Community

One thing about the chocolate business…it can get very busy, and require a lot of very hard work, along with some very long hours. And that pretty much sums up the last few weeks here at Kako Chocolate. We have so much on the go right now, and so much more to do – the hard work continues! There is always a ‘fantasy’ that having a chocolate business would be a dream – and let me say right now – it is a dream! However, to realise the dream requires a significant investment of time and effort that many could underestimate.

In the last two weeks, we learned a lot about our team, our brand, and what we are capable of – and it surprised us all! We pushed through limits we didn’t think we could – getting a large project right in the middle of peak Easter production was a real curve ball…but I just can’t say no to orders I know we can deliver. We were so busy, we had to put out a call for help!

Perhaps the most satisfying thing I have learned about our brand, is that we have a genuine community of people behind us. When we asked for help, we received it in droves! This is both humbling and encouraging. And it proves that an ‘open community’ where ideas are shared, and people help each other, is not just ideology – it works! Perhaps that is a lesson for the wider artisan chocolate industry – collaboration is good for us all – instead of viewing each other as threats, imagine if we worked together to build an industry body, open up export doors for smaller producers, and rapidly grow the artisan market here in New Zealand – where we would all benefit.

Some say I am dreaming, and there are those who are openly hostile to such thoughts…but after seeing the community behind us pull together in our time of need – well, that is enough for me to know that anything is possible when we work together (queue Lego movie theme song!)

That’s all for today…but let me finish on a small note – we will soon be launching a ‘forum’ board on our website so you can easily ask for help, share ideas, talk about your successes and failures, and make some great connections. Because I am certain that our community is what makes us strong, and I want to encourage that as much as possible!