WomenandBiz.com

When we decided that the theme for the 19^thissue of WomenandBiz.com would be on Change – how internal and external changes

Fany Balabram

affect your business; I could not think of a better example than of my family business. Therefore, I decided to interview my mother, Fany Balabram, for this issue, so that you can learn from her experiences being 25 years in business and running Fany Bombons. She is a role model to follow, and during the interview she shares many strategies to pursue Change, adapt, innovate and thrive in order to grow a business.

The business has her name, Fany and “Bombons” means candies in Portuguese. Fany Balabram has always loved to cook, and she had often cooked delicious meals for her family, but she did not know anything about chocolate candy making. This is how the business started back in 1983 – Fany Balabram had been managing her husband’s [my father – Moysés Balabram] Construction company for several years, when she read an article in a National magazine talking about the business of chocolate and how it would grow in the next few years. Around the same time, Fany learned about a course teaching candy making that was being offered in her neighborhood. She decided to take it. Although it was a good course, it only taught her the very basics. She then registered to take another course and learned a little more. She saw the opportunity, and soon she was ready to start her home-based chocolate candy business. She attended many courses thereafter, tried many recipes and improved her baking style. She also owns a collection of over 400 national and international cooking, baking and chocolate books. Read more

· What was your education experience?

Melanie McEvoy

I earned a degree in Women’s Studies and Sociology from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, which is where I grew up. While getting my degree I served as President of the pro-choice students group on campus and was an extremely active organizer in the Las Vegas women’s community. My activism experience is actually what I call upon the most for my event planning and fundraising experience – it’s all people skills and organizing. I didn’t realize until much later in life that I had always been an entrepreneur, just not the kind that was focused on making money – more of a social entrepreneur that is always creating opportunities to do things that inspire and help others. Read more