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Haute Living | Haute Secrets with Confectionary Connoisseur, Yasmeen Tadia Haute Secrets with Confectionary Connoisseur, Yasmeen Tadia Make Your Life Sweeter®, began as an attempt by entrepreneur, Yasmeen Tadia, to transform and reinvent traditional, childhood sweets while providing healthier alternatives. A trendsetting brand with a signature collection of 4 indulgent treats including Fluffpop® Gourmet Mini Cotton Candy, Fluffpop Mini Masons, Hotpoppin® Gourmet Popcorn, The Mini MasonTM, Sugaire Organic Cotton Candy and most recently, ModChocolate, it has now become a recognizable favorite at celebrity soirees, sporting events and high profile parties. A skilled innovator and visionary, shortly after her graduation from SMU (Southern Methodist University) in Dallas, Tadia spent the first 10 years of her career working in a variety of management positions in corporate America which led her to an opportunity as the corporate director of human resources at a large hospitality company in New York City. Drawing inspiration from her successful, professional career, Tadia decided to branch out on her own and founded Make Your Life Sweeter®. Not only did her personal mantra become a successful conglomerate but also helped to create a foundation for those attempting to make a direct impact on the lives of others. Supporting many charitable initiatives in Dallas, Tadia’s philanthropic passion and big heart led to the creation of her own non for profit called Random Acts of Sweetness®, that launched in Fall 2016 with her #spreadingsweetness campaign. Tadia’s Make Your Life Sweeter® brand delivers mouth watering confections that not only look and taste good but are actually quite healthy. Experimenting with her childhood love of popcorn, Tadia launched Hotpoppin, her creative line of premium, handcrafted, gourmet popcorn. It’s popped in small batches and features sweet and savory flavor profiles using only the best ingredients. One of Tadia’s most recent additions to the Make Your Life Sweeter® collection is Sugaire Organic Cotton Candy. Realizing that many people still wanted a “normal” cotton candy, she used an innovative technique to produce a healthier version that’s organic, hand-spun, vegan, and gluten-free! As for plans in the future, currently Tadia shares her professional experiences as a public speaker and is attempting to write her very first book. In the rare occasion that she gets some spare time, she can be found traveling with her son, Zain, giving him the opportunity to gain a taste of the global community and creating a lifetime memories. Yasmeen’s Haute Secrets What is your professional background? Visions of fluffy treats and popped sweets weren’t always dancing in in my head. As a Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business grad, I spent 10 years in corporate America before inventing Fluffpop Mini Artisanal Cotton Candy. However, my time spent in a variety of management positions, and later as the corporate director of human resources for the largest hospitality management company in New York City, gave me the confidence kick that I needed to turn my fluffy dream into a serious reality. From where did you draw inspiration to start Make Your Life Sweeter® Brands? Fluffpop Mini Artisanal Cotton Candy is a flavor-packed experience—and a low-calorie, vegan, and gluten-free one at that. The entrepreneurial vision behind the sweet Fluffpop miniature pouf was actually born out of my desire to provide a healthier candy alternative for my sugar-loving young son, Zain, which also instantly made me the CEO of fun for my son. Now, my team of resident “DJs” spin Fluffpop at countless events across the world — from red-carpet celebrity soirees to sporting events, posh parties, and private celebrations. We reached a milestone in 2014 when we attained the United States Patent for Mini Cotton Candy Pops (patent number: D712, 116 S). Popcorn also holds special significance for me, as my love of the snack stems from my childhood in South Africa, where kernels were freshly popped and uniquely flavored for each customer. Wanting Zain to also experience a similarly creative and custom treat in the United States, I launched Hotpoppin®, my innovative line of premium, handcrafted gourmet popcorn in 2014. Hotpoppin is popped in small batches and features sweet and savory flavors using only the highest quality of ingredients for a taste thats like no other. Vegan and gluten-free options are also available. Along with chef-driven flavors, the Hotpoppin team specializes in innovative and trendsetting popcorn bars and custom presentations at events, traveling worldwide with their unique creations. My most recent addition to the Make Your Life Sweeter® family is Sugaire® Organic Cotton Candy, which celebrates a similar gourmet twist as Fluffpop but in a traditionally sized cotton candy offering. When traveling globally with my son, I realized that he was still drawn to traditional sized cotton candy, which left me perplexed. Realizing that many people still crave “normal” cotton candy, I wanted to create something that was perceived as the typical childhood favorite, but wanted to use my innovative creativity to make it organic, hand-spun, vegan, and gluten-free. My next venture is ModChocolate, which will feature artisanal chocolate creations made from the highest quality all-natural ingredients. In addition to my SWEET endeavors of Fluffpop, HotPoppin, The Mini Mason, ModChocolate and Sugaire, I also run HR Evolved, a consulting firm geared towards fueling her passion for human resources and strategic management. I am currently working on writing my first book and I enjoy the opportunity of sharing her experiences through a variety of public speaking platforms. During my spare time, her favorite thing to do is to travel with my son Zain, giving him the opportunity of creating memories through global experiences. How did you come up with the name Sugaire? Well, Sugaire is technically cotton candy which is made with all organic ingredients. Cotton candy is quite an amazing transformation made when heat is combined with sugar and air, hence I thought of merging the words “sugar + air” to make Sugaire. Pronounced Shoog-Air. How do you think the confection/candy market has evolved? I was actually the first in the world to create a unique mini cotton candy concept and that led to us being one of the first in the organic cotton candy space. It has been so delightful to see how many people all over the world are creating unique concepts for a healthy alternative to the standard dessert. We are now moving into creating even more innovation experiences in the area of custom drinks and molecular gastronomy food concepts. Is your brand geared more towards adults or children? Since Sugaire organic cotton candy comes in a variety of flavors, we were able to target the brand to all age groups. We are able to create experiences customized for specific events depending on the demographic of the guests. This can range from a birthday party to a VIP Red Carpet Soiree in LA. How do you think your brand has changed since its inception and what key element has remained consistent? Our brands are ever-evolving, but our vision has remained the same since day 1: To Make Life Sweeter. There are a few elements that have stayed consistent since the inception of the business: 1) Sticking by my morals and principal 2) Building and fostering relationships with current and potential clients to grow the business 3) Going above and beyond from a client satisfaction perspective 4) Trying to work with the client to create the most unique experience for their guest 5) We do not chase money, we look at opportunities and ensure that they are in alignment with our growth strategy. How does the Make Your Life Sweeter® brand differ from its competitors? We have yet to find anyone who is able to offer everything that we offer, with the added creative and customer service ability. We go above and beyond to constantly think of ways to create new and unique experiences for our clients. We aren’t just selling sweet treats, we are creating an experience. Describe your latest creation? The Sugaire Rose Gold cotton candy infusion is our latest creation and was developed specifically for a media launch in NYC for Paris Hilton. Video to coverage that went viral from New York Magazine and In-Style Magazine, available here: http://fluffpop.com/blog/ Where do you see your brand in the next decade? To be honest, I don’t even know where we will be tomorrow. Every single day is filled with surprises, challenges, and blessings. We hope that we can become a brand that is a household name that is associated with creating unique sweet experiences, like no other. I also hope that we are able to make significant strides with the Random Acts of Sweetness initiative, with hopes of giving back to impoverished communities through charitable services within the United States and abroad. With goals of working in some of the most impoverished communities all over the world to build water wells, infrastructure, education, healthcare, economic development, microfinancing and literacy programs Complete this sentence. Candy should be an experience that creates a memory. Being a successful female entrepreneur what advice would you give other female entrepreneurs? • The power of great mentors. • Develop meaningful relationships and foster them over a lifetime. • Do for others without expecting anything in return. • Stand by your values. • Follow your passions and love what you do. • Today is not a dress rehearsal. • Work on improving your Emotional Intelligence. What is your favorite ingredient to work with? Organic Cane Sugar  Least favorite? Humidity, although not an active ingredient in all of our products, it does play a huge role in the quality of our product and is definitely my worst enemy. Your favorite candy? Sea Salt Caramel Sugaire and Lychee Fluffpop, for sure! If I had to pick anything else, it would be South African Peppermint Crisp and South African Crunchie. Tell us about your philanthropic work in the community? Make Your Life Sweeter”is a motto that I try to live by, endeavoring to make a sweet impact on the lives of others while supporting a variety of charitable initiatives. My philanthropic passion has enticed me to create a non-profit organization that will inspire others and also give my son the opportunity of interacting with those less fortunate than him. The non-profit organization called Random Acts of Sweetness® will launch in Winter of 2016 with my #spreadingsweetness campaign. Over the last two years, we have been doing a variety of events all over the world through my Random Acts of Sweetness organization, including partnering with hospitals, battered women’s shelters, orphanges, the MS Society, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the International Rescue Committee, Saint Jude Children’s Hospital, and many other amazing philanthropic organizations. How do you balance creativity with commerce? The most important thing for us it to balance creativity with business strategy. While we are presented with amazing opportunities which allow our team to be creative on a daily basis, we have to always remind ourselves to stay on-target by ensuring we are in alignment with our vision and business goals. Yes, these may evolve and change as we grow as an organization, but we try to ensure that we always stay on task as possible. Where were you born: Johannesburg, South Africa. Yes, I am proudly South African… but my ancestors are of Indian decent. To throw everyone off, I speak fluent Spanish!  How long have lived in Dallas: 31 years, my family emigrated from South Africa when I was 3, but a majority of our relatives are still back in South Africa. Occupation: CEO and Founder of Make Your Life Sweeter® brands |Fluffpop® Mini artisanal cotton candy | Hotpoppin® gourmet popcorn | Sugaire® organic cotton candy | Modchocolate | Random Acts of Sweetness® Favorite Restaurant: The Noodle Wave Thai Restaurant (1490 W Spring Valley Rd, Richardson, TX 75080 | www.noodlwave.com), Afrah Mediterranean Restaurant (318 E Main St, Richardson, TX 75081 | www.afrah.com), The Blue Fish (940 Garden Park Dr. Allen, TX | www.the bluefishsushi.com) Best dessert: Fried Cinnamon ice cream at Noodle Wave Thai Restaurant Best Sunday brunch: The Café on the Green at the Four Seasons Hotel (http://www.fourseasons.com/dallas/dining/ | 4150 N MacArthur Blvd, Irving, TX 75038 | http://www.fourseasons.com/dallas/dining/) or Breadwinners Café & Bakery at Northpark Center (8687 N Central Expy, Dallas TX | http://www.breadwinnerscafe.com) Best place for a power business meeting: Ascension Coffee (1621 Oak Lawn Ave, Dallas, TX 75207 | https://ascensiondallas.com) or The Joule Lobby (1530 Main St, Dallas, TX 75201 | www.thejouledallas.com) or Royal Blue Grocers in Highland Park Village (1 Highland Park Village, Dallas, TX 75205 | http://royalbluegrocery.com) If you have out of town guests, which hotel would you recommend? Hotel Zaza!!! It’s definitely an experience like no other. Chef Dan even serves a Madras Mango Curry Cotton Candy on a scallop ceviche in the Dragonfly Restaurant! (2332 Leonard St, Dallas, TX 75201 | www.hotelzaza.com) Favorite shopping venue/boutique: Northpark Center because you can get everything from high fashion to everyday trends, and have an amazing lunch at the Breadwinners Café! Favorite Cultural Event: Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha Favorite Cultural Institution: VRIC (Valley Ranch Islamic Center) Best Steakhouse: Nick and Sam’s (3008 Maple Ave, Dallas, TX 75201 | www.nick-sams.com/) Best Limousine/Driving Service: UBER – Thanks to Leandre John and his remarkable team, UBER has definitely been a game changer for the transportation industry in Dallas and all over the world. Best Museum/Exhibit: The Perot Museum of Nature and Science… mainly because it’s one of my son Zain’s favorite places! (2201 N Field St, Dallas, TX 75201 | www.perotmuseum.org) Describe your city in three words: Worldchangers made here. Favorite historic/legendary place to see or explore: The Neiman Marcus Flagship store in Downtown Dallas and Highland Park Village. All-around favorite spots in Dallas: Highland Park Village (www.hpvillage.com), The Dallas Arboretum, and the Southern Methodist University Campus (www.smu.edu) Best Aspect of Dallas: I wouldn’t have picked any other city in the world to start my businesses. The amazing relationships mixed with the innovative growth strategy of the city. I think we have the best Visitors and Conventions Bureau in the country, thanks to the DCVB (www.visitdallas.com)! Best “Staycation” Spot: The Four Seasons Hotel (http://www.fourseasons.com/dallas/dining/ 4150 N MacArthur Blvd, Irving, TX 75038 Follow: Fluffpop, Hotpoppin, Sugaire, ModChocolate, Random Acts of Sweetness, Yasmeen Tadia and Make Your Life Sweeter Instagram: @yasmeentadia, @makeyourlifesweeter, @fluffpops, @hotpoppin, @sugairecottoncandy, @modchocolate, @spreadingsweetness   Yasmeen Tadia and Mario Batali https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478197001883-XD4UGSESJCDPNXIOLUHN/Screen+Shot+2016-10-31+at+10.38.13+AM.png In The Press - Food Network - New York Food & Wine Festival - Yasmeen Tadia | 2015 NYCWFF | OCT 15-18, 2015 Yasmeen Tadia | 2015 NYCWFF | OCT 15-18, 2015 Make Your Life Sweeter® founder Yasmeen Tadia has transformed standard-issue, carnival cotton candy and popcorn into gourmet indulgences with her signature line of sweet sensations, including Fluffpop® Gourmet Mini Cotton Candy, Hotpoppin® Gourmet Popcorn, The Mini Mason™, and her recent creation Sugaire™ Organic Cotton Candy which launches in Fall 2015. Visions of fluffy treats and popped sweets weren’t always dancing in Tadia’s head. As an SMU Cox School of Business grad, she spent 10 years in corporate America before inventing Fluffpop. However, her time spent in a variety of management positions, and later as the corporate director of human resources for a large hospitality company based in New York City, did give her the confidence kick she needed to turn her fluffy dream into a serious reality. Fluffpop Gourmet Mini Cotton Candy is a flavor-packed experience—and a low-calorie, vegan, and gluten-free one at that. The entrepreneurial vision behind the sweet Fluffpop miniature pouf was actually born out of Tadia’s desire to provide a healthier candy alternative for her sugar-loving young son, Zain, which also instantly made this single-mom the CEO of fun for her son. Now, she and her team of resident “DJs” spin Fluffpop at countless events across the US—from red-carpet celebrity soirees to posh parties, and private celebrations. Tadia reached a milestone in 2014 when she attained the US Patent for Mini Cotton Candy Pops (patent number: D712, 116 S). Popcorn also holds special significance for Tadia, as her love of the snack stems from her childhood in South Africa, where kernels were freshly popped and uniquely flavored for each customer. Wanting Zain to also experience a similarly creative treat in the US, she launched Hotpoppin, her innovative line of premium, handcrafted gourmet popcorn in 2014. Hotpoppin is popped in small batches and features sweet and savory flavors using only the highest quality of ingredients. Tadia’s most recent addition to the Make Your Life Sweeter® family is Sugaire Organic Cotton Candy, which celebrates a similar gourmet twist as Fluffpop but in a traditionally sized cotton candy offering. When traveling globally with her son, she realized that he was still drawn to traditional sized cotton candy, which left her perplexed. Realizing that many people still crave “normal” cotton candy, she wanted to create something that was perceived as the typical childhood favorite, but wanted to use her innovative creativity to make it organic, vegan, and gluten-free. What is your favorite New York City restaurant? Eataly NYC What would be your last meal on earth? My Mother's South African Peri Peri Prawns I always keep ________ in my fridge. Passion Fruit La Croix What is the best advice you have ever been given, and from whom? My Father always taught me to cherish every relationship. Always take care of those around you, whether it’s family, a friend, a client, or a stranger. ALWAYS treat people with respect and dignity, “Treat the janitor better than the CEO”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478197002385-S90ZZZJ5A7U7GH32LK91/Screen+Shot+2016-10-31+at+10.13.39+AM.png In The Press - DFW Beauty Bombshell: Yasmeen Tadia DFW Beauty Bombshell: Yasmeen Tadia Name & Age: Yasmeen Tadia – 32 PROFESSION: CEO and Founder of: Fluffpop Gourmet Cotton Candy HotPoppin Gourmet Popcorn HR Evolved – Human Resources and Business Strategy Consulting Firm Random Acts of Sweetness® – nonprofit Make Your Life Sweeter® – retail component to Fluffpop & HotPoppin A little Background: Yasmeen Tadia is a 32 year-old single mother, with over 10 years of Human Resources and Business Management experience. In her last role, she was the Corporate Director of Human Resources for the largest hotel management company in New York City, where she managed hotels all over the world from an HR perspective. Yasmeen Tadia has transformed standard-issue, carnival cotton candy into a completely new and gourmet, flavor-packed experience—and a low-calorie, vegan and gluten-free one, at that. The entrepreneurial vision behind the sweet Fluffpop pouf was actually born out of her desire to provide a healthier candy alternative for her sugar-loving young son, Zain—which also instantly made this single-mom the CEO of fun for her son. Visions of Yasmeen’s innovative spin on the fluffy treat weren’t always dancing in her head. As an SMU Cox School of Business grad, she spent 10 years in corporate America before inventing Fluffpop. However, her time spent in a variety of management positions, and later as the director of human resources for one of the largest hospitality companies in New York City, gave her the confidence kick she needed to turn her fluffy dream into a serious reality. Now, she and her team of resident “DJs” spin candy instead of music, at countless events worldwide— from red-carpet celebrity soirees to sporting events, posh parties, casual shindigs and private celebrations. Yasmeen holds the United States Patent for Mini Cotton Candy Pops (patent number: D712, 116 S). In addition to her SWEET endeavors of Fluffpop & HotPoppin, Yasmeen also runs HR Evolved, a consulting firm geared towards fueling her passion for Human Resources, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO IN THE DALLAS-FT.WORTH AREA? I love, love, LOVE to shop! Dallas is still by-far the best city to shop... from amazing boutiques to massive malls, I always love an afternoon finding some of the latest trends! I also love trying out new restaurants... which is one thing I love about the Dallas - Ft. Worth metroplex. We have such a multi-cultural community, allowing us to try all sorts of food from all over the world! Many of my favorite restaurants like: Noodlewave Thai, Blue Fish, Afrah Mediterranean Café, are considered small family owned joints...but they definitely have some of the best food in town! DO YOU HAVE ANY BEAUTY REGIMENS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US? While being a busy mom, and balancing my life as a serial entrepreneur, spending time on myself is always a challenge. I am usually in the same look from early morning (dropping my son at school and early morning meetings), until my evening events. Some products keep me looking good are: My favorite make-up line is called Napoleon Perdis and it is sold in select Neiman Marcus stores across the country. I cannot leave the house without applying the Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Primer... the Chamomile, Yarrow extract and Vitamin E deliver complexion perfection and instant hydration for all skin types. The creator, Mr. Napoleon Perdis, has become a backstage regular at both New York and Australian Fashion Weeks where they work with the industry’s top designers to create and communicate the trends of the season. While the Napoleon Perdis philosophy is fueled by fashion, the brand is about runway and reality. It’s about celebrating and elevating your natural beauty with confidence-building products. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478197010768-OPOVJWDNFYAG2CXNLQY5/Screen+Shot+2016-10-31+at+10.50.15+AM.png In The Press - YFS Magazine | Mompreneur, Yasmeen Tadia’s ‘Sweet’ Inspiration Serves Up Portfolio Of Feel Good Brands Mompreneur, Yasmeen Tadia’s ‘Sweet’ Inspiration Serves Up Portfolio Of Feel Good Brands Photo: Yasmeen Tadia; Source: Courtesy Photo In the latest installment of Success Stories, a series highlighting the personal and professional journeys of some of the most dynamic entrepreneurs, YFS Magazine speaks with Yasmeen Tadia, a Dallas-based serial entrepreneur, founder of Make Your Life Sweeter, the parent company to sister brands Fluffpop, a gourmet cotton candy supplier and Hotpoppin, a hand crafted gourmet popcorn brand. Dallas-based mompreneur Yasmeen Tadia is on the rise, building a sweet empire—one childhood delicacy at a time. A triple threat, with three companies under her belt, she balances motherhood and a burgeoning business portfolio that turns childhood favorites into adult experiences. “We take things that are so normal, that everybody really knows about and grew up with, and we add a twist to it,” Yasmeen explains. “We try to make it healthier, but we also try to keep that experience piece in there; it’s really about bringing happiness to people through food and service.” ‘Spinning’ Startup Success As a single mom, Yasmeen spent ten years working in corporate America. She found a semblance of success working as a corporate HR director with the largest owner operator of hotels in New York City. But she also found herself at a crossroads. “My son was three at the time… I had a multitude of hotels underneath me, ten thousand employees reported into my office, and it was very, very stressful,” she remembers. “At the beginning of 2013 I came up with this idea of making a healthier candy option for my son. And what I love about cotton candy is it doesn’t look medicinal.” Yasmeen decided to take the idea of spinning flavorful, low-sugar cotton candy and ran with it – out the door of her then employer – to launch Fluffpop, the first of many brands to soon follow. “I quit my job, in January of 2013, and invested my personal savings into this. I’m completely self-funded and I’m the sole founder … I just started working on it,” she recalls. Flavorful Opportunity Like most entrepreneurs, Yasmeen identified a market opportunity that started with her own need as a mother. However, the Fluffpop brand, initially intended for kids, would soon morph into something entirely different. “It was really my son in the beginning, and I thought okay this will be a really cool thing for kid parties, but … it transformed.” Photo: Fluffpop; Source: Courtesy Photo “I didn’t do any kid parties. I ended up getting hired for my first party at Nobu, an upmarket Japanese-Peruvian fare restaurant. It was an engagement party for a client and we did it, and people loved it…” Yasmeen’s first client exposed her to a new customer base and prompted a product pivot with staying power. “It was fascinating because I used to make the cotton candy about the size of my hand. And everybody was so dressed up for this engagement party… they loved the product, but they said it was way too big. So, I thought I was making it small enough, [but after] market research, people like it completely bite size—the size of a cake pop.” “There’s always pivots… I mold my product based on our customer. I don’t mold my products based on me or my viewpoints [or] on what I think is gonna be successful. We listen …” The young, single mom didn’t stop there. She realized she was onto something small in size, with big potential. Early client feedback caused Yasmeen to start asking much bigger questions about her fledgling brand. “I really transferred it from being this… regular cotton candy to something small and simple, and that’s when we really started [to consider]: ‘Do we get a patent for this? What do we do? Do we get a trademark?'” So, she quickly began work with a patent attorney and secured the U.S. patent on mini cotton candy. She realized her sweet idea was also a vulnerable one withoutintellectual property. “Your brand story is only as compelling as the legal framework used to hold it all up,” NYC-based attorney Kelly Weiner explains. “While it can be difficult to legally claim exclusive rights to an idea, creative components built around an idea may be ownable. Don’t overlook the importance of these elements. Ideas and concepts can be copied… brands cannot.” Undercover Inspiration Nearly three years later, Fluffpop is a rising star in Yasmeen’s portfolio of Make Your Life Sweeter brands. With a constant influx of product launches on the horizon she’s tasked with a creative loop that doesn’t expire. “I come out, pretty much … with something new every six to eight months,” she adds. Fluffpop focuses on two models – an experiential service model with live spin and an e-commerce offering. The latter enables Yasmeen to ship directly to clients all over the world, while the experiential service comes fully equipped with a DJ booth where Fluffpop employees spin candy, instead of music, on mini turntables. “The entire booth lights up. I’ve made the whole booth so that it fits into two suitcases. So we can pretty much assemble and tear down an entire booth in fourteen minutes, stick it in two suitcases and travel anywhere in the country,” Yasmeen explains, “or anywhere in the world.” Photo: Yasmeen Tadia, founder and CEO of founder of Make Your Life Sweeter brands; Source: Courtesy Photo Tapping into creative ideas can be an arduous exercise for entrepreneurs. Instead, Yasmeen sought to work smart by staying connected – and undercover – at her clients’ events. Her hands-on approach enables direct customer feedback that informs product development. “I am the one that serves almost ninety percent of the time. I’m like the wait staff for Fluffpop. Because people … they don’t know who I am, I get free market research directly from my client’s guests. We can tell immediately whether somebody likes the product or they don’t. People are very, very honest to a server when they think they’re not connected to the product.” “Always act, or treat people, in a way as if somebody else is watching. You never know who you’re gonna meet, and I think we can make the world a better place by doing that.” Her approach offers unique value. “The difference is that we go directly to the client. I can hear instantly where someone’s like, ‘This is the best thing I’ve ever had!’ or [if a flavor isn’t a hit]. So, I’m on a headset with my team, and I’ll say … stop spinning a specific flavor. So, it’s really about knowing your customer, being involved and never, ever thinking that you’re above anybody else.” International ‘Sweets’ Appeal Fluffpop launched domestically in the U.S., but has quickly gained international acclaim. When asked how the brand acquired its first international customer, Yasmeen is quick to credit the borderless appeal of social media. “I’ve tried so many different ways of doing social media in the sense of hiring really expensive firms to handle it for me and hiring social media experts… I realized, the best person to do social media is the person that is in and out of the job every day,” she says. This meant Yasmeen would have to bring social media marketing efforts in-house. “I mean, I had a call [recently] with somebody from India wanting to open up a Fluffpop in India. The amount of money there for events is astronomical and she found me on Instagram.” Photo: Fluffpop Cappuccino Gourmet Cotton Candy Social media can be hit or miss. For Yasmeen, she’s found that Instagram yields results. “I think Instagram is the highest profit generating revenue stream for me… Everything else is through connections,” she continues. For Fluffpop, online engagement is one piece of a much larger puzzle. Offline marketing plays a substantial role in Fluffpop’s expansion. Yasmeen’s first international client, Delta Faucet, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of branded kitchen and bathroom faucets, hired Fluffpop after the company’s marketing head, Kristen Smith, met Yasmeen while “spinning” at a Neiman Marcus event. For Yasmeen, brand growth is all about relationships. “So, it’s really keeping up with people and developing those relationships… I think my product is good, but I really think you have to go above that and have service and have a people piece to it,” she says. “I base my whole business on service and relationships. We don’t pay for any advertising.” Sweet Success Success is not without its challenges. For Yasmeen, learning to managing life as a single mother and breadwinner, while running a business, was difficult. “I mean, my biggest challenge is my social life. I work a lot, and I also have a five year old. As a single mom, you know, my life has changed dramatically in two years.” “I’m really struggling with the balance of my life right now. Although it’s a blessing that I’m able to support my son fully … my biggest challenge is making sure I can keep my customers happy, but also have a life and take care of myself. I don’t sleep a lot. That’s my biggest challenge too, but I know all entrepreneurs have that issue.” Photo: HotPoppin Gourmet Popcorn; Source: Courtesy Photo When work-life balance seems elusive, Yasmeen is committed to making it work by exposing her son to her business. “Being able to take him along with me … one, it teaches him work ethic and that nothing is going to be handed to you on a golden platter. [He knows] mommy works very hard.” For example, “I had this business trip to Dubai, I took him with me, so he could see what it’s like, but also so we get that personal time together.” For Yasmeen, she has learned a more practical approach to success – it starts with brand recognition and inspiring other single moms. Traveling from coast to coast and meeting people that are familiar with the Fluffpop brand is a win in her playbook. “Be memorable. Everything in life is an interview. Go in and get coffee at a coffee shop. You have no clue who you’re going to meet.1” “I’ve always wanted to create something that became a household name… I don’t think of them as success stories, I think of them as blessings. We’ve been blessed in so many different ways… The biggest blessing that has come from this whole thing is I can be a single mom, and I can show women that … all it takes is you putting passion and hard work into something and being a good person and good things will happen.” Photo: Fluffpop; Source: Courtesy Photo “The fact that I can influence other women, to just try their best and do great things… that is my success story. That is what I live for.” When asked about her future plans for Fluffpop and Make Your Life Sweeter brands, she laughingly admits, “I don’t even know what I’m eating for lunch today. So…” “In all honesty, I did not even think it would get to where it is today… My goal was never to make millions off of this. My goal was to make the world a better place and show women and men, and show kids, that hard work pays off,” she exclaims. “Being a good person and taking care of people and caring about one another… we can make the world a better place. And if I can do that in the next five years … that is more than a blessing for me.” Connect with @yasmeentadia and @fluffpop on Twitter. © YFS Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Copying prohibited. All material is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this material is prohibited. Sharing of this material under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International terms, listed here, is permitted. What do you think? 0 comments https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478197082164-MO6VXFF6RSG4H58A9PAP/Screen+Shot+2016-10-31+at+11.16.57+AM.png In The Press - The Pathways to Success: Yasmeen Tadia – Founder of Fluffpop Artisan Cotton Candy – A Sweet Entrepreneurial Journey Yasmeen Tadia – Founder of Fluffpop Artisan Cotton Candy – A Sweet Entrepreneurial Journey 01: Yasmeen Tadia – Founder of Fluffpop Artisan Cotton Candy – A Sweet Entrepreneurial Journey Make Your Life Sweeter® founder Yasmeen Tadia has transformed standard-issue, carnival cotton candy and popcorn into gourmet indulgences with her signature line of sweet sensations, including Fluffpop® Gourmet Mini Cotton Candy, Hotpoppin® Gourmet Popcorn, The Mini Mason™, and her recent creation: Sugaire™ Organic Cotton Candy Her story of risking it all by leaving her corporate job to start her own business is truly inspiring! Connect with Yasmeen at http://www.makeyourlifesweeter.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478197003722-7QJM1A9OVMHM9UCDQ7W8/Screen+Shot+2016-10-31+at+10.11.42+AM.png In The Press - Dallas Morning News | Meet the Dallas entrepreneur behind cotton candy craved by Dallas socialites, Facebook employees Meet the Dallas entrepreneur behind cotton candy craved by Dallas socialites, Facebook employees THE CONNECTORS: Conversations with visionaries, investors and entrepreneurs from North Texas who are making a mark in the business world. Yasmeen Tadia's business began with a swirl of cotton candy that she made to satisfy her young son’s sweet tooth. Now, her gourmet cotton candy is served at parties thrown by Dallas socialites, ordered as wedding reception favors and sold in luxury suites during Dallas Cowboys games. Her clients include Neiman Marcus, the Food Network and Facebook. Make Your Life Sweeter has four brands: FluffPop, a mini cotton candy treat with flavors from guava to sriracha; HotPoppin, a gourmet popcorn line; Sugaire, an organic cotton candy line; and ModChocolate, an artisanal chocolate brand. Two Dallas shops -- Bolsa Mercado in north Oak Cliff and the gift shop of the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown -- sell Sugaire. Madras Curry cotton candy adorns the plate of a scallop ceviche appetizer at Hotel Zaza’s Dragonfly restaurant. And Tadia said she’s talking to chefs and looking for unique shops in other cities. It’s is a dramatic change for Tadia, who worked for years in corporate America as a human resources professional. She traded an office job for a career of “spinning” cotton candy at parties, labeling hundreds of containers and marketing the treats. She carries gourmet popcorn and cotton candy in her purse to hand out to friendly flight attendants, hungry strangers and others who cross her path. Why did you decide to start your company? I wanted a healthier candy option. My son loves candy, as all kids love candy. And [when] you go to Whole Foods and go to all these places, you find candy but most of it looks medicinal. It doesn't look cool or trendy.   What was it about cotton candy that inspired you to start the business? I always used to go to fairs and just think of the profit margin in it. The people who spin it [cotton candy] are not business-savvy. They just spin this cotton candy, they stick it in a bag, and it has a clown on the outside. No one is branding it. And then I'd go to Disney, and I'd think, ‘Every single thing is branded, except cotton candy.’ Popcorn is branded. Ice cream is branded. Snowcones are branded. Cotton candy is the only thing that has a clown on it. So how can we change something that no one else has ever done? How did you get to the point when you thought, 'I'm onto a good idea. It's worth quitting my job and taking this risk'? I wanted to make a [career] move, and so I just said, ‘I already know I am going to make a change in my life. It could be another job in HR or whatever it is, but I am going to try this for three months. I have six months of savings saved, so for three months, I am going to try it and if it doesn't work, I'll go back to work.’ If you could only bring one of your sweets to a desert island, what would it be? I would probably say a savory popcorn. One of my favorites is Chicago -- we call it Better Than Chicago -- which is a sharp cheddar cheese and a buttery caramel. I still eat that, which is shocking. Some of the other flavors, we just pack so much of it (and we handpack everything) that we get to a point where Neiman's will order 975 bags of fried pickle popcorn for an event, and we don't want to smell it ever again. How did your chocolate line, ModChocolate, get started? You mentioned that it was driven by a client's request. We got invited to do a pop-up shop at Facebook's office at Menlo Park. They have an actual pop-up shop in the middle of their campus and every day, they have a different company in there. ... A Facebook employee called me and changed the date to two days before Valentine's Day. And she had specifically told me no one gets that week except florists and chocolate companies. So I thought, 'Ok. I guess I'm coming up with a chocolate brand.' What creative strategies have you used to attract clients -- especially such big-name clients? People ask me that question all the time. ‘Who's your marketing person?’ or ‘Who's this PR [public relations] company that you work with?’ I've tried all of those things. None of those work. My way to success is just taking care of people. That's all I do. You just take care of the people around you, and good things will happen. ___________________ Yasmeen Tadia Age: 33 Education: Got a bachelor's degree at Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business Hometown: Born in Johannesburg, South Africa; raised in Richardson; lives in Plano Family: Six-year-old son Zain https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478197010198-QH88QNQZ6UNF0JOJVWYO/Screen+Shot+2016-10-31+at+10.45.26+AM.png In The Press - SMU COX Today | Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice! Is necessity the mother of invention? Single mother Yasmeen Tadia (BBA ’04) thinks so. She turned a quest for a healthier candy alternative for her young son into a portfolio of unique and flavorful treats. Moving from a career in HR and hotel management, Tadia launched two successful brands in the last year: FluffpopTM gourmet cotton candy, a low-calorie pouf spun in exotic flavors like guava, lychee and pineapple, and HotPoppinTM, a line of handcrafted popcorn with flavors from chocolate- covered salted caramel to buffalo hot wings with ranch. “At SMU Cox, I learned to seize opportunities as they came my way,” Tadia says. “We took two childhood favorites and turned them into adult delicacies. My team and I were willing to give it a shot, and we have been so incredibly blessed with the results.” Tadia is planning a Make Your Life Sweeter® corporate brand with several more sweet treats to be rolled out in the next six to eight months, in addition to managing an HR consulting firm and her own nonprofit. “Time management is the most critical component of my life. Balancing being a single mom, running four companies and also having time for myself is a challenge,” Tadia admits. “However, I am a true believer that if you love what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478201871685-EKW1TLFAJAZ3DZZUCDX2/Screen+Shot+2016-11-03+at+2.36.35+PM.png In The Press - InStyle Magazine: How to Make the Cotton Candy-Infused Cocktail That's Taking Over the Internet How to Make the Cotton Candy-Infused Cocktail That's Taking Over the Internet ICYMI, technicolor drinks are the new "It" thing this summer. Between Starbucks's secret rainbow menu and the much-buzzed-about blue wine, it's clear that the Internet can't get enough of these 'grammable concoctions. The latest iteration to take center stage? The cotton candy-infused cocktail. The effervescent drink, dreamed up by the creative thinkers at the candy company Sugaire, has all the makings of a social media sensation. But to get the full experience, you have to see it in action in the video tutorial below, where a bubbly liquid is poured over cotton candy and dusted with edible gold. And now for the question on everyone's mind: How does it taste? Like roses, according to Sugaire founder Yasmeen Tadia. "We use rose-infused cotton candy," she says. If you want to get your hands on these buzzy creations with minimal effort, you can book them at your next party, along with a team of "DJs" who will hand-spin the sweet treats throughout the night. Or, for a more immediate fix, grab a tub of Sugaire's organic rose gold cotton candy ($7/1 lb; fluffpop.com)—or any kind you can get your hands on—and make your own scintillating libation at home with the directions below. Either way, bottoms up! RELATED: 3D-Printed Gummies Are Now a Thing That Exists Sugaire's Cotton Candy Infused Cocktail Recipe 1. Fill a glass with cotton candy ($7/1 lb; fluffpop.com). 2. Sprinkle with edible gold ($35; amazon.com). 3. Top it off with a sparkling beverage like sparkling water or champagne. 4. Add a straw. 5. Stir and enjoy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478207076117-38O9G7G4YBSRHKI6IEKS/Screen+Shot+2016-11-03+at+4.04.12+PM.png In The Press - Glamour Magazine | End Your Wedding on a Sweet Note With a Grown-Up Twist on Cotton Candy. (Nom Nom Nom) End Your Wedding on a Sweet Note With a Grown-Up Twist on Cotton Candy. (Nom Nom Nom) If you're prone to afternoon sugar cravings, prepare to go on a bender after you read this: Instead of passing petit fours (been there) or sugar cookies (done that) with after-dinner coffee at your reception, how about mini sticks of cotton candy in grown-up flavors, like mango and caramel, both of which are offered by gourmet cotton candy purveyor Fluffpop. Another option: the Illinois-based Spin-Spun, which offers 10-year Scotch, coconut, and lemongrass among its 25 cotton candy flavors. Yum, anyone? Would you serve gourmet cotton candy at your wedding? Or do you have something different in mind? (And before anyone starts yelling, I'm not turning down a petit four or a sugar cookie, if you're offering! I just think this is a fun, fresh alternative.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478197029524-GEDVDE1Z3TUYFXVLMCR8/Screen+Shot+2016-10-31+at+12.23.06+PM.png In The Press - The Thrillist: Cotton Candy Like You've Never Seen COTTON CANDY LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN Unless you're eating it at the state fair, or staring down a girl at The Fare, cotton candy isn't really meant for grownups. Aiming to rectify that with inventive cotton candy aimed at an adult crowd (and fit for artsy b&w photography!), the girl behind Fluffpop™. Eschewing artificial dyes to give a more refined white appearance to flavors such as lychee, peppermint, and caramel, the specially modded machine's also capable of churning out flavors based on hard candy like Life Savers, and they accept custom orders, so be sure to ask about Werther's Originals for the most grown-up cotton candy ever. The machine's also been configured to spin the cotton candy into denser, more tightly wound treats resembling a cake pop (like when Katy Perry covers Short Skirt/Long Jacket), or score snacks for Burning Man and get it wrapped around a glow stick. She can even make chocolate- or cappucino-flavored fluff to put on top of coffee, thereby saving that Reddi Whip for the VIP room. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478197003637-TFMLD8ZTWQ1OGG2E150U/Screen+Shot+2016-10-31+at+10.24.29+AM.png In The Press - SMU Magazine | Alumna Yasmeen Tadia ’04 Puts Her Spin On The Candy Business Alumna Yasmeen Tadia ’04 Puts Her Spin On The Candy Business UPDATE: SMU alumna Yasmeen Tadia ’04 recently expanded her gourmet treat business with the addition of HotPoppin Gourmet Popcorn. Yasmeen Tadia ’04 credits her four-year-old son’s sweet tooth with sparking her entrepreneurial spirit. “Zain loves candy, like any other child,” Tadia says. “So I looked for reasonably healthy options, but most of them didn’t taste good.”   Yasmeen Tadia ’04 founded Fluffpop, a gourmet cotton candy company. When she failed to find what she wanted in the marketplace, she created it. In 2012 the Cox School of Business alumna founded Fluffpop, producing gluten-free, vegan cotton candy. The airy confection is available in three categories: exotic, which includes fruit flavors such as guava and sparkling strawberry; sugar-free; and certified organic, which is also a kosher option. She imports chemical-free, flavor-packed hard candy from countries around the world as the foundation for the sweet concoctions and uses a customized spinning device she designed to whip up treat-sized Fluffpops. The small, flavor-infused portions are about 90 percent air and 10 percent sugar, she says. While consumers can place orders on her company’s website at fluffpop.com, most of her business is event related. Tadia and her team, who are known as DJs because they “spin candy,” have become fixtures at business and social functions around the country. Fluffpop has been served at events at Neiman Marcus, the New York City Library, Klyde Warren Park and SMU, among many others venues. Tadia draws on her experience as a corporate human resources manager in the hospitality industry to personalize each event. “Every client of mine becomes a friend,” she says. “I work with them to create a special experience, to bring a little unexpected joy into their guests’ day.” The young alumna says she first recognized the importance of relationship building while involved in an array of SMU student organizations. She was active in Program Council, Asian Council, the Association of Black Students, the Leadership Consulting Council and the Muslim Student Association. She acknowledges the influence of favorite professors, including Chip Besio, on her people-focused approach to business. “He always went above and beyond to foster the relationship,” she says of Besio, who serves as director of the Center for Marketing Management Studies and a senior lecturer at Cox. “He helped me understand the value of relationships in building a business.” Now that Fluffpop has taken off, Tadia plans to add her magic touch to popcorn with her Hot Poppin’ line. “I’ve innovated the way people think about cotton candy and that’s what I plan to do with popcorn,” she says. — Sarah Bennett ’11 What’s new with you? Share your information here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478201203503-ULDMXE11GU1QBT2CSLD2/Screen+Shot+2016-11-03+at+2.25.41+PM.png In The Press - Grubstreet | This Gold-Infused Cotton-Candy Cocktail Is Almost Too Stunning to Drink This Gold-Infused Cotton-Candy Cocktail Is Almost Too Stunning to Drink What happens when you mix organic, rose-gold-infused cotton candy and sparkling water? An effervescent cocktail, made by the couture cotton-candy company Sugaire, that is sure to impress onlookers, online and off, that’s what. Produced and written by Kenny Wassus. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478197010485-P5YQ7645OEDHR88YN4OO/Screen+Shot+2016-10-31+at+10.54.05+AM.png In The Press - Culturemap | The 7 most exciting startups in Dallas right now The 7 most exciting startups in Dallas right now Owning a small business is as American as apple pie, and in Dallas, entrepreneurship is a way of life. With innovation leaders who nurture the startup spirit and do their part to stoke the fire, Big D is one of the best places for small businesses to thrive. And this entrepreneurial drive isn’t limited to only a handful of industries. The local startup scene’s unbelievable diversity — and our willingness to embrace just about any good new idea — means we have a lot of budding businesses to make us proud. Here’s a sampling of the most exciting startups in Dallas right now: Block Party Suites Spend any time around SMU and you’ll run into Block Party Suites. The company is responsible for the pop-up village where SMU fans gathered before home games last fall, and its popularity has quickly spread throughout the state. Offering portable hospitality suites — think swanky stadium suites but on-the-go — Block Party Suites has made appearances at the Dallas Untapped Festival and the Cotton Bowl for the Heart of Dallas Bowl. Satellite television, reserved spots that put guests right at the heart of the best tailgating action, premium sound, comfortable furniture, and the ability to customize each suite make the pop-up model a quick favorite. This year, founders Adam Ward and Steve Gilman look forward to providing a VIP lounge for the Red Bull and Tissot Watches racing teams at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, and even more block parties at SMU and TCU for the 2016 season. CataBoom Companies are more interested than ever in developing relationships with customers, and gamification is a natural result of that desire to connect with users on a more entertaining and personal level. CEO Todd McGee explains that CataBoom is a behavioral marketing engagement platform based on Pavlov’s theories that a rewarded behavior is more likely to be repeated. Companies hire CataBoom to create games that reward behavior and bring consumers back again and again. From surveys for fashion companies to skill games for major motion picture promotions or ticket sales organizations, CataBoom is behind some of the coolest new games that companies use to reward their customers. Circle Seven Five Billed as a private social club for women, Circle Seven Five is a new way to meet like-minded ladies about town. The organization founded by Dallasite Cassidy Fischer sponsors activities that put women in touch with their future coworkers, collaborators, mentors, and best friends by curating more than 15 events each month. From adventures like rock climbing and movie-viewing parties to educational seminars, career development workshops, and exclusive previews at local shops, Circle Seven Five helps young women do the things they always talk about doing, by helping them live better lives. iuzeit Keep an eye out for iuzeit, a new “catchall” website for product ratings and reviews. Launched at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco last fall, iuzeit, pronouced “I use it,” is currently in beta testing, but founder Yogi Patel says the platform will launch to the public this spring. Once launched, users will be able to access product reviews from multiple sources all in one place, making shopping online easier than ever before. Patel came up with the idea when he was attempting to make a purchase online. Jumping from site to site and sifting through dozens of product reviews was incredibly frustrating. So he created iuzeit, which promises to take the hassle out of online shopping. The service will allow users to compare information about each product across retailers so they can find the best prices available. Leaseful Think of Leaseful as Airbnb for college sublets. Boasting ease of use and security, the Dallas-based company connects college students who need someone to cover their rent or sublease a room with other students who need a place to crash. The site verifies that guests are who they say they are, and it offers full transparency to its users. College students simply post an open room or apartment on Leaseful, other students book and pay for the room via a secure platform, and voila! It almost makes you want to be a college student again. Founders Chad Kehoe and Alexander Prince launched a private beta in May 2015 at SMU and FSU, and within three weeks they secured investments from Motive, Dallas’ own real estate accelerator. Leaseful officially launched in Austin and Dallas this February, and the service will soon be available in Houston. Make Your Life Sweeter A few years ago, SMU grad Yasmeen Tadia left corporate America and started a business that took the sweet snack world by storm. Fluffpop cotton candy and HotPoppin gourmet popcorn quickly gained attention from companies and celebs across the nation, and their parent company, Make Your Life Sweeter, continues to grow. Based in Dallas, Make Your Life Sweeter has recently launched two new lines: Sugaire, an organic, gluten-free, vegan, handspun gourmet cotton candy, and ModChocolate, an artisanal collection of fine chocolates in chic packaging. The brands have wowed diners from Facebook corporate to the White House Correspondence Dinner, but Tadia and team are in talks with some local favorites — hello, Hotel ZaZa! — to feature exclusive cotton candy-infused menu items this year. Be on the lookout for these delectable treats in select Dallas-Fort Worth retailers in the coming months. Visage Payroll North Texas is such a hub for small businesses that entrepreneurs are founding startups specifically to support mom-and-pop companies. Visage Payroll is one such startup concentrated on helping small companies grow and thrive, by offering free payroll services to companies of 50 or fewer employees. Before Visage, these small companies spent hundreds of dollars each year on payroll and accounting. Visage blends the appeal of social media with the ease of modern banking platforms to provide small companies with free payroll services. Local partners and investors in the real estate business, insurance, banking, and others industries have lined up to help Visage Payroll provide these services. Dallas founder Craig Lewis sees his passion for free payroll for small businesses as an integral part of fueling the economy and encouraging growth and expansion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478201877953-MU8B59MEGZ13QE5BD1ZX/Screen+Shot+2016-11-03+at+2.35.27+PM.png In The Press - The Dishh | Prepare Yourself for Gold-Infused Cotton Candy Cocktails TON CANDY COCKTAILS PREPARE YOURSELF FOR GOLD-INFUSED COTTON CANDY COCKTAILS I'll admit it, I'm a sparkling wine girl. Yes, I'm that chick at the bar with a champagne flute during happy hour, swigging Prosecco while the rest of my friends do shots or chug beers. I can't help it, I like what I like. If you're a bubbly drinker like myself, prepare yourself, because there's a new cocktail in town and it's here to blow any mimosa or Bellini out of the water. Couture sweets company Sugaire made waves this week when their rose gold-infused cotton candy cocktail hit the internet. Yes, that's what I said: Rose. Gold. Cotton. Candy. Check it out for yourself: Sure, it's made with sparkling water in the video, but I'm sure it would be just as delicious with a little bit of booze. What isn't though, am I right? Plus, Sugaire promises that their spun sugar is low-calorie, vegan, and gluten-free, so it's almost good for you. Almost. So what brought this whole "couture cotton candy" thing about? A statement from the Sugaire website says, "The entrepreneurial vision behind the sweet Fluffpop miniature pouf was actually born out of [founder and CEO Yasmeen] Tadia’s desire to provide a healthier candy alternative for her sugar-loving young son... Now, she and her team of resident “DJs” spin Fluffpop at countless events across the United States—from red-carpet celebrity soirees to sporting events, posh parties, and private celebrations." Pretty cute, right?   If you're nervous that you may not be approved for hiring a Fluffpop DJ at your party, fear not. Sugaire has a full store online as well. Some of the products offered are miniature jars of their signature candy, multiple flavors of gourmet popcorn and even — you guessed it — individual servings of their rose gold-infused cotton candy.   *Spends all this week's grocery money on rose gold spun sugar.* https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478200886951-BBH07Q7B529K1I85O2ZZ/Screen+Shot+2016-11-03+at+2.20.46+PM.png In The Press - Food & Wine Magazine | Event Dispatch: Andrew Zimmern Reveals What It's Like for a Chef at the New York City Wine and Food Festival Event Dispatch: Andrew Zimmern Reveals What It's Like for a Chef at the New York City Wine and Food Festival © Andrew Zimmern Star chef Andrew Zimmern shares an inside look at his New York City Wine and Food Festival itinerary. Thursday, October 15 Flew the Delta A320 into NYC, great plane and brand-new. Delta is the best in the business. I checked into the Nomad Hotel and am reminded every time I do that every hotelier in the world should stay there for a night to see how a casual and unpretentious place can constantly put the guest first and say "yes" to every request. And the food there is second to none. Juice Press in NYC is how I survive four days of nonstop work and fun. I load up when I arrive, stuff bottles into my fridge and keep the green juice flowing all weekend long. Energy up! I cooked a meal Thursday evening at Scott Conant's Culinary Studio for a charity called Services for the UnderServed. Great cause, amazing meal, and I was reminded once again that in a large city with so much to offer, what a great spot that is to throw a party. Conant and his team make some amazing food. Friday, October 16 I went to the book party to launch the new Nomad Cookbook. Phenomenal event with killer food (of course) but the big news is that chef Daniel Humm is now on Instagram and everyone should follow him (@danielhumm) so he can feel welcomed. The book is gorgeous and there’s a hidden book within the book containing all of Leo Robitschek's amazing cocktail recipes. I attended a lunch featuring food and conversation that my production company, Intuitive Content, was shooting for Renaissance Hotels. John Besh, Jose Garces and Daniel Boulud cooked the meal and Food & Wine editor in chief Dana Cowin was our guest of honor. It was a dry run for our MasterCard-sponsored dinner that night to kick off the NYCWFF. The conversation was amazing, and I had no idea Daniel had run a restaurant in Beijing for five years long ago, and his stories of biking to work every day were hysterical. Hanging out with those four legends was one of the highlights of the weekend. The dinner that night was flawless and getting to cook with those amazing chefs was a real privilege, and I learned more about cooking in those nine hours then I have in a year. Lee Schrager threw an amazing party that night for all the NYCWFF chefs at Soho House, and after laughing my ass off listening to Jonathan Waxman and Marcus Samuelsson tell a few stories, I indulged in a new product called Fluff Pop from Sugaire, flavored organic cotton candy… it blew my mind. Cool company from a budding young entrepreneur. Saturday, October 17 I had breakfast at the Nomad the next morning with the new head of Scripps Networks programming and branding. Her name is Kathleen Finch and she ran DIY and HGTV for years and is now overseeing all the SNI networks. I think fans of all our lifestyle brands are going to be amazed at what they see over the next few years; I am really excited. We all went down to the Standard Hotel to celebrate Bizarre Foods’ 200th episode that airs on October 20. Philadelphia never tasted so good. Anyway, the party was at the Biergarten and we built it into the Top Dog Competition won by Rosamunde. Everyone had a blast; there was a big cake and a huge showing of SNI talent and fans had a blast eating hot dogs and rubbing elbows. I wish everyone could attend the NYCWFF to see those special moments and be a part of it. Food & Wine's digital team at FWx and Renaissance and I teamed up that night to throw a great party at the Renaissance Hotel in Times Square. Meeting and hanging with all the fans was a blast, but hanging with Valerie Bertinelli and listening to her amazing passion for Italian food and her desire to go to Italy and cook there was really inspiring. She's good people. Adam Richman, G Love, Aarón Sánchez and a host of other folks all showed up, and we had a great night with lots of dancing in front of the glass walls with the best view in the city of Times Square. After that event, we went down to Scott Feldman's 212 Access party in the private party space at Toro NYC. It was amazing, cool to hang with some friends I hadn't seen in a long time and then I took all of my team back through the maze of hallways for a 1 a.m. dinner at Toro. Jamie Bissonnette and his team continue to kill it there. Sunday, October 18 The next morning I had my yearly brunch with Dana Cowin and my Food Worksteam. It’s a traditional thing we do and always a highlight of the festival. Here's why Dana is so smart and so engaging: She's eternally curious. I think that’s the secret of success in life and she exemplifies it. My demo at the Grand Tasting at Pier 94 was a blast. I made a Mexican shrimp dish (recipe at this link) in honor of our NYCWFF Destination of the Year, Mexico, a country whose food is second to none in terms of regionality, depth and quality. I got to meet the team from Biko, one of the best restaurants in Mexico City, and chef Alonso is a genius. I also got to spread the message of acceptance about people, which is my biggest activism for this coming year as I settle in to write another book, my first cookbook. As Americans, we inhale other cultures through our mouths; we love the food of other peoples and cultures, and we expose ourselves to food from other places before the music or art or dance or religion or politics of other places. Our problem is that we accept the food before we accept and understand the people. And that's backwards thinking. The world, and our lives, are about OTHER people. Food is a part of that, not the other way around. We live in a strange time, where patience, tolerance and understanding of other cultures is vitally necessary to save our planet and create sustainable systems of all kinds, from economical ones to agricultural ones. But we can't do that unless we put people first. People, other people, are what make this world and our global community so vital, and we need to stop putting cultural totems ahead of the people who create the cultures. Huge love to Lee Schrager, Lizzie Nuell and their amazing team for an incredible weekend. Bravo. Related: Andrew Zimmern's Favorite Ethnic Food in the US Terrific Recipes From Andrew Zimmern Andrew Zimmern's Street Food Adventures https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478197026988-B9RKA18IGR5FZ7JEVKXR/Screen+Shot+2016-10-31+at+11.38.37+AM.png In The Press - Luxury Listings: NYC | Not just anybody can drink Sugaire’s gold-infused cotton-candy cocktail Not just anybody can drink Sugaire’s gold-infused cotton-candy cocktail   For all those who will soon miss the Four Season’s bright pink mounds of cotton candy (with a candle on top), we’re here to tell you that there’s a new way to get your fix. Sugaire, “a flavorful, organic, gluten-free, vegan, hand spun cotton candy,” has add a rose gold-infused cotton-candy cocktail to its line up of treats. The drink, and the unique cotton candy, were created by sweet-stuff entrepreneur Yasmeen Tadia. But she told Grubstreet that she is highly selective with her clients. So unfortunately not just anyone can get a hold of this unusual drink. However, those who are accepted are treated to “deejays” that “hand spin” cotton candy right in front of you. Watch the cocktail being created below. Tags: cocktails, Wine and Spirits https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478203331204-8OGPB17B6GWBOAA14A29/Screen+Shot+2016-11-03+at+3.01.45+PM.png In The Press - Trendhunter | This Luxurious Cocktail is Made with Gold-Infused Cotton Candy This Luxurious Cocktail is Made with Gold-Infused Cotton Candy The New York-based company Sugaire recently debuted a luxurious new cocktail made with gold-infused cotton candy. While gold has been added to everything from donuts to Kit-Kat bars, this outrageous cocktail uses the luxury ingredient in a whole new way. The sugary-sweet cocktail is made by mixing organic rose gold-infused candy floss with a bit of sparkling water. The addition of cotton candy not only makes the water sweet, but it also produces beautiful pink swirls that are almost too pretty to eat. Unfortunately, the company only makes the opulent cocktail and its popular hand-spun Fluffpops for special events. While the idea of gold-infused treats may seem decadent, the creative new cocktail demonstrates the growing demand for innovative mixology. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478206098371-JKH8WBW9D1N7X3S751UH/Screen+Shot+2016-11-03+at+3.47.50+PM.png In The Press - D Magazine | Cotton Candy DJs Spin Fluffpops for North Texas Cotton Candy DJs Spin Fluffpops for North Texas   The mini cotton candy is never bigger than a fist, the perfect two-bite treat. (photography by Meredith Carey) Cotton candy is all grown up. No longer relegated to descriptive flavors like pink and blue, Fluffpops is reinventing the sugary treat for a more mature audience. Spun in small-scale cotton candy machines designed by Fluffpops founder Yasmeen Tadia, the sweet-on-a-stick is far from the sticky mess of State Fair memories I associate with cotton candy. Thin, soft, fluffy, and a measly 6 calories, Fluffpops are basically flavored air. The miniature dollops of cotton candy pack a real punch, melting in your mouth to leave the taste of pineapple, guava, strawberry, or, my favorite, lychee, on your tongue.   Fluffpop DJ Antonia wears a ring that glows as she spins the most popular Fluffpop flavor, guava. With 15 Fluffpop DJs who spin live at events, Fluffpops aren’t just about the flavor. Watching the technique used to wrap the tendrils of candy around the short wooden skewer is mesmerizing. Never spun bigger than a fist, the bites of sugar are ideal for endless snacking. (I ate 7 in a row and could have continued for hours.) Yasmeen spins at every event, travelling across the country to promote her idea-turned-business inspired by her three-year-old son, Zain. When she couldn’t find any candy without dyes or preservatives to feed Zain’s sweet tooth, she decided to create something new. Now, just under a year after making her idea a reality, the white cotton candy is being spun at parties and weddings across the country. Yasmeen can even spin Fluffpops around glow sticks, into cocktails, or as garnishes for coffee. Yasmeen, who has a portable Fluffpop machine that she carries in her purse, will be launching new, seasonal flavors in the fall, including wasabi and Sriracha. If you can’t get Fluffpops out to your next party (which you should), order a few Mini Masons – small glass jars filled with exotically flavored cotton candy – as gifts, thank yous, or even place markers. Each jar’s sticker is customized, so make sure to order them two weeks in advance. Meredith Carey is an editorial intern at D Magazine. She will be a junior at Southern Methodist University with majors in journalism and Spanish. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478206244218-ZS2RPEJ6ABGGGKFKBBXQ/Screen+Shot+2016-11-03+at+3.50.31+PM.png In The Press - Brandettes | Innovative Sweets and Treats Innovative Sweets and Treats Great hosts have a carefree and casual way of making their guests feel special. Whether it’s a just-for-the-occasion cocktail or a special little treat, a memorable party starts and ends with the details. At a recent launch event hosted by the fine folks at Splendid, we scooped up a unique treat (yes, we only took one) that delivered on so many levels. FluffPop, a part of the Make Your Life Sweeter brand portfolio, is a 10-calorie mini cotton candy spun into unique flavors like guava, lychee, cappuccino & sriracha. Innovative sweets like this are just our thing. The brainchild of CEO and serial entrepreneur Yasmeen Tadia (pictured below), Fluffpop reinvented an ordinary treat and made it extraordinary through product innovation, packaging and pure yumminess. And she didn’t stop there. Tadia has gone on to introduce one incredible treat after another; Fluffpop, Hotpoppin, Sugaire and ModChocolate, all while running her own charity and HR consulting firm. We recently caught up with the incredibly busy Yasmeen Tadia to learn more about her brands and innovation process…   We love your start up story Yasmeen. Can you share a little about your journey from HR professional to CEO of a whole group of amazing sweets brands? Visions of fluffy treats and popped sweets weren’t always dancing in my head. As a Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business grad, I spent 10 years in corporate America before inventing Fluffpop. Time spent in a variety of management positions, and later as the corporate director of human resources for a large hospitality company based in New York City, gave me the confidence kick I needed to turn my fluffy dream into a serious reality. Fluffpop Gourmet Mini Cotton Candy is a flavor-packed experience—and a low-calorie, vegan, and gluten-free one at that. The vision behind the sweet Fluffpop miniature pouf was born out of my desire to provide a healthier candy alternative for my sugar-loving son, Zain. Popcorn also holds special significance for me. Growing up in South Africa, kernels were freshly popped and uniquely flavored for each customer. I wanted Zain to experience a similarly creative and custom treat in the United States, so we introduced Hotpoppin, a line of premium, handcrafted gourmet popcorn in 2014. Hotpoppin is popped in small batches and features sweet and savory flavors using only the highest quality of ingredients for a taste that’s like no other. We have vegan and gluten-free options so everyone can enjoy it. Along with chef-driven flavors, the Hotpoppin team specializes in innovative and trendsetting popcorn bars and custom presentations at events around the world. In addition to Fluffpop and Hotpoppin, we also have Sugaire Organic Cotton Candy, which celebrates a similar gourmet twist as Fluffpop but in a traditionally sized cotton candy offering, plus artisanal chocolate brand, ModChocolate. “Make Your Life Sweeter” is a motto I live by. My team and I created a non-profit organization of the same name that will inspire others and also give my son the opportunity of interacting with those less fortunate than him. Our non-profit organization, called Random Acts of Sweetness®, will launch in winter of 2016 with the #spreadingsweetness campaign.   What role has branding and packaging played in your businesses? Branding and packaging play an integral part in the success of our business. I have always believed that gourmet, high quality products should be served in the best packaging. When Fluffpop was first launched, we were always asked if we could “stick our cotton candy in a bag”. We were against that method from day one. You cannot have a quality, high end product in terrible packaging. After that, the Mini Mason was born! We developed the idea of packing two servings of Fluffpop into a mini mason jar, and it has been one of our best selling products ever since.   What’s the secret behind making sweet treats like cotton candy and gourmet popcorn unique? We are so blessed that we reached a milestone in 2014 when we attained the United States Patent for Mini Cotton Candy Pops (patent number: D712, 116 S). We then went a step further to create intense flavors served in small, trendy portions. Our high quality ingredients and attention to detail make us who we are today.   How do you come up with Fluffpop and HotPoppin flavors? We’re pretty envious of your product development team! Most of the original Fluffpop flavors were developed directly, in house. Now we are blessed to have an amazing team of brilliant foodies. We travel all over the world for the Make Your Life Sweeter brands, and with each journey, we learn something new about the world of gourmet foods and flavors. We are inspired by small tea lounges in the Middle East, to cotton candy vendors selling on the streets of Africa.   What are some of the biggest challenges you encounter as an entrepreneur in the fast paced food industry? The most challenging part of being an entrepreneur in any industry is to always stay on top of your game. The moment you get comfortable is the moment that competition will sweep in and take over your market share. Staying current with marketing and branding, and ensuring that you are on-point with the latest trends is important for any business. For us, we have always tried to be trendsetters in the industry. We try to push the limits and offer creative options that have never been seen before. In addition to flavorful creations, we have highly detailed staff that ensures that our image is always top notch! Experience more innovative sweets like Fluffpop, Sugaire, ModChocolate & Hotpoppin on Makeyourlifesweeter.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478225947040-EUDJ2FG2S16KP7VXD5DL/Screen+Shot+2016-11-03+at+9.18.18+PM.png In The Press - Dallas Morning News | Female and minority entrepreneurs make voices heard during Dallas Startup Week http://www.dallasnews.com/business/business/2016/04/14/female-and-minority-entrepreneurs-make-their-voices-heard-during-dallas-startup-week https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478206718455-RXKQA1P39C8Z2US08SLA/Screen+Shot+2016-11-03+at+3.58.11+PM.png In The Press - MyLohas Japan | Sugaire Organic Cotton Candy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478197033416-MYGOADB723HBN2B9QJ4U/Screen+Shot+2016-11-03+at+12.47.46+PM.png In The Press - Techweek 100 | 2016 Techweek 100 About Techweek100 Techweek is a week-long technology festival for entrepreneurs, tech visionaries and thought leaders to meet and enable the innovation ecosystem across the globe. Founded five years ago, Techweek operates conferences in eight cities across North America, including Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, Kansas City, New York City, Dallas, Los Angeles and Miami. Announced annually in each Techweek city, the Techweek100 celebrates individuals and companies for their leadership, innovation, and support of the local tech ecosystem. Selected by the Techweek community, the list recognizes the most distinguished members of the burgeoning tech community in each city. In 2016, the Techweek100 will be divided across 3 key categories that embody key roles within the community. Ambassadors (25 individuals) — Founders, influencers, and prominent voices who act as positive representatives for the tech community Innovators (50 organizations) — Companies, both established organizations and rising startups, shaping their industries via innovative technology Cultivators (25 organizations) — VCs, incubators, educational institutions, and other organizations that support and enable the tech ecosystem https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1586495766218-52MRXLP2M6Y06FX09A6B/MAKE+YOUR+LIFE+SWEETER+-+CLIENT+LIST.PNG In The Press http://www.yasmeentadia.com/video-1 daily 0.75 2016-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478497725382-3T5DSYC65C7OR86TW6Y1/Screen+Shot+2016-11-06+at+11.48.27+PM.png Video - Grubhub | MAKE YOUR LIFE SWEETER - THE COTTON CANDY ROSE GOLD INFUSION BY SUGAIRE ORGANIC COTTON CANDY New York Magazine & Grubhub This gold-infused cotton candy cocktail is (almost) too stunning to drink.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478497285173-MQ8Y4ZAEF38QH9I41HO0/Screen+Shot+2016-11-06+at+11.37.51+PM.png Video - The State of Awesome: Episode 4 I STOP, POP AND DROP IT: ALL-NATURAL, VEGAN COTTON CANDY WITH FLUFFPOP For so long cotton candy has been relegated to novelty status – a bag of neon pink stickyness at the state fair, or a quick sugar rush at a carnival. Fluffpop is aiming to change that with a line of delicious vegan cotton candy flavors that are not only vegan, but organic, all-natural, and gluten-free. In this episode, filmed at gorgeous Southern Methodist University, founder and CEO of Fluffpop, Yasmeen Tadia, chats with DeAndre’ about how she came up with the idea for Fluffpop and then takes him on a crash master course on how to become a Fluffpop DJ. wearethestateofawesome.com/vegan-cotton-candy-fluffpop/ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478498747541-DH66RX64WSHWKCZWH43T/Screen+Shot+2016-11-07+at+12.05.30+AM.png Video - Women's Leadership Live | Yasmeen Tadia, Deb Cantrell & Jane McGarry Women's Leadership Live Panel with Yasmeen Tadia, Deb Cantrell & Jane McGarry https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478499107752-P5V84T0I0XQ3VYBNNM26/Screen+Shot+2016-11-07+at+12.11.29+AM.png Video - President Obama's White House Young Leadership of the Americas Initiative President Obama launched the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) to build linkages between young leaders across the hemisphere. YLAI will help address the opportunity gap for youth, especially women, by empowering entrepreneurs and civil society leaders with the training, tools, networks and resources they need to transform their societies and contribute more fully to economic development and prosperity, security, human rights and good governance in the hemisphere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478497641648-SK4L2JVS5H1U8S33TKVL/Screen+Shot+2016-11-06+at+11.47.04+PM.png Video - The Broadcast: Fluffpop & Hotpoppin Published on Feb 10, 2015 If you're looking to do something a little different as a gift, we've got the perfect idea. It's called FluffPop or for the popcorn lover there's HotPoppin. http://fluffpop.com/ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1478497387560-NSGBSV8LHMPJNJVH6E2O/Screen+Shot+2016-11-06+at+11.42.49+PM.png Video - D Magazine: Fluffpop Artisanal Mini Cotton Candy http://www.yasmeentadia.com/instagram daily 0.75 2016-11-14 http://www.yasmeentadia.com/getinspired daily 0.75 2023-09-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1636570452157-BRAOU0AVXMZXBMN0L9CB/HEADSHOT+-+MAKE+YOUR+LIFE+SWEETER+-+PRODUCT+SHOTS+-+MAKE+YOUR+LIFE+SWEETER+-+YASMEEN+TADIA+HEADSHOT+-+yasmeen-8+%281%29.jpg GET INSPIRED. http://www.yasmeentadia.com/thisis40 daily 0.75 2025-07-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58174cea29687f5a8ab941ec/1656144435605-IYV96KMSIXLY2XL4JLTP/1395362_10100408378642909_586000741_n.jpeg CELEBRATE 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