Zahava Foods

In 2003, I accidentally started an online store for gourmet Israeli products. It's kind of a long story; ask me about it some time. Anyway, in addition to online sales, I participated in Israeli Expos - shows and festivals where vendors were invited. Working on a shoestring budget, I used what I had to build booth and table displays that included signage, packaging, and sampling. A graphic designer friend created the stunning logo which featured the Biblical Seven Species - wheat, barley, grapes, fig, pomegranate, dates and olives. The logo provided a color scheme and a jumping off point for the website, postcards, recipes, signage, and all the other communications needed for the business. 
I can't count how many times I loaded my van, shlepped to a show, set up the tables, talked with customers all day, broke it down, reloaded the van and finally drove home - sometimes quite late. It was a pretty grueling way to sell jars of honey, preserves, seasonings and tea for $5 a piece. Turns out, when I crunched the numbers, these Expos were not very profitable. Fun, but too much time and effort for the return. I learned a lot while running Zahava Foods - lessons about running a business and some pretty deep life lessons too. 

I wish the photos were better; phone camera quality has improved dramatically since 2003.