Nancy Rodriguez is a woman with impeccable taste- literally. A graduate of Dominican University, Rodriguez went on to work for Central Soya, a soy processing company, in their sensory evaluation laboratories after college. While there, she specialized in descriptive analysis, a foundational science that wine tasters often utilize. A few years later, she went to work for Swift & Co., where she coordinated one of the most successful consumer feedback programs of all time, the Butterball Turkey Talk- Line.

Rodriguez left Swift & Co. in 1985 to start her own company. The idea for the company was an outgrowth of downsizing that occurred in the food industry in the late seventies and early eighties. Rodriguez says, "The first people to go were the people who were conducting functional product performance tests-the data gatherers, many of whom were scientists. They supported the exploratory and applied science groups."

When she first started, Rodriguez worked out of a separate kitchen area that she had built in her home, designing products for various food companies. One of the first products she designed was a refrigerated pasta sauce. Today, Rodriguez's company is called Food Marketing Support Services, Inc. (FMSS) and is located in Oak Park, Illinois.

FMSS is a contractual research and development company that services the entire food industry. Rodriguez and her team of 19 employees create product designs and develop collateral marketing support materials for both retail (supermarkets) and food service (restaurant) industries. The company currently has one laboratory facility and Rodriguez is currently in search of a bigger facility to house expanding operations. "Everything has just scaled up. It certainly is rewarding, especially in this time, to sustain and be here after many years."

Rodriguez says that the most successful food products, from concept through commercialization, use industrial ingredients and processes from the beginning. Therefore, the equipment and processes utilized at FMSS parallel those used in industry. In addition, what sets FMSS apart from other companies in the same industry is a fine-tuned sensory methodology that is involved in analyzing all the attributes of particular products.

What Rodriguez really loves, is the ability to integrate science, culinary studies, and sensory methodologies into her profession. Currently, her company does a combination of 80 % innovative and technical work and 20% promotional work. These proportions have fluctuated over the years based on clients' needs.

While FMSS has a long list of successful products in its portfolio, one of the most successful was created for the American Popcorn Company. The product, theater style popcorn, was designed by FMSS. Company sales increased by 23% due to the addition of the movie-style popcorn to the product line.

Another successful product was a line of nutritional foods designed for women. The line was advertised in the center section of the very first issue of Oprah magazine.

FMSS is located in an area where many of Rodriguez's employees have lived for years. This was done very deliberately so that a majority of the employees would be close to the grade schools that their children attended. Rodriguez says, "We have been very available to our children and we are supportive of one another."

Now that Rodriguez's children, along with those of her colleagues, have grown up, FMSS's new focus has been in building financial security for its employees, many of whom had not worked before joining FMSS. Therefore, a profit sharing program has been put in place.

Rodriguez says that continuing education and training for her employees is also very important to her. She sends her employees to experimental design courses, specialty food shows, and every staff member has attended culinary workshops in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. "I really like being able to offer creative growth opportunities to our employees." In the seventeen years that Rodriguez has been in business, she has only had three people leave the company. "I like to think we provide a nurturing and creative environment with an emphasis on quality and responsibility."

A typical workday for Rodriguez is regimented and extensive. She is a morning person, meetings are scheduled during the first part of the day. Rodriguez then allocates call back time for clients between 2 P.M. and 4 P.M. This allows her private work time between 12 and 2 and then 4 and 7. Responsibilities include proposal development and the task of supervising current projects that FMSS is currently working on. Rodriguez receives updates from the Vice President of Technology in the morning and at the end of the day.

When asked about people that have been instrumental to her success, Rodriguez credits a CEO of Swift & Co. named Joe Sullivan. He was a mentor during the implementation of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. "Joe was a tremendous influence on me. I admired him. He was always anxious to hear what I had to say. For a CEO to take that much interest in a program was very admirable."

Rodriguez says that she has also learned through negative experiences. One thing learned is that when one is in a service business and must write proposals, there is a constant balancing act of letting clients know that you have expertise, but not divulging enough information that they can use the proposal for competitive bidding purposes. Another lesson arose after collaborating with other companies on projects. Rodriguez has learned that billing must be done directly to the client, instead of through collaborators. This assures payment. "Beginning entrepreneurs are so hungry for the business and the account, that they don't look at the fiscal side. It's critical to look at the fiscal side."

As an entrepreneur, Rodriguez says that she loves the freedom of being able to make her own decisions based on the values and ethics that were taught to her at Dominican University. She loves being able to provide an environment where her employees can learn and grow.

Away from work, Rodriguez enjoys quiet time. A wife of 32 years, and mother of three, she is looking for relaxation at this point in her life. She loves to attend the symphony, browse art galleries, and attend family gatherings. She also loves to garden and read. Rodriguez says that she is finally finding time for herself after all these years of nurturing her family and growing her company. When asked if she was the popular mother on the block as her children were growing up, Rodriguez jokes, "We have had a lot of Cub Scouts come through here! I guess you sort of build a reputation when people know you work with food."

Rodriguez also enjoys mentoring students and being involved in her business community. She recently helped revitalize a business district in her area that had been 20 30% vacant before. Rodriguez encourages students to visit her website to learn more about her particular company and industry.

As for advice she would give to entrepreneurs starting out, Rodriguez says, "Stay away from debt. One of the things I did early on was set aside an account I call my 'sleep at night' account. I have not touched that since. Even though I do borrow money, I know that if I ever had to close my doors, that line of credit would be paid off." Not honoring fiscal obligations is unimaginable for Rodriguez.