I’ve Walked the Road You’re Standing On
I started Mayana Chocolate in my Chicago apartment.
No investors. No manufacturing experience. No roadmap.
At the time, I was a chef who knew how to make exceptional chocolate — but almost nothing about running a business.
Everything else I learned by doing.
I figured out sourcing cacao, building production systems, navigating retail buyers, managing cash flow, hiring and training a team, and eventually stepping into the role of president of a company that has grown into a multi-million dollar chocolate manufacturer.
Along the way, I was named one of the Top 10 Chocolatiers in North America, and I still personally create every new product we release.
But the reason I share this story isn’t to impress you.
It’s because when I sit across from a founder trying to figure out their next move, I know what that moment feels like.
I’ve been there.
I know what the right next steps look like — and I know what the expensive mistakes look like too.
I’ve Walked the Road You’re Standing On
I started Mayana Chocolate in my Chicago apartment.
No investors. No manufacturing experience. No roadmap.
At the time, I was a chef who knew how to make exceptional chocolate — but almost nothing about running a business.
Everything else I learned by doing.
I figured out sourcing cacao, building production systems, navigating retail buyers, managing cash flow, hiring and training a team, and eventually stepping into the role of president of a company that has grown into a multi-million dollar chocolate manufacturer.
Along the way, I was named one of the Top 10 Chocolatiers in North America, and I still personally create every new product we release.
But the reason I share this story isn’t to impress you.
It’s because when I sit across from a founder trying to figure out their next move, I know what that moment feels like.
I’ve been there.
I know what the right next steps look like — and I know what the expensive mistakes look like too.
I’ve Walked the Road You’re Standing On
I started Mayana Chocolate in my Chicago apartment.
No investors. No manufacturing experience. No roadmap.
At the time, I was a chef who knew how to make exceptional chocolate — but almost nothing about running a business.
Everything else I learned by doing.
I figured out sourcing cacao, building production systems, navigating retail buyers, managing cash flow, hiring and training a team, and eventually stepping into the role of president of a company that has grown into a multi-million dollar chocolate manufacturer.
8Along the way, I was named one of the Top 10 Chocolatiers in North America, and I still personally create every new product we release.
But the reason I share this story isn’t to impress you.
It’s because when I sit across from a founder trying to figure out their next move, I know what that moment feels like.
I’ve been there.
I know what the right next steps look like — and I know what the expensive mistakes look like too.
Philosophy
I don’t believe in yelling motivation.
And I don’t believe building a business should feel like chaos.
What I believe in is:
clarity, grounded decision-making, emotional resilience, and helping people avoid unnecessary mistakes
My role is not to build the business for you.
My role is to help you see clearly, make smart decisions, and move forward with confidence. Because most early-stage product businesses don’t fail because the founder lacks passion. They fail because the sequence is wrong.
They spend money on packaging before validating the product. They buy equipment before proving demand.
They try to scale before the foundation is solid.
A large part of what I help founders do is simply get the order right.
When the sequence is right, everything becomes much easier.
What It’s Like to Work Together
Working with me is not like hiring a consultant who delivers a report and disappears. It’s closer to having an experienced operator in your corner. Someone who has faced the same decisions you’re facing — and can tell you plainly what they would do.
Clients often describe it as the difference between having a map and having a guide.
A map shows where things are.
A guide has already walked the terrain.
My goal is to help you move forward with clarity and confidence, without wasting years figuring everything out the hard way.
Whether you’re launching your first specialty food product or preparing to take your business seriously, we focus on the decisions that actually move things forward.
What It’s Like to Work Together
Working with me is not like hiring a consultant who delivers a report and disappears. It’s closer to having an experienced operator in your corner. Someone who has faced the same decisions you’re facing — and can tell you plainly what they would do.
Clients often describe it as the difference between having a map and having a guide.
A map shows where things are.
A guide has already walked the terrain.
My goal is to help you move forward with clarity and confidence, without wasting years figuring everything out the hard way.
Whether you’re launching your first specialty food product or preparing to take your business seriously, we focus on the decisions that actually move things forward.
WHO I COACH
A few things I’ve learned after nearly two decades in manufacturing:
1. Sell what people actually want.
Brilliant ideas don’t always make good products.
The goal isn’t to impress people — it’s to build something customers genuinely want to buy.
2. Start simple.
You don’t need perfect branding, expensive equipment, or a fully built factory to start selling.
You need a product, real feedback, and a clear next step.
3. Confidence matters.
Entrepreneurship is full of uncertainty.
The founders who succeed are the ones who build confidence through action and a clear plan.
Confidence combined with the right plan is incredibly powerful.
READY TO TALK ABOUT YOUR NEXT STEP?
If you’re building a chocolate, candy, snack, or specialty food product — and you’re serious about turning it into a real business — a strategy call is the best place to start. We’ll talk about where you are, what you’re building, and what the next step might look like.
READY TO TALK ABOUT YOUR NEXT STEP?
If you’re building a chocolate, candy, snack, or specialty food product — and you’re serious about turning it into a real business — a strategy call is the best place to start. We’ll talk about where you are, what you’re building, and what the next step might look like.
WHO I COACH
A few things I’ve learned after nearly two decades in manufacturing:
1. Sell what people actually want.
Brilliant ideas don’t always make good products.
The goal isn’t to impress people — it’s to build something customers genuinely want to buy.
2. Start simple.
You don’t need perfect branding, expensive equipment, or a fully built factory to start selling.
You need a product, real feedback, and a clear next step.
3. Confidence matters.
Entrepreneurship is full of uncertainty.
The founders who succeed are the ones who build confidence through action and a clear plan.
Confidence combined with the right plan is incredibly powerful.
READY TO TALK ABOUT YOUR NEXT STEP?
If you’re building a chocolate, candy, snack, or specialty food product — and you’re serious about turning it into a real business — a strategy call is the best place to start. We’ll talk about where you are, what you’re building, and what the next step might look like.
WHO I COACH
A few things I’ve learned after nearly two decades in manufacturing:
1. Sell what people actually want.
Brilliant ideas don’t always make good products.
The goal isn’t to impress people — it’s to build something customers genuinely want to buy.2. Start simple.
You don’t need perfect branding, expensive equipment, or a fully built factory to start selling.
You need a product, real feedback, and a clear next step.3. Confidence matters.
Entrepreneurship is full of uncertainty.
The founders who succeed are the ones who build confidence through action and a clear plan. Confidence combined with the right plan is incredibly powerful.