What is the one thing you particularly want people to notice when they look at your work?

I would like people to notice that I am thorough, hardworking and have good attention to detail. While I do not consider myself a perfectionist because I believe that striving for perfection is unrealistic (I like the expression “Perfect is the enemy of good”), I do always strive to do my best. I would like my teachers, supervisors, colleagues and classmates to know that I will always show up and try to be the best I can be. 

I have definitely tried to show this to Melanie here at Stony Pond Farm. She and her husband run a small business and their financial success depends in part on making excellent cheese. They have worked hard to diversify their revenue streams (dairy and cattle farming, cheesemaking and AirBnB rentals) so as to be sustainable, but farming is hard work and is often not profitable. One wheel of Swallow Tail Tomme goes for around $50 wholesale, so if I were to mess that up, that is money directly out of their pocket. A whole batch of the same cheese (i.e. 32 wheels) probably makes Melanie around $1,500. So to mess that up could be devastating.  

I have tried to be through and show good attention to detail by asking lots of questions, asking for clarification, double-checking and taking notes. I have asked Melanie what her SOPs (standard operating procedures) are for different tasks and have tried to implement these to the best of my ability. Seeing Melanie working so hard makes me want to do a good job! She is an excellent role model for small business owners and entrepreneurs. I don’t know if many people work as hard as her!