Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carol Maddox. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Carol, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
The oldest of four, I was always daddy’s little helper in the garden. Fruit trees, grape vines growing on the entrance to the veggie patch, raspberries, strawberries etc etc etc. My mom would make jam and also freeze fruit and veggies for our winter meals. I grew up naturally (inborn) organized and energized always doing projects with results. My creativity and adaptability. developed from living overseas 15 years in diverse, and enriched cultures (West Africa, Moscow, Saudi Arabia and Greece/London). I learned that there is no right or wrong religion nor culture and thrived on discovering new cultures. I believe the endless variety of jams I make come from those influences.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
When I retired from GE 13 years ago, Kudzu Kottage was born. First as a gift basket venture using kudzu vines to make wreaths and baskets to fill with southern food/treats. I never actually made kudzu vine baskets but did make kudzu vine wreaths. However, going to small pop up markets, I soon learned that the baskets do not travel well, chocolate and candles melt in the mostly summer heat and need tens of thousands of people walking by to notice a very specific basket they’d like as a gift for someone. But when I did sell one, I felt the rush of accomplishment and great feeling that someone found something unique and special! I began making interesting jam with peaches for the baskets. Friends wanted to try my Amaretto Peach Pecan jam – at first I hesitated but then gave in and jam creations began. Today I still make themed jam gifts in plant containers, crates, boards that I refinish and repurpose with both novelty and handcrafted teak and ebony wood spreaders from West Africa where my daughter and her family are posted (US embassy/State Dept)..
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
My jam business reflects my personality – that’s the fit anyone starting a business should follow. I am bored easily – making ordinary, plain jam in large quantities is work! Creating new combinations is a total exploration into fun and reward. A business should never have a status quo, but to survive it must be ever changing and refreshing itself constantly to grow. I’m fortunate that the opportunities I had living abroad opened my mind to diversity and change enabling and inspiring me to stay fresh in my ideas.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
My daughter Cora is my biggest fan and support. I cherish the few times she’s in town from overseas and I have a market … both she and her 9 yr old daughter, Piper spend the time with me selling! Mostly, Cora created my website and is my “to go to” whenever I have a snafu – and I have application issues frequently!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kudzukottage.com
- Facebook: Facebook/kudzukottage
Image Credits
Carol maddox (my own photos!)
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