TheChocolateLifeLIVE: Building a Craft Chocolate Business

By Clay Gordon & TheChocolateWire | a year ago | 3 min read

Original image Our Life in Pixels / Unsplash

Episode 109 of #TheChocolateLifeLIVE streams from 09:00 MST/12:00 EDT on Fri, May 12th from the new HQ of TheChocolateLife: Prescott, AZ.

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In this episode, I am joined by Dustin Cornett as we discuss the significance of finding a balance between the path and the destination while building a craft chocolate business. They share insights on defining success, growing a business, sourcing ingredients, networking, and incorporating unique ingredients. They also highlight the importance of balance, personal values, and considering the location of a business. Additionally, they discuss the value of networking, both online and in-person, and the need for feedback to progress and improve. Overall, the speakers emphasize the need to find a balance between growth and personal enjoyment in their work while being aware of the financial implications of their decisions.

Joining me today is Dustin Cornett, one of the owners of The Chocolat Inn in Beattyville, Kentucky. Dustin is also the creator of The Craft Chocolat Challenge.

In many respects, where you choose to start your business is a datum that factors into many of the decisions discussed in last week’s #livestream, and that’s the focus of the topics we’ll be touching on in this episode.

The real estate adage, after all, is “Location Location. Location.” (To which I think it’s necessary to add a fourth element – “Timing.”

The impetus for this take comes from the following, excerpted (and edited) from an email Dustin sent me recently, after returning from a family trip to Japan:

My hometown is what it is. I know people there and it worked out to be a good starting point but it’s also probably the most difficult place in the US to do craft chocolate. My town was literally named the poorest white town in America around the time I started in business there.

It’s just far enough outside the tourist area to not attract many. It was tough to do what I did. I had the grit to do it then but making it sustainable long term with wanting to give my child a lot of opportunity seemed daunting.

Overall it is a success and the sale [we’ll talk about what is being sold in the live stream] gives us opportunities to start the next phase of our life on our own terms instead of taking what we could and making the most out of it.

It’s an exciting time but again a lot of pressure to make the right decisions for myself and my family.

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