Chocolate On The Road

Announcement

OmNom Chocolate has become semi-famous over the last year, thanks to a Zac Efron show (https://www.netflix.com/title/80230601) on Netflix. But even before that overnight explosion, OmNom had been quite famous within the craft chocolate (https://damecacao.com/what-is-craft-chocolate-bean-to-bar/) industry in its own right. From their rainbow-hued wolf icon to their bold Icelandic flavors— like sea salt and licorice or burnt barley— they’re memorable, to say the least. And as co-founder, Kjartan has been there for all of it.

Over the course of the pandemic, he’s learned to roll with the punches more than ever, first depending upon the Icelandic public to keep them in business, and then manically trying to keep up with demand. In this interview, we dig into topics like production capacity, craft chocolate ice cream, and the tourist attractions in Reykjavik. So without further ado, here’s my interview with Kjartan. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

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Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-kjartan-gislason-omnom-chocolate (https://damecacao.com/interview-kjartan-gislason-omnom-chocolate)

Julia & Roger Rodriguez opened the doors to their shop in February 2020, less than a month after their wedding ceremony. Nearly a year in the making, and their official grand opening was waylaid by covid. And then waylaid again. And eventually it was cancelled altogether, plans were scrapped, and big changes had to be made to keep Vesta alive— they went full bare bones.

Working just outside of New York City, at the height of the pandemic, the couple hustled to drum up interest through Easter, and then Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. But not only did they survive the worst of it, but they’ve thrived, doing well from the start thanks to good advertising. In this interview, we dig into the early days of Vesta, as well as bootstrapped marketing and the future of social media. So without further ado, here’s my interview with Roger and Julia. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ch (https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/)ocolateontheroad/ (https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/)

Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-julia-choi-roger-rodriguez-vesta-chocolate (interview-julia-choi-roger-rodriguez-vesta-chocolate)

Gillian Goddard puts her money where her intention is, carefully choosing how her business spends its resources in order to have the greatest positive impact. She’s a self-proclaimed “disruptor” in the chocolate industry, and I’ve seen no evidence to dispute that; her systems bring to life the concept of entrepreneurship as activism. Over the last few decades, Gillian has built up a number of businesses in Trinidad & Tobago, each rippling into and often overlapping with or absorbing the last, but all having to do with challenging existing systems which get our favorite chocolate bars onto shelves and into our hands.

Whether you’ve tried her chocolates or not, you’ll certainly connect with her message— everyone deserves to earn a decent living. If you work hard every single day, you deserve to be able to afford the basic necessities plus a bit more. Yet most of the world’s farmers live in poverty. In this interview, Gillian & I dig into topics like diversification of income, bullying, and empowerment through creation. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

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Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-gillian-goddard-sun-eaters (https://damecacao.com/interview-gillian-goddard-sun-eaters)

Even over the phone, Erin Andrews is someone you just feel drawn to continue chatting and laughing along with. Having founded her first chocolate company in Belize in 2008, over the last thirteen years Erin has used this extroverted superpower to build up a subsequent chocolate company in her home of Seattle. That company is indi Chocolate, named after her oldest daughter, who actually inspired the brand’s oldest product line: cocoa butter-based lotions.

indi has since grown into a large fishbowl-style café in Pike Place Market, where Erin has managed to keep on her staff and even take in new business, thanks to some pandemic-fueled creativity. This is actually a hallmark of her approach, as Erin maintains tabs on what her customers are interested in, and then finds the most delicious and sustainable way to satisfy them. In this interview, we discuss topics like working at origin, slave-free chocolate, and community-based business building. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

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Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-erin-andrews-indi-chocolate/ (https://damecacao.com/interview-erin-andrews-indi-chocolate/)

Very few chocolate makers are truly going down a new and unusual path these days, and honestly, at first glance, neither is Will Marx. He’s making (mostly) plain dark chocolates from ethically sourced single origin cacao. But simplicity can be a good thing— it takes away the complicated window dressing and opens up the world of artisan food to a larger group of consumers. In it’s own way, that’s sort of revolutionary.

Over the last year in particular, Will’s been restructuring his business in uncommon ways in order to more closely match his core values of high ethics, high flavor, and low environmental impact. So in this interview, the two of us dig into refined sugars, fine liquor, and enlightened outsourcing.

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Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-will-marx-wm-chocolate/ (interview-will-marx-wm-chocolate)

In the chocolate world, there are very few in-betweens. Most of us either buy or sell chocolate, whether we make it ourselves or curate it for customers. Megan Giller’s case is a bit different; she’s more of a go-between than an in-between, connecting readers to remarkable treats from around the world. Since even before her book— Bean To Bar Chocolate: America’s Craft Chocolate Revolution— came out in 2017, she’s been bringing the good word of great chocolate to thousands of readers on sites like Forbes, Chowhound, and Engadget.

But a person’s always more dynamic than their writing, even when they’re as talented as Megan. So in this interview, the two of us get into her start as a freelancer, weed-infused chocolates, and the intersection between feminism & chocolate. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ch (https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/)ocolateontheroad/ (https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/)

Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-megan-giller-chocolate-noise/ (https://damecacao.com/interview-megan-giller-chocolate-noise/)

Pashmina kinda started Bar & Cocoa “by accident,” with co-founder and former co-owner Chris Lacey, back when they were offering craft chocolate subscription boxes under the name “ChocoRush.” Fast forward half a decade and a few big moves, and Pashmina is now running one of the world’s largest online craft chocolate retailers, offering nearly 80 makers & 800+ products. Each brand was carefully chose by Pashmina herself; she’s even helped many of them get FDA certification for their products.

The company’s selection is growing quickly, and with the holidays coming up, I wanted to make sure we all have a better sense of the mammoth that a retail business can be— even if they haven’t physically seen any customers in nearly a year. So in this interview, Pashmina & I dig into global warming, social-based marketing, and adjusting in the middle of the pandemic. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

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Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-pashmina-lalchandani-bar-cocoa/ (https://damecacao.com/interview-pashmina-lalchandani-bar-cocoa/)

Fiji is the land of beach getaways, incredibly strong traditions, and a whole lot of agriculture. In fact, I'd say that despite doubling in size each year due to tourism, most Fijians don't interact at all with tourists, and continue on their lives in the largely rural nation. This is how Tomo came to learn about cacao in the first place, well over a decade ago, while living in the small town of SavuSavu.

Over the next several years, Tomo & his family built that small interaction into one of the world's first value-added craft chocolate companies. His brands, Adi Chocolate & Fijiana Cacao, are now consumed by hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. So in this interview, Tomo & I dig into the founding of his companies, local printing presses, and the marriage between maker & farmer. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ch (https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/)ocolateontheroad/ (https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/)

Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-tomo-zukoshi-fijiana-cacao/ (https://damecacao.com/interview-tomo-zukoshi-fijiana-cacao/)

It’s a huge undertaking to write a book, but it’s a monumental project to write the book on your chosen subject. Yet that’s exactly what you’ll find in The Secret Life of Chocolate, a definitive book on cacao written by medical herbalist Marcos Patchett. The book’s many chapters read like individual deep dives into the many facets of cacao, as explored through the lens of its medicinal role in cultures through the ages.

It’s been such a pleasure to have this book in my chocolate library (https://damecacao.com/chocolate-books/), that I had to have a chat with Marcos on the podcast. We get into some of the most frequently asked questions about chocolate, from antioxidants and allergies to the history of cacao ceremonies. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ch (https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/)ocolateontheroad/ (https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/)

Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-marcos-patchett-secret-life-of-chocolate/ (https://damecacao.com/interview-marcos-patchett-secret-life-of-chocolate)