Poor Joan Fairfax, owner of the ill-fated Chez Monet, which sadly closed after more than two decades, leaving Fairfax to peddle her bakery items out of her home.
Except we shouldn't feel sorry for her - her plan has worked to perfection.
"A lot of people think I'm sad," she said when BizBeat contacted her for an update on her conversion to a home-based business.
"I want everyone to know this is what I wanted. I've wanted to downsize for many years. I still have something to do every day, but it's much more slower paced and more relaxing. It's wonderful. It's just great."
She still bakes the same tasty cookies, cakes and pastries that she always did. And she still caters meals for corporate and state functions. She still has the same business phone number (573-636-6885) and her business name has only changed slightly. It's now Chez Monet Patisserie.
What has changed is that she doesn't have a storefront, and she has more time for herself. She's been wanting to slow down for years. Easier said than done after you've spent years growing a successful business.
"2012 was our second-busiest year out of 22 years," she said. "I'm tired. I'm old. I can't do what I used to. So I don't have to anymore."
Now she can watch HGTV throughout the day while she's baking, and she plans to spend more time with her granddaughter, Addison, who just turned 2.
Poor Joan Fairfax? If anything, we're jealous.
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