and survival,” Axelrod says. “I’ve spared no details, and speak honestly on the mistakes and challenges I faced during my journey, as well as the victories.”
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,” says Sarabeth Levine, founder of the popular Sarabeth’s restaurants and a James Beard Award winner for “Outstanding Pastry Chef.”
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. “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.”
Axelrod hopes her book inspires other entrepreneurs, including people of all ages who want to start their own businesses. “Although everyone is free to choose their own path, I am proof that you can be an entrepreneur, have a family, and be successful at both,” she continues. “The key is that you must have a support system. I learned from mentors, professionals, customers, competitors and vendors, all of whom provided me with invaluable advice throughout the years.”
As a bonus to readers, With Love and Quiches includes a coda with some of Axelrod’s favorite recipes, including the company’s signature quiche au fromage. The coda also includes Axelrod’s recipes for success, books that have influenced her and wisdom gleaned from years of travel.
About Susan Axelrod
Susan Axelrod is founder and chairwoman of Love & Quiches Gourmet, a successful 41-year-old company known for its distinctive baked-from-scratch desserts and gourmet quiches. Axelrod has been honored by the National Association of Women Business Owners for her contributions to the foodservice industry, has been inducted into Long Island Business News’ “Hall of Fame,” and was a founding board member of The Roundtable for Women in Foodservice, one of the first organizations of its kind in the industry.
Love & Quiches Gourmet services every segment of the foodservice industry and food retailers worldwide. Headquartered in Freeport, New York, the company offers a multitude of trend-responsive product lines, including authentic New York cheesecakes and desserts, quiches and Gourmet Grab & Go® individually wrapped snacks. Love & Quiches Gourmet is a proud supporter of the Wounded Warriors program, which assists the fallen heroes of the U.S. military, as well as its own charity, founded by Axelrod, Cakes for Kids®, created to combat children’s hunger nationally. Philanthropy is a tradition for the company, which also actively supports various Long Island charitable and youth organizations.
To learn more about Axelrod and Love & Quiches, visit Axelrod’s popular blog —www.susanssweettalk.com — or the company’s website at www.loveandquiches.com.