Back of the Napkin Explores the Big Journeys of Small Business Owners

Renata and Andrei Stoica from tinyB Chocolate in San Francisco, started a business based on the brigadeiro, a Brazilian confection. A brigadeiro is similar to – yet distinctly different from – fudge, ganache, truffles, or bonbons. The sweet, creamy, intensely flavored bite is perfect to scoop from a jar (spoons optional), gently shape into a ball, and roll in a variety of sweet or savory toppings.

The Stoica’s leveraged their passion for the brigadeiro into a virtual team-building experience that has since expanded to 52 countries and more than 31,000 orders, unwrapping a sweet spot in the competitive boutique chocolate marketplace. While company growth has been impressive, the Stoica’s at times traveled a rocky road.

Bytes of Chocolate

When tinyB Chocolate first started, tech entrepreneur Andrei was used to working in an arena where a solution was almost self-explanatory. Coding either worked or it didn’t. With their chocolate company, Andrei stepped into a business in a very crowded category where you had to differentiate. “Differentiation in marketing was a much bigger part of the business,” said Andrei. “And I wasn't as prepared for it as I should have been.” Read More ...

In addition, in the tech industry you tend to let a product come into its own before you come out with a 2.0 or 3.0 version. With chocolate, it is much easier to make changes by adding a new flavor and get instant feedback from customers. This allows for more experimentation and a constantly evolving product line. “In the beginning, I developed five flavors of chocolate and he (Andrei) wanted to keep only these flavors in the menu,” said Renata. “That's how technology works. If you have that product, let's sell that product. Chocolate is different, you have to be more creative and bring more different experiences for the customers.”

Cities across the globe delight with tasty treats unique to their culture and geography. Wisconsin churns cheese. Illinois delivers Chicago deep-dish pizza. Michigan plates up the Detroit Coney. Brazil, the largest country in South America, rolls with the brigadeiro.

A brigadeiro is similar to – yet distinctly different from – fudge, ganache, a truffle, or a bonbon. The sweet, creamy, intensely flavored bite is perfect to scoop from a jar (spoons optional), gently shape into a ball, and roll in a variety of sweet or savory toppings.

Renata and Andrei Stoica, the husband-wife team behind tinyB Chocolate, introduced the Brazilian treat to residents and visitors to the San Francisco Bay area, and quickly expanded the business to 31,000 orders across 52 countries. Without question, tinyB Chocolate has found a sweet spot in the competitive boutique chocolate marketplace. Read on ...

When Paulo Hutson Solórzano from A Medida Communications in Chattanooga, TN, started his business, he decided “more is good,” and embraced any project that came his way. His mentor advised a different approach.

While he toiled away building small websites and picking up random projects, she recommended Solórzano instead focus on his core skills. She encouraged him to gradually build a portfolio that differentiated him in the marketplace.

Solórzano’s mentor proved to be correct.

“Her helping me navigate, really focusing and strategizing on where I wanted to take the company in the next three to five years, saved me a lot of time, which is money,” said Solórzano.

Learning to navigate your expertise can be a difficult journey for any entrepreneur. Instead of a winning growth strategy, being a “jack of all trades, master of none” can be a detriment to a small business.

Embracing Your Ninja Power

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In this season 3 episode of Back of the Napkin, Paulo Hutson Solórzano, owner of A Medida Communications in Chattanooga, TN, talks the importance of cross-cultural inclusion, overcoming self-imposed barriers to networking, and the power of tooting your own horn.

From superheroes to how couples fell in love to the inspiration behind a small business, many people find origin stories fascinating. For Paulo Hutson Solórzano, owner of A Medida Communications in Chattanooga, TN, his story begins as the son of missionaries in rural Nicaragua. He believes the early life lessons of being active in his community and finding a way to make a difference for those around you impacts how he operates a small business and the projects he takes on.

Building Bridges with DEI

Since opening his business as a cross-cultural marketing and advertising agency in 2015, Solórzano has established an impressive client roster, featuring government, non-profit and corporate clients. While varied, his client roster is also uniquely connected through Solórzano’s focus on celebrating the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) that enriches communities. The mission of A Medida is creating inclusivity by working across diverse markets, to maximize mainstream resources and reach. Read More ...

It seems like everything is on the fast track for Licia Accardo and Tony Spatara, owners of Cafe L'Appetito in Chicago. The siblings assumed ownership of the family restaurant in 2010 after their dad, Anthony Spatara, passed away. The restaurant turns 40 this year, a feat very few small business owners achieve, let alone those run by the second generation. In addition to the Gold Coast and West Loop locations, Accardo and Spatara have expanded Café L'Appetito to multiple satellite locations, including Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Soldier Field, United Center, and Midway Airport. Plus, the siblings added a booming catering operation.

But hard work doesn't always take the prize.

Take It to the ‘Burbs

After establishing a reputation throughout Chicago as a unique Italian cultural and food experience, Anthony Spatara envisioned a new location in the suburbs. “We thought about doing a Café L'Appetito in the suburb that we live in,” said daughter Licia Accardo. “We always saw this one space; they were going to revitalize the downtown area and this space was perfect.”

The idea was that Accardo, then a mom of two small children, would enjoy a shorter commute, more time with the family, and leverage her connection to the community where she lived. Spatara, Sr. thought the revitalized suburban enclave would become a “destination” and deliver similar foot traffic and comparable high-volume sales as the downtown location. But the father-daughter team learned quickly that the city concept—a one-stop Italian experience featuring a deli, coffee bar, Italian goods, and more—didn’t translate to the suburbs. Read More ...

Amazon, Netflix, Twitter, Apple, Google, Facebook, Uber, and Microsoft. Companies that started as small businesses and changed the landscape in their respective industries. Yet only Apple and Microsoft predate the restaurant started by Anthony Spatara in a small grocery store in 1981 in Chicago's vibrant Italian enclave on the city's Northwest Side. Now owned and operated by siblings Licia Accardo and Tony Spatara, Café L’Appetito celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, with the second generation leading an impressive business expansion into major Chicago venues including Solider Field and the United Center.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 21% of small businesses make it to the 20-year mark. When it comes to second-generation businesses, more than 60% fail. Restaurants are historically among the toughest small businesses to own and operate. So, what is the secret to the longevity of Café L’Appetito? Accardo and Spatara believe it’s the balance between two competing mantras—don’t mess up a good thing and changing with the times.

Accardo and Spatara have honored their father's vision and expanded well beyond simply serving as caretakers of his legacy. They've creatively diversified the business and invested in opportunities that keep Café L'Appetito a vibrant and must-visit establishment for Chicagoans and visitors to the Windy City. Read more ...

In this season 3 episode of Back of the Napkin, Mika Altidor and Victor Munoz, owners of Victor & Mika’s Bakery, discuss owning and operating the first and only vegan establishment in Polk County, FL, and how sometimes finding the perfect recipe requires you to fail again and again.

It took a pandemic, the resulting economic slowdown, and a new ally for Mika Altidor and Victor Munoz, owners of Victor & Mika’s Bakery, to acknowledge their heavy workload was quickly becoming a detriment to their lives and business. “I became vegan to be healthy,” said Altidor. “But Victor and I were working way too many hours, which is not healthy.”

Working too many hours is a tough pattern to break, but the COVID-19 downtime benefitted Altidor and Munoz. “The pandemic was a blessing in disguise because it helped us to slow down,” said Altidor, who notes how exhausting it is to own and operate a business. “I realized I felt like everything's becoming way too much, and I needed help. I needed tools to be able to manage things better and to take our bakery to the next level.” Read more ...

It seems unfathomable to the meat and potato crowd that people enjoy a meal filled with only vegetables, grains, legumes, fruit, nuts and seeds. But for some, a whole-foods plant-based diet helps mitigate a variety of food allergies and health issues. For others it can simply express a taste preference, especially if they’re fans of Victor & Mika’s Bakery.

Mika Altidor was an in-demand professional stylist and jewelry designer; Victor Munoz owned a popular produce market. Together, they now serve delicious treats and savory dishes at the first and only vegan establishment in Polk County, FL, and from their mobile kitchen. With the population of more 700,000 and a growing demand for vegan delights, the duo is in an enviable position.

As many as 6% of U.S. Consumers say they're vegan; that's a 500% increase over the last several years. Also growing at double digits in the U.S. is sales of plant-based foods. Estimates suggest the U.S. plant-based meat market will reach more than $31 billion by 2026.

Altidor and Munoz are quick to note that they cater to more than just the vegan crowd. “Over 98% of our customers are not vegan,” said Altidor. “The presentation of our foods, the way our food looks, it looks just like ‘regular,’ delicious food.”

The business also offers options for those with other food restrictions. “Someone can order a dairy-free cake for their daughter who's allergic to milk,” said Altidor. “They don't have to be vegan, but they're allergic to dairy or they're allergic to eggs, and we were the first to have that available.”

Going Great Bananas

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In this Back of the Napkin Friday Fail, Jeff Arce and Web Eby, owners of CrossFit Arlington Heights, compare a “safe fail” in strength training to the obstacles faced by small business owners. Plus, they describe how gym members rallied on behalf of the entire training community during the state-mandated COVID-19 closure that hit just a few months after they assumed ownership. 

Failure is sometimes due to your own actions—misplacing a wad of cash or forgetting to pay taxes. You look for a reason and then catch your image in the mirror. Other times, no amount of reflection or preparation could change the course of events, like a once in a century pandemic that shuts down training facilities within months of investing in one, just as you’re gaining momentum. Jeff Arce and Web Eby, owners of CrossFit Arlington Heights (CFAH), faced that exact situation in 2020.

Challenge + Recovery = Adaptation

Strength training delivers results, or forces adaptation, by systematically challenging the body through progressively increasing load and periods of rest or recovery. One of the first lessons in strength training, particularly when performing barbell movements, is how to fail safely. The same holds true for small business ownership.

Arce and Eby, strength training enthusiasts and CFAH performance coaches, understood the strength training equation; they all too quickly learned how to apply it as new business owners. Buoyed by record-breaking revenue gains and class attendance after just six months as owners, Arce and Eby invested in expensive equipment. And then, boom. COVID-19.

“It was kind of devastation,” said Jeff. “I didn’t know how we were going to navigate this.”

The duo opted to adapt and recover. Read More ...

In this season 3 episode of Back of the Napkin, Jeff Arce and Web Eby, owners of CrossFit Arlington Heights (CFAH) in suburban Chicago, discuss how they came to own and expand an already successful small business, and how “community” provides the lift to everything they do.

From the moment you walk into CrossFit Arlington Heights, you’re enveloped by what owners Jeff Arce and Web Eby painstakingly curate with every decision they make: Experience. Community. Results.

Painted in bold letters on a large garage door, those three words represent more than just a slick piece of marketing; they are the very ethos of CFAH.  

“You come here and you're going to get experienced coaches,” said Eby. “You're going to learn that we have a stellar community, a goofball community. And you're going to see results. So, the key word community is easy to use. It's almost just second nature.”

Whether checking in with a member who missed a few training sessions, or altering membership fees for someone out of town, connecting beyond the normal customer-business relationship, on a very human level, is instrumental to the ongoing success of CFAH. And Arce and Eby believe it inspires members to help spread the word and grow gym membership. Read More ...