A Decade of Dottie Pops Custom Chocolate & Candy 2014-2024
"The Candy Lady"
In 2014 when I first started my candy business, I never envisioned how it
would grow and evolve into something so rewarding. Looking back, I feel
so lucky to have started the business when I did. The main reason being
that my four children are now grown, and I definitely need something in my
daily life that fulfills me, challenges me and keeps me engaged and
connected to my Arizona community. Creating a small local candy business
has done just that and much more!
Dottie Pops began with making basic lollipops, hence the name Dottie
Pops, but even in the very beginning, my focus was creating a delicious
custom product. This uniqueness is evident in the packaging, labeling or in
the product design itself. I believe that creating handcrafted candy using
premium ingredients, results in a product that’s fresh & delicious. Adding
customization provides that extra special touch that makes every event or
gift, special and unique.
I’m more of a salt person so it’s ironic that I make candy, but my personal
preferences definitely guide what I make. For example, I love chocolate
toffee, caramel, butterscotch, and brittles and don’t really care for fruity
chocolates, cream-filled or super sweet candy, so I generally steer clear of
making those.
How it Evolved
There were a few major turning points through the years that sparked my
excitement and creativity, so I entered into new markets and product
designs. For example, In 2018 I rebranded from the colorful polka dot
image to a more refined, elegant Arizona copper designed image. I also
expanded my product line to include toffee, caramels, chocolates and
bark. As a result, I started working with many more corporations and
created event favors and gifts.
My clients now range from individuals to major corporations and the size
and type of orders vary accordingly. I have friends and businesses who
have supported me for a decade and I am forever grateful. The daily
diversity is awesome and I never get bored. My customers ask me if I can
create products that I’ve never made before. Their ideas are what inspire
me to create and the feedback and final products provide a lot of
satisfaction.
Sweet and Sour
Candy making is a very labor-intensive business. I tend to work 7 days/
week which is not always the healthiest way to live. It also infringes on my
family time during the holidays and my newly found passion, pickleball! I
continue to try to establish a good life balance, but it’s not easy.
Mr. Wonderful would boot me off of Shark Tank in a millisecond! “It’s way
too niche,” he would say, but I love the diversity that this “nicheness”
provides. It’s not a great business if you want to make real money, but it’s
fun, creative, challenging, diverse, and open to so many exciting
possibilities, that I can’t get enough. All the good definitely outweighs the
bad.
Forever Grateful
I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with some amazing clients
& venues some of which include the Phoenician, the Omni Montelucia,
Marriott’s Camelback Inn, ASU Sandra Day O'Connor School of Law,
Tarbell’s Wine Store, HonorHealth, Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation,
the Barrow Neurologic Institute, Foster Engineered Products, DWL
Architecture, Arizona Industrial Properties, Hubbard Family Swim School &
Gammage & Burnham Law to name a few. Who knew I would be making
chocolate brains as holiday gifts for a nationally respected institution or
custom logo candy bars for Coca-Cola? Not me!
After 10 years, I continue to learn new things every day and learn from the
mistakes I still make. Candy making continues to fascinate me and make
me want to try things for the pure joy of it. Just this year I learned to create
logos and beautiful images right on the candy which has been on my “Want
to Try” list for a few years. Some ideas work and some do not, but learning
new things is stimulating and keeps the popcorn popping in my brain.
I owe everything to my loving, encouraging parents who gave me courage
and confidence. That along with my MBA, undergraduate education, and my
Pfizer work experience, all helped provide the foundation I needed to
believe in myself and strive for things I never thought imaginable. Every
order, no matter how small or large, inspires me to continue creating
custom candy for any occasion.
By the way, I love being called Dottie Pop. It makes me smile when I hear it
because it sounds funny & cute, so if you see me somewhere in town, go
ahead!
Dottie Hessel
602-510-5023
@dottiepops_customcandy