Why did you begin Ritual Chocolate?
I started Ritual as I wanted to create and be part of something I could put my values and passions into. I loved chocolate and felt it was something I could really take in many different directions and make my own. There was so much poor quality chocolate on the market at the time, that I wanted to see what it would take to make exceptional quality chocolate that people could feel good about eating.
How have you worked to redefine and stand out in the chocolate industry?
We are one of the earlier craft chocolate makers in the US and we have really tried to stay the course with exceptional quality and let that define our process as we grow.
What was your intention behind starting your own brand?
We wanted to start a company we could put our values into. We loved the idea of having full transparency and control of every step of the chocolate making process, building a brand and product around our own passions.
What truly inspired you to actually begin your own brand?
I think something that inspired us to start Ritual was actually the lack of great quality chocolate available when we had the idea in 2009. We were really getting into good food, but we felt like there was something lacking when it came to good chocolate. It was hard to get the true story behind a chocolate company’s sourcing and process, let alone finding chocolate with unique flavor.
Define your brand in three characteristics:
- Quality Product
- Sustainability Beliefs
- The Mountain Lifestyle
What guiding words do you have for other women working to begin their own business?
Jump in, get started, and keep going. We all question ourselves and never feel quite ready or qualified enough—I still have imposter syndrome and I’ve been building Ritual for 10 years.
Why do you use social media for Ritual?
I think social media is such a great tool for helping to tell your brand story. We have so much information to get across about our process and why Ritual is unique. Chocolate is very visual and it’s great to show the process rather than just explain it in words to connect with people.
What things influence Ritual?
Nature and being in the mountains—and our community, we really try to listen to our customers and adapt to their needs. Definitely, other specialty food makers following their passion and making exceptional quality products.
What was the defining moment for Ritual?
We started Ritual in Denver and, four and half years in, we just weren’t happy there. We really went back to the beginning and thought, Why did we start Ritual? It was to not make compromises and strive to live a life that is fulfilling to us. And that is when we took the leap to move to Park City. So many people thought we were crazy to leave one of the fastest growing cities in the US at the time, but we couldn’t be happier living in a much smaller town in the mountains. We feel more inspired by having better access to nature and, as we are happier, we bring that energy into the business.
Each month, modern8 will be doing a spotlight on a company or organization that we admire. Some of them might be clients, current or old, and some may not, but one this is for sure, our features will be on businesses we admire with really, really cool people. Each month you’ll just have to wait and read for yourself to find out who.
In these spotlights and interviews, we want to provide you a sense of who these businesses are. We want to share who we find intriguing and undeniably interesting while also giving you a bit more of the story and the experience of the companies. We hope these stories will intrigue you, introduce you, or inspire you regarding something and someone new.
