ike so many others in
2020, Nichole
Manning-Ashe was
laid off from her non-profit job because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was recruited for that position and left her previous job at the White Sox, because she was passionate about making a difference for the millions of people the cause was helping. Now she found herself, along with millions of others in the U.S., out of work and trying to figure out what was next.
“I love cooking” Nichole explained. “In fact, I debated between going to culinary school and working in sports when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do after college. Sports won but, cooking always stayed in my heart. To satisfy my culinary interest, I cooked, crafted, and created for friends and family on a regular basis. Often, I would take simple recipes and alter the ingredients to make them my own unique creation.”
After much thought, Nichole knew it was now time to switch gears and work on the dream that she had for years. The biggest challenge was to get past the fear of going out on her own. In a way, her friends and family had always served as her culinary test kitchen tasters, so she knew that she had a good product. “They can be really honest with their critiques” she confessed. But it was the business side that was more daunting to her. Nichole sought out the advice of other small business owners and individuals in the food industry, who now serve as her mentors.
“If not now, then when?” she noted. After years in the making,
Brown Sugar Caramels has finally arrived. Now everyone can enjoy Nichole’s decadent creations. “I love that I can create something that brings a smile to people’s faces. It brings me joy to enhance someone’s event or brighten someone’s day.”
Brown Sugar Caramels has many different delicious flavors including Coffee, Cayenne, Balsamic, Raspberry, Coconut, and Vanilla. She uses only the highest quality ingredients with no preservatives. Caramels are hand cut and wrapped with each box containing 8 caramels (about 3 oz) of a single flavor. The testimonials have been nothing shy of “amazing” as orders have been pouring in. Caramels are made to order and custom large orders are welcomed. For more information about Nichole and Brown Sugar Caramels visit www.brownsugarcaramels.com.
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