Building a Chocolate Empire through Passion and Innovation with Glen Gardone

Bringing a product out in the market is more complex than selling it for the sake of it. There has to be a reason behind it, and it should stick with your company's message. It's about the balance between niching down and serving everybody. In this episode of Marketing Reimagined, Karl welcomes Glen Gardone, a seasoned entrepreneur, president, and CEO of Red Chocolate. With three-plus decades of experience in the industry, Glen believes that no season is wasted in life, and each one serves to prepare for the next - and getting coaching helped him realize that he was too good for his current company and needed to push himself further. Through his journey, Glen learned that it is essential to take risks to find success and enjoyment.  Tune in as Glen talks about the importance of passion, risk-taking, teamwork, and recognizing failure as part of life. He also shares some insight from building products and marketing strategies for CPG companies, emphasizing the importance of being empathetic to what consumers want and identifying the product's value proposition. Furthermore, Glen discusses his experience with shutting down due to the pandemic; but with his team's help, they could stay motivated and come together again. His story highlights the importance of having humility and respecting people who make up a company - as well as plans for launching a vegan product soon!  Take advantage of this episode filled with valuable lessons on taking leaps of faith while having a positive mindset! [00:01 - 14:23] Glen Gardone's Journey of Personal Growth and Business Success Glen shares his story and upbringing He realized his passion in his forties and believes there is no wasted season in life Punching through the mud is necessary to reach success Glen shares how he found passion and purpose in helping others Entrepreneurs need to take a knee to move forward Risk aversion is more motivating than wanting to succeed [14:24 - 31:40] Red Chocolate: Decoding the Mind of the Consumer and Finding the Perfect Balance in a Competitive Market Red Chocolate appeals to only 20% of the people who eat it Consumers have 8-11 seconds to decide if they like a product The value proposition is vital for consumers to make purchasing decisions Balancing between serving everybody and niching down is vital for product market fit The name 'Red' comes from European literature, where it is used to represent passion, beauty, lust, and love [31:42 - 43:04] Overcoming Bumps and Bruises Glen shares how they got through the pandemic The leader is responsible for making sure people there are safe Glen's mentor taught him to be part of the reason for success, not the failure [43:05 - 45:34] Closing Segment Connect with Glen through the links below Final words Quotes: "It's not about wanting to succeed; everybody wants to be happy. Success makes you happy, everybody strives for that. It's the fear of failure that most people don't do anything in their life because they're afraid to fail." - Glen Gardone "Don't be something to everyone. Because when you try to be something for everyone, you're nothing to anyone." - Glen Gardone "Don't think you're a big shot. Be part of the reason for the success, not the reason for failure. Don't be that negative influence." - Glen Gardone Connect with Glen! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenngardone/  Website: www.Red-Chocolate.com  Reimagine your marketing by visiting https://www.streamlinedmedia.ai/ Follow us!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/streamlinedmedia.ai/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/streamlinedpodcasts Twitter: https://twitter.com/streamlined_ai LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/streamlinedmedia/mycompany/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbTlM77zvAg6uCxmbMDMoZw TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@streamlinedmedia Leave a RATING and REVIEW on Spotify, Apple or where ever you get your podcasts