Photo by John Bosley Photography I'm Ellen Daehnick, aka Helliemae. My background doesn't scream food business - I haven't been to the CIA, my only experience working in a restaurant was as a teen waitress, and I didn't really learn to cook until I was well into my adult years. I was a political science major, then a demographer, then an MBA, then a consultant, and some other things along the way.

Turns out I love making food, especially sea salt caramels, for my friends and family. So, when my husband said to me, "You know, you ought to sell those caramels," something clicked. Within four weeks, I was up and running and had launched at a local food festival.

Why Helliemae's? Growing up in Houston in the 1970s and 80s, it seemed like every UHF channel was filled with repeats of The Beverly Hillbillies (well, at least when they weren't showing re-runs of The Jeffersons). That level of saturation means I got called Ellie Mae more often than I liked. I didn't think too much about it back then, but years later, when I was wondering what to call these caramels, Helliemae just seemed right: a handcrafted sensibility with a touch of post-punk DIY. Yep, that's what my caramels are all about, and it feels like me.

Portrait photo by John Bosley.