13: I Moved 6,000 Pounds By Hand, with Elyce Zahn of Coco Tutti

As an entrepreneur, you do what it takes to make your dream a reality, and Elyce Zahn almost literally built Coco Tutti by hand. She makes gorgeous, “addictively edible” chocolate artwork, an award-winning business she started just as her architectural business was going under. We cover a wide range of topics this episode, from Elyce’s start in the arts to having the vision to see a kitchen where others see an office. Learn what you can accomplish when you’re a one-woman force of nature.
Links and Show Notes
La Cocina (https://lacocinasf.org/)—“a nonprofit working to solve problems of equity in business ownership for women, immigrants and people of color.”
Metro rack shelving (https://www.metro.com/Shelving)
Lowes (https://lowes.com) / Home Depot (https://www.homedepot.com)
Chocolate Cooling Tunnel (Selmi) (https://www.selmi-group.com/chocolateCoolingTunnel200-250.html)
Continuous Tempering Machines (Selmi) (https://www.selmi-group.com/selmi-one-chocolate-tempering-machine.html)
Tutti Frutti (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutti_frutti)
Elyce’s jam recipe:
3/4 fruit
1/4 sugar
2-4% pectin
“minimal” lemon juice
fruit sieved three or four times
SCORE (https://www.score.org)—“the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, with more than 10,000 volunteers in 300 chapters.”
Shark Tank (https://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank)—“The Sharks give budding entrepreneurs the chance to secure business deals that could make them millionaires.”
PurColor/Color Blend Creations (http://colorblendcreations.com)
Chef Rubber (http://www.chefrubber.com)—“provides Artisan Chefs the finest components with which one refines creative inspiration.”
Lettuce Wrap #3: These Shows Stress Me Out (https://www.lettucewrappod.com/3), where we talk briefly about The Great British Bake Off (https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk)
Four Roses Bourbon (https://fourrosesbourbon.com)
Nikka Japanese Whisky (https://www.nikka.com/eng/)
Night Riders/Japanese Internment (http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v02/v02p-45_Weber.html)—“In the six months following the end of the evacuation program there were some 30 attacks by West Coast people against returning inmates. Near Fresno and other places, night riders shot into the homes of newly returned families Anti-Japanese organizations sprang up in the Northwest and in California.”
What Color is Your Parachute? (https://amzn.to/2WaRxQx) (Amazon)—More than 10 million copies sold of this book that “demystifies the entire job-search process, from writing resumes to interviewing to networking, expertly guiding job-hunters toward their dream job.”
Our thanks to Elyce for joining us. You can find her at @cocotutti (https://twitter.com/cocotutti) and https://www.cocotutti.com ().
Thank you for listening. You can follow us on Twitter:
Lettuce Wrap (@lettucewrappod (https://twitter.com/lettucewrappod))
Christine Doerr (@christinedoerr (https://twitter.com/christinedoerr))
Tammy Tan (@spicehound (http://twitter.com/spicehound))
or email us at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]).
That’s a wrap!
Amazon (https://amzn.to/2DBzg5j) and other links may be affiliates. Purchases help support the show. Special Guest: Elyce Zahn, Coco Tutti Chocolates.

As an entrepreneur, you do what it takes to make your dream a reality, and Elyce Zahn almost literally built Coco Tutti by hand. She makes gorgeous, “addictively edible” chocolate artwork, an award-winning business she started just as her architectural business was going under. We cover a wide range of topics this episode, from Elyce’s start in the arts to having the vision to see a kitchen where others see an office. Learn what you can accomplish when you’re a one-woman force of nature.

Links and Show Notes

La Cocina—“a nonprofit working to solve problems of equity in business ownership for women, immigrants and people of color.”
Metro rack shelving
Lowes / Home Depot
Chocolate Cooling Tunnel (Selmi)
Continuous Tempering Machines (Selmi)
Tutti Frutti
Elyce’s jam recipe:

3/4 fruit
1/4 sugar
2-4% pectin
“minimal” lemon juice
fruit sieved three or four times

SCORE—“the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, with more than 10,000 volunteers in 300 chapters.”
Shark Tank—“The Sharks give budding entrepreneurs the chance to secure business deals that could make them millionaires.”
PurColor/Color Blend Creations
Chef Rubber—“provides Artisan Chefs the finest components with which one refines creative inspiration.”
Lettuce Wrap #3: These Shows Stress Me Out, where we talk briefly about The Great British Bake Off
Four Roses Bourbon
Nikka Japanese Whisky
Night Riders/Japanese Internment—“In the six months following the end of the evacuation program there were some 30 attacks by West Coast people against returning inmates. Near Fresno and other places, night riders shot into the homes of newly returned families Anti-Japanese organizations sprang up in the Northwest and in California.”
What Color is Your Parachute? (Amazon)—More than 10 million copies sold of this book that “demystifies the entire job-search process, from writing resumes to interviewing to networking, expertly guiding job-hunters toward their dream job.”

Our thanks to Elyce for joining us. You can find her at @cocotutti and https://www.cocotutti.com.

Thank you for listening. You can follow us on Twitter:

Lettuce Wrap (@lettucewrappod)
Christine Doerr (@christinedoerr)
Tammy Tan (@spicehound)

or email us at [email protected].

That’s a wrap!

Amazon and other links may be affiliates. Purchases help support the show.

Special Guest: Elyce Zahn, Coco Tutti Chocolates.