商旅英雄：创意巧克力之母的差旅人生

生存必杀技

    14年前，卡特里娜•马尔可夫在芝加哥开设了第一家Vosges Haut巧克力店。此后，她的巧克力凭借咖喱、软奶酪和培根口味等各种创新口味的组合迅速占领了大批巧克力店的柜台。目前，Vosges在包括全食超市（Whole Foods）在内的3,000家商店销售；此外，主打低价优势的新品牌Wild Ophelia则在沃尔格林连锁店（Walgreens）等商店销售。无论是远赴瑞士购买设备，还是在洛杉矶新成立的巧克力实验室开展研究，现年39岁的马尔可夫自有一套自己的旅行法则。

酒店只选最酷的

    去洛杉矶出差时，我通常会住在Shutters酒店或马赫皇家酒店（Casa del Mar）。我喜欢流连于沙滩。而在芝加哥是一种纯粹的都市生活，大部分时间，我待在办公室工作。所以当我出行时，我喜欢亲近大自然。它有助于清醒头脑，使我的思维更具创造性。

提前规划饮食

    我常常在出行前对饮食做个规划。我有满满一柜子的杂志剪报，里面介绍了许多我曾经去过或希望去的美食圣地，它们可以给我提供很好的建议。比如，每次前往纽约，我都会去吃下东区Apizz餐厅的意大利菜，而且喜欢在苏豪区的Despaña Vinos y Ma购买葡萄酒。

舒舒服服做个SPA

    如果有空闲时间，我就会用来做spa。迈阿密的文华东方酒店（Mandarin Oriental）有一家非常不错的spa中心。在那里，我能享受到最令人放松的脸部按摩。在我出行时，我喜欢寻找能让人彻底放松的环境。我非常喜欢这种放松心灵的方法。

让孩子保持安静

    我经常带两岁大的儿子罗翰一起出行。他白天还习惯睡两次觉，所以我尽量预订上午10点和下午2点左右的机票，这两个时间段正是他睡觉的时候，而我就可以处理工作。另外，我会在目的地城市朋友的帮助下，物色育婴保姆。

携带生活必需品

    出差时，我总会带一款无毒的MyChelle面霜，来保持肌肤的水分。另外，我身边总带着巧克力。如果旅途中有人问道我：“你是做什么的？”我觉得我应该让他们尝尝我的巧克力。每次旅行，我都能轻松地送出15块巧克力。

    译者：乔树静/阿龙

Survival skills

    In the 14 years since Katrina Markoff opened her first Vosges Haut-Chocolat store in Chicago, her product's innovative flavor combinations -- think curry, taleggio, and bacon -- have paved the way for an army of chocolate shops. Vosges is now sold in 3,000 stores, including Whole Foods; a new lower-priced brand named Wild Ophelia sells in places like Walgreens. Whether she is traveling to Switzerland to buy equipment or to a new chocolate laboratory in Los Angeles, Markoff, 39, has her rules for the road. A sampler:

Stay at cool hotels   

    In L.A., often I'll stay at Shutters or Casa del Mar. I like being on the beach. Living in Chicago is such an urban experience, and much of my time is spent at the office, so when I travel, I like to be near nature. It clears my mind and lets me think creatively.

Plan your meals

    I like to plan my meals before a trip. I refer to a file cabinet full of magazine clips of cool places I have been to or want to visit. Like whenever I'm in New York, I love to eat Italian at Apizz on the Lower East Side -- and shop for wine at Despaña Vinos y Mas in SoHo.

Take spa breaks

    If I have time, it's all about the spa for me. There's an amazing one at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami. I got the most relaxing facial there. When I travel, I like to find a place that has a pampering environment. I really get into that mental take-care-of-yourself thing.

Keep kids peaceful

    My 2-year-old son, Rohan, usually travels with me. He's still on a two-naps-a-day schedule, so I try to book my flights around 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. so he sleeps -- and I can get work done. I find babysitters through friends in the city I'm traveling to.

Bring the essentials

    I always bring this great nontoxic MyChelle face cream when I travel, to keep my skin hydrated. And I always have chocolate on hand. When fellow travelers ask, "What do you do?" I feel like I have to give them chocolate. I can easily hand out 15 bars on a trip.