She worked diligently in the corporate world for decades and crossed business paths with some of the world’s best. Yet in her 40s she decided to change direction, and so she attained a degree specialising in Food and Wine Marketing. Isabelle comes from a culture with a love for good food and drink; it’s in her blood, and it became her business.

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Isabelle is living proof that exploring a new life, no matter your age and advancement in your career, is possible, and worth it! Her Spotlight interview further reiterates that, and we know you will leave inspired having read about her and her journey!

Tell us about you and your business/career, and what you were doing before? And who (or what) played the most important role in helping you start?

In September 2014, I founded Apicius Consulting, a B2B company providing market research and business intelligence for the food and beverage industry in South-East Asia. We provide à la carte solutions for new or existing businesses, and our prime focus is restaurants and food service companies.. We also work with consulting companies and marketing agencies and departments, to lend support in F&B research, to assist them in exploring solutions in this field.

We can help with anything from market entry strategy to finding suppliers. We provide market intelligence on concepts and products, with a personalized approach: strategic marketing, feasibility studies, market research, location studies, food importation and pre-opening licensing applications. I was born and spent a major part of my life in France. With a Master’s degree in Corporate Communications, I spent a great part of my career in Paris, Lyon and Rennes in Brittany (my home region) as an assistant, then communications manager within international companies, as well as in public institutions.

I have had the opportunity to work with a “Master of the World”, and I must say that the experience has been the most exciting, challenging and formative of my career.

In 2008, I was over 40 years old and I was thinking that I might enjoy studying again, so I undertook and passed an MBA specializing in Food and Wine Marketing and International Management from the highest-ranking school of luxury in Paris (Sup de Luxe/EDC).

I am from a family, and a country, where food, wine and gastronomy are of huge cultural importance (I love cooking and tasting wine) and over my career, especially in Paris, I used to work with the most famous caterers when I was organizing events. So I decided that I could reorient my career in this industry and explore a new life!

So, freshly graduated, I decided to launch my new career in Asia (in Singapore, of course!), where I worked in the F&B industry with an objective to set up my own company, but not immediately. Despite my dissertation about the food market in Singapore, I still needed to better understand the culture, the opportunities and the difficulties before I started the great adventure! The path was strewn with pitfalls … but, in the end, I did it!

The Most Important Gift You Can Give Yourself

Since I was young, I have always wanted to live my dream – not just dream it. Despite failures in my life, I’ve always had a lot of dreams and projects in mind. I knew that I couldn’t achieve all of them but it didn’t matter; if I could at least have a chance to see one of them become a reality, I knew I would be very proud of myself.

I wanted to travel the world and I did, more than partially. I wanted to live in New York or Singapore; I lived in New York several times and I finally landed in Singapore seven years ago. Passionate about gastronomy, wine, travels and photography, I could embrace all my passions and live a new life! Fulfilling our dreams is the most beautiful gift we can give ourselves. I had this chance and I am thankful for it every day. Starting something new, somewhere else, is very challenging and very stressful, but above all, personally rewarding. But I must say that without the support and encouragement of my family and friends, I could have given up. I owe them a lot and they have my gratitude and affection forever.

Is It All You Dreamed It Would Be?

To be honest, I am not sure. When I was young, I wanted to be a nurse to take care of others; then later I wanted to be a lawyer to defend people. This is my “humanist” side. I think I would have been a great lawyer! But very early on, life decided differently for me. So I orientated my career towards communications.

One of my friends always says that I am a lucky person and I think she is right. All my life I have met the right people at the right moment, which has helped me grow in my career and allowed me to have great professional experiences with exceptional people. I believe in life, I believe in dreams and I believe that we have the capacity to change if we are not in the right place.

Overall, each experience has been very rewarding, even if I have been close to burnout sometimes, and been too involved. In addition, I have remained very good friends with colleagues from almost every company I have worked for. I have been friends with some for over 30 years!

The Truth And Challenges Of Running Your Own Business

When I was an employee in companies, I wanted more flexibility in my work and the ability to manage my time differently. Now, as entrepreneur, when I am working seven days a week with no chance of holidays, I smile at the time when I was able to enjoy my entire weekends!

There are two things I have experienced as an expatriate. The first one is the frustration of being stuck in your project due to administrative reasons and the nonsense of some situations. Or running out of cash flow in order to achieve all your goals! I can say that I have been stuck very often, for those reasons, but loyal to my motto, I have never given up!

Secondly, the challenge of starting a business when you live alone. I am not just speaking on behalf of myself, but for all women who have had the courage to start a business alone (I mean without the support of a husband and being financially secure). Whether it is by choice or not, I think it is more courageous. And I would like to encourage and to pay tribute to all the women I know, and those I don’t know, who are in this situation. Bravo!

When To Persevere

As I said earlier, my life and business motto is “never give up”. Our personal and professional lives are full of challenges, decisions, renunciations, which make us experience very good and very bad moments. Despite all the pitfalls, in the end, it was worth it. We grow and we gain knowledge and wisdom.

Being an eternal optimist, I was telling a friend not long ago that: “Life can give us so much joy when we know how to explore and look around with an open heart. We all experience bad times during our life, yet every day – especially the bad days – we should try to look above what is sad or unsatisfactory, because there is always something that can makes us smile, or feel thankful.”

Visit Apicius Consulting page to find out more about Isabelle’s work.

_{Edited by Nedda Chaplin}

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