“I knew I wanted to meet farmers as often as I could. I wanted to learn from them, and I wanted to buy cocoa beans directly from them without a broker, without a distributor. I've done that in every bean buy I've ever made in the last 16 years."I am honored to have Shawn Askinosie as a guest on this week’s episode of The Irresistible Factor. Shawn quit his prosperous job as a criminal defense lawyer to follow his passion of making chocolate from scratch. His passion led him to invest his life savings into starting one of the first craft chocolate companies in the U.S. - Askinosie ChocolateShawn tells us about his transformative experience in the Amazon learning about bean-to-bar-chocolate and how it inspired the way he sources his beans (directly from smallholder farmers). He explains that working closely with cocoa farmers is what really sparked his passion.In this episode, Shawn shows us that you don’t need to have it all figured out before you can use your company to do good for others. Askinosie Chocolate has funded millions of school lunches for children in need, started a charity in Tanzania, and put thousands of kids through their Chocolate University Program. Additionally, Shawn explains the importance of understanding where you are with cash flow every week, putting together an advisory board, and why as an entrepreneur, you need to have some level of humilityTune in to hear all about Shawn’s inspiring journey and the heart behind his mission. Listen to The Irresistible Factor’s Interview with Shawn Askinosie, Founder and CEO of Askinosie Chocolate Here’s what you won’t want to miss from our conversation:
- How he educated himself about the bean-to-bar process and why he chose chocolate
- Askinosie Chocolate’s distribution process and channels
- Shawn’s views on the concept of scaling and his goals for the brand
- How the company has operated solely out of cash flow and why the management of cash flow is so important.
- Shawn’s advice for other companies looking to make a difference
Links mentioned in this episode: Shawn Askinosie on LinkedIn Askinosie Chocolate Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul Chocolate University Intelligentsia Coffee The Irresistible Factor Podcast Sawtooth Group
