The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG - Food, friends and fun -- the per­fect recipe for a party. For the vivacious and outgoing Diana Groom, who de­scribes strangers as "friends I haven't met yet", it's also the perfect recipe for her party-based Demarle at Home cookware business.

Demarle is a French com­pany specializing in flexible gourmet molds and bake­ware. The company is most well known for the Silpat baking mat, made from a combination of silicone and woven glass. Popular among leading European chefs, the company now offers a wide assortment of tools and accessories for home use, through their direct sales program.

Groom first learned of Demarle products in 2006 after attending a party in Skamania, Wash. as a "friend of a friend." She bought the one item on sale that day then hosted her own party where she earned more products.

A subsequent dinner visit from a retired chef who condescendingly informed her that her cookware was only for "real chefs" piqued her interest enough that she pulled out her receipt with the consultant's number and gave her a call. That con­versation resulted in Groom starting her own Demarle at Home business in spite of the fact that she had never worked in direct sales before and had three small children at home with a fourth on the way.

Flexibility has been the key ingredient in making Groom's business possible. Groom's husband is Times reporter Dan Groom.

"We have six children and we homeschool, so teaching and parenting is already a full time job," said Groom. "My party dates have to fit in around all of our activities and my husband's schedule. Sometimes that may be an afternoon, sometimes an evening. Having to go to a job on someone else's schedule to fill some hours is not feasible for me."

Groom says there is noth­ing "typical" when it comes to her business. While she would like to give two to three parties a month, it's been more like one a month, lately. "Demarle at Home does not have a quota or a minimum you need to meet. It is a business that is sup­posed to work with your life. If you need to take a year off, you can do that," said Groom.

Groom began her busi­ness doing more parties each month than she cur­rently does, but she had "half as many children" then. However, because of the free training offered by Demarle, she feels she uses her time much more effec­tively now. Her enthusiasm for the product and business is contagious and Groom estimates she's helped about 30 individuals, across the country, get started in their own Demarle businesses. These people become part of her "team" and she receives a small portion of their sales as well.

The bulk of Groom's ef­fort is spent planning and prepping for a party. She works with the hosts to make a list of people to invite and choose the menu and venue. Parties can be in homes, churches, or even a park. Groom also encourages men as guests. She is fond of the saying, "If you like to eat, you should know how to cook!"

Groom arrives early on party day to set up and start the food. Once the guests arrive, she demonstrates the products by preparing a couple of simple dishes that the guests can enjoy as they visit and browse the catalog.

Her favorite aspect of the business? "I love talk­ing to people!" says Groom. "I get energized by social interactions, so I love that part. Also, I just love to see the amazement on people's faces when they see how the products work. Being able to get that professional look at home coupled with easy clean-up is really satisfy­ing."

Groom's least favorite aspect of the business is re­cord keeping. "It's not hard. It just involves recording things carefully - not my strongest suit." She also ac­knowledges that carving out time at home to do the prep work can be a challenge. "If my body is present, it is re­ally challenging for the kids to remember that mom is not available."

Groom is convinced De­marle at Home is the right business for her family situa­tion because of its flexibility. While she does spend time at home learning about the products and promotions and preparing for events, she estimates earning $75 - $100/hr for her actual time away from the house - a return that would be impos­sible to find in more conven­tional work.

For information on De­marle products or a Demarle at Home business Groom can be contacted at 509-337- 6052 or dianaathome@bmi.net. You can also visit her website at http://www.mydemar­leathome.com/dianagroom.