SWAMPSCOTT — There have been strides since Erin Calvo-Bacci, now a successful business owner, was breaking into the manufacturing field two decades ago, but she said women are still facing some of the same “concerning” challenges.
Calvo-Bacci, 49, is the owner of CB Stuffer, which has its chocolate manufacturing plant in Swampscott. The company’s products are sold online and in specialty stores across the country.
However, getting to that point has not been easy. Calvo-Bacci said she’s faced unique challenges as a woman in the business world.
When she was breaking into her field, Calvo-Bacci found that she wasn’t taken as seriously because she was a woman. Even today, she deals with some of those same attitudes in her business dealings with male competitors because her short stature makes her appear younger than she is.
“There is a lot that women have to put up with, which is frustrating,” said Calvo-Bacci. “However I’m almost 50. I have three daughters. So, everything I have gone through are teachable moments and talkable opportunities to prepare them for the world.”
For instance, when she was pregnant with her first child, Calvo-Bacci found herself in the position where she felt she had to hide the pregnancy from a potential employer because she was afraid it would hurt her chances of landing the job.
“As a woman, it really is concerning, still to this day,” said Calvo-Bacci. “That was 20 years ago, (but) to this day, women are fearful of letting an employer or potential employer know they are pregnant or want children, because women are the primary caregivers.”
Now that she’s older, Calvo-Bacci said she not only has to care for her own children, but her aging parents as well, which is a challenge many women in her age group are faced with.
As a small business owner, she said she’s more mindful of those challenges when making hiring decisions and dealing with her employees.
“Working for someone else, even though there are laws in place, if the position is between a female and male, there could be stronger chances that the company might go with the man because they might not know what the responsibilities are of women (with having to) take time off,” said Calvo-Bacci.
Calvo-Bacci got her start in 2003 by taking over Chocolate Truffle, a retail store in Woburn that she eventually sold.
She then rebranded the manufacturing company, Bacci Chocolate Design into its current incarnation, CB Stuffer, which is named after her husband and business partner, Carlo Bacci, the company’s peanut butter production chief.
CB Stuffer is known for its peanut butter cup, which is the largest on the market and comes in 18 flavors.
Before taking the helm of her own business, Calvo-Bacci worked in management positions for other companies, but she lacked the “final say” and autonomy that she has now, which she cites as one of her favorite aspects of her job.
“I do love being in a leadership position,” she said. “At the end of the day, everything I do has a direct impact, so we can be as successful as we want knowing it’s because of 110 percent of what we put into it. That falls on me.”
She attributes a lot of her success to female mentors she’s had along the way, which is why it’s important for her to pass that mentorship on and help other women.
It’s crucial for women who have aspirations of starting their own business to seek out mentors.
“For anyone else out there, you want to listen to your gut, but you really need to have a mentor, someone you can bounce ideas off of, someone who takes you seriously,” she said.
