Tilly Wonka has to be one of my very favourite businesses I've had the pleasure of meeting through Loving Small Business. Not only does she make the most incredible chocolates worthy of the Wonka name, she is also a lovely human being too, which makes partnering with her an absolute dream!
Here is a little bit more about the Tilly behind Tilly Wonka!
Reese Witherspoon. Her positivity, joy and energy are contagious and I’d love to have good chat with her about entrepreneurship, books and chocolate (I have heard she loves it too!)
We love Reese! There isn's a bad moment in life that can't be made a little brighter by watching one of her films!
Tell us something about your favourite holiday destination?
It’s a small house in the middle of the forest in Sweden that my great grandfather built in the 1930s, on the opposite side of the lake from where my great grandmother grew up. My family go every summer and the smell of the pine forest and the dark blue water in the lake make me feel safe and calm.
Ohhh! Please take us with you, this sounds incredible!
What is the nicest compliment you have ever received?
I tend to shake off compliments and focus on criticism but I’m working on that. I always love when someone takes time out of their day to let me know how much they enjoyed my chocolates. It warms my heart every time and gives me the motivation I need to keep going. I also remember when an older girl in my school told me I sing like the Amy Lee from Evanescence. I was 14 but the comment stuck!
Learning to take complements isn't always easy, I think we could all improve on learning to accept them! I think that is a compliment that would stick with any girl who grew up in the nineties and noughties! Amy Lee has an incredible voice!
If you could give your younger self any piece of advice, what would it be?
I was stuck in an eating disorder for over ten years that consumed much of my time, energy and joy in my teens and early twenties. If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be to stop weighing herself and what she eats, stop forcing herself to be hungry and let her creativity flow. There was so much starved energy stuck in there, just waiting to be unleashed in a productive way. I would love to see what I could have done if I hadn’t spent so many years counting calories and tiring myself out with endless workouts.
This is amazing advice, society puts so much pressure on people to look a specific way! Were so glad you managed to pull yourself out of this Tilly and thank you for sharing this incredible story of strength!
Can you tell us something that might surprise us?
I competed in the powerlifting Varsity for Oxford in 2016.
Superwoman, singer & chocolate extraordinaire! You should be forever immortalised in comic form!
What is your favourite quote?
“Stop trying to be liked by everyone, you don’t even like everyone”. I have to keep telling myself this because I’m a big people pleaser and can’t handle conflict. Being liked has become so important and even quantified with social media. In some ways it’s harder than ever to resist the urge to try to be liked by everyone, instead of thinking what and whom I like.
So much love for this!
Thank you so much Tilly for taking the time to give us a little insight into your world! We loved hearing your responses and learning more about the person behind the brand!
If you are now drooling after seeing the images of chocolates above, make sure you check out Tilly's website! You will not regret it!
