Podcast appearances and mentions of katrina markoff

“And that's when this flood of clarity came in, and I was like, I'm going to use chocolate as a medium for storytelling.” Katrina Markoff is founder of the Chicago-based Violet Flame Chocolate.   Prior to her new venture, Katrina founded Vosges Haut-Chocolat in 1998, which expanded our understanding of what chocolate could be. Katrina has been named one of Fortune Magazine's “40 Under 40”, Bon Appétit has named her Food Artisan of the Year, and Food & Wine has called her “the innovator in chocolate to lead the U.S. through the next 30 years.” We follow Katrina's journey from pre-med student at Vanderbilt, to attending culinary school in Paris, to working at El Bulli (one of the best restaurants in the world), and finally finding her calling as an entrepreneur and chocolatier.   (1:06) – What was Katrina's upbringing like?(4:30) – How did Katrina make the change from pre-med student to culinary school?(9:13) – What was Katrina's experience working at El Bulli with Ferran Adrià like?(12:47) – What attracted Katrina to working as a chocolatier and founding Vosges Chocolat?(16:40) – What led to Vosges' huge success?(19:13) – Why did Katrina start Violet Flame Chocolate, and what is she doing differently this time around?(23:03) – What is the “why” that drives Katrina?(24:46) – What do entrepreneurs get wrong when they first start out?(26:20) – Why is failure important?(27:51) – What's the best way to enjoy chocolate?

“From a young age, I saw food as little treasures,” says Katrina Markoff, Founder of Vosges Chocolate, “to me it was really special.” This is the experience she has created for her customers for nearly 30 years with her gourmet chocolate confections. Not only was she a pioneer of adding unconventional ingredients like silver or olive oil to chocolate and making chocolate a slow-eating, full sensory experience, but her retail spaces were also destinations unto themselves. Giving customers unique, specialized experiences with chocolate is what kept them coming back, and eventually word of mouth led to press coverage. By focusing on her craft and sharing her story with her community, her community returned the favor by spreading word of the business which then led to press coverage. Though very dedicated to being hands-on with every aspect of the business, Katrina eventually had to figure out how to scale to keep up with the demand of the product. A lot of Katrina's journey was just jumping in and figuring it out as she went along. Many of what seemed like setbacks were truly blessings in disguise. Mistakes are normal and happen in every stage of the process, so don't let them throw you for too long. After all, nothing happens overnight. Quotes • “We're always creating. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are creating our lives. (14:38-14:44 | Katrina) • “The more you focus on your craft, on your community, on your purpose for being, people will want to tell that story.” (22:08-22:18 | Katrina) • “You have to tell your story. When you tell your story, people come to you. And that is what happened with Vosges…and what put her on the map.” (25:42-26:44 | Lindsay) Connect with Katrina Markoff: Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/vosgeshautchocolat Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Dear FoundHer on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts! You can now work with Lindsay 1:1 to build and monetize your community through the same method she used to grow and scale her business. Fill out the form here and set up a FREE 30-minute consultation. Make sure you sign up for Lindsay's newsletter and have all of the takeaways from every podcast episode sent straight to your inbox. PLUS, you'll get a tip every week to help you grow and scale your own business. Don't forget to follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk Use code FoundHer for 50% off your first month with both HiveCast and Fireside Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Katrina Markoff is the founder and CEO of Vosges, a chocolate brand with a mission to share quality, meaningful food with the world. She began her chocolatier apprenticeship in Spain under the direction of Ferran and Albert Adria of the famed El Bulli, where she began to understand that food was a medium for transformative visceral experiences. At the encouragement of Ferran she set out on a quest directed by the signs to identify her path and reason for being in the world of good, meaningful food and embarked on a trip around the world.Tune in to this incredible episode with a badass female CEO, learn about her journey creating Vosges, and why she believes you have to let go of your ego in order to succeed as an entrepreneur.Please subscribe above to be notified of our new episodes. I put together a Free Top 10 Checklist for Every Entrepreneur.  Click here to get your copy: https://thebadassceo.com/tips-for-every-entrepreneur/ ‎To learn more about our podcast guest, click here:If you enjoy this podcast, please help support the the podcast by using the link to our sponsors and companies I use for my business.  I receive a small percentage for each sale.  Thank you so much for your support!!http://thebadassceo.com/tools/Follow us on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/badass.ceo/

Katrina Markoff is the founder, CEO, and Chocolatier of Vosges Chocolat - a Chicago-based luxury chocolate brand. Katrina is a world-traveler who uses her global experiences to bring culture, intuition, and joy to her customers through chocolate. With three boutiques, an ecommerce platform, and international patrons, Katrina is one of the most successful chocolatiers in the industry.  In the last twenty years Katrina has used vibrant cacao as the medium for her collections. By combining it with indigenous, energetic plants, she is able to communicate a sense of place, terroir or earth as the grounding home that connects the soul of the story to the people who it originates with. She made it part of her mission to use only superior sourced ingredients as an acknowledgement to nature's secret and potent bounty that she has the honor and responsibility to reveal. Through chocolate she has explored: all seven continents, the Marchesa Casati, African American influences on music, ancient Egypt, aphrodisiacs, the first creative cuisine of Italy, the curiosity of Fermentation, how we taste through our sense of smell and more. Listen today as we chat with Katrina about how she built her luxury chocolate brand, finding your state of flow, and how she uses chocolate to open minds and heart to bring people together and make the world a better place.

Katrina Markoff is the CEO and Founder of Vosges Haut-Chocolat and is the recipient of numerous accolades including being named one of The Top 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company, Fortune Magazine's 40 Under 40, the Bon Appétit Food Artisan of the Year Award, and “THE innovator in chocolate to lead the US through the next 30 years” by Food & Wine Magazine. She was also honored as Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by OPEN American Express and Entrepreneur Magazine. Most recently, Vosges Haut-Chocolat was named one of the 10 Best Chocolatiers in the World by National Geographic.In this episode, I share the serendipitous story of how we got connected through the Chicago airport and a love letter, what inspired Katrina to start Vosges, the importance of storytelling, where she finds inspiration, and the self-care practices that allow her to be a CEO, mother, wife, and more.Creative Resources Mentioned:Energy for SuccessDennis William HauckConnect with Katrina:https://www.vosgeschocolate.com/

Katrina Markoff, founder and CEO of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, talks about growing her luxurious chocolate brand worldwide to more than $30 million in annual sales with 5% international, understanding the healing power of chocolate and rituals, and how to find your power in life.

If you are a chocolate lover like myself - you are going to absolutely love this episode. But you’ll quickly hear that this episode is about SO much more than chocolate. It’s about ritual, healing, finding purpose, alchemy, storytelling and so much more. Today you’ll be hearing our conversation with creative genius and chocolate alchemist, Katrina Markoff - founder and creator of https://www.vosgeschocolate.com/ (Vosges Haut Chocolat.) Katrina went to culinary school in Paris and then took a discovery trip around the world, when she returned to the states she knew she wouldn’t be fulfilled working in restaurants so she created her own niche way of bringing people peace, love and ritual to everyone enjoying her craft. After you listen to her incredible story and mission, go check out the https://www.vosgeschocolate.com/ (Vosges website). You can use the code MIMIFIT for 15% off on their website through April 30th. And just a reminder that Mother’s Day is coming up, so if your mom is a chocolate lover….just an idea. 

Katrina Markoff is the founder of Vosges Haut-Chocolate, a $30M brand that was launched in 1998 and is now sold in over 2,000 outlets around the world. After studying chemistry and psychology in college, Katrina moved to Paris to pursue her dream of studying the culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu. She worked for Ferran Adrià, the chef at the legendary restaurant, El Bulli, in Spain who advised her to “use your own imagination and your own sense of taste to create something.” Following his advice, she embarked on a journey to travel around the world which inspired her to create Vosges Haut-Chocolat by infusing the exotic ingredients she discovered during her travels, including indigenous spices, flowers, roots, herbs and liqueurs with premium chocolate. Katrina shared with me how trusting her intuition and following her heart led to an amazing journey where all of her life experiences came together to create a beautiful chocolate brand that nurtures awareness and appreciation of the world’s diverse cultures. (Original broadcast date: January 30, 2019)   If you got any value or joy from my podcast, I would be grateful if you can share with friends and write me a review on Apple Podcast or Podchaser. And subscribe in your favorite podcast player!  If you want to schedule a complimentary coaching session with me, you can reach out to me here. Wondering how my coaching can help you? Here is what my clients have said about their experiences of working with me.  Come say hi to me on LinkedIn! Any questions about coaching or thoughts about my podcast?  Send me a message!  Show Notes for This Episode

Katrina Markoff is the founder of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, a $30M brand that was launched in 1998 and is now sold in over 2,000 outlets around the world. Katrina shared with me how trusting her intuition and following her heart led to an amazing journey where all of her life experiences came together to create a beautiful chocolate brand that nurtures awareness and appreciation of the world’s diverse cultures. Today's shownotes: celinalee.co/episode13

As the creator of a luxury chocolate empire exceeding $35MM annually, Katrina shares insights on what not to forget as a leader. Every few weeks as part of The Heartbeat, I asks one question to a founder, CEO, or business owner I respect about their biggest leadership lesson learned. Katrina Markoff is the Founder and CEO of Vosges Haut-Chocolat,… Read the full article

Love chocolate? Learn how chocolatier Katrina Markoff found her calling and went on to launch the brands Vosges Haut-Chocolat and Wild Ophelia. Also, hear how she’s helping high school and college students who dream of being entrepreneurs. Our second guest is the inspiring Gretchen Holt-Witt, founder of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Hear how the loss of her son Liam spurred her to create the organization, which has raised more than $10 million for research.

Ellen Bennett of Hedley & Bennett joins us to moderate the latest panel in our Cherry Bombe Jubilee coverage, focused on how to be be the boss of others or just yourself. This panel was part of our third annual Jubilee conference, which was held earlier this year at the High Line Hotel in New York and featured interviews and talks with some of the most interesting women in the world of food. More than 300 guests attend the sold-out conference each year to network, hear the speakers, and enjoy food from the city’s hottest female-run businesses. The “How to Be the Boss” panel welcomed four powerhouses who shared their advice and perspectives on growing a business, managing others, and finding balance. Our panelists included Jodi Berg, CEO of Vitamix; Amanda Hesser, co-founder and CEO of Food52; Katrina Markoff, founder of Vosges Haut-Chocolat; and Christina Minardi, president of the Northeast region of Whole Foods Market. Our moderator, Ellen Bennett, is the founder and CEO of Hedley & Bennett, the apron brand beloved by many of the nation’s top chefs and kitchens.

Katrina Markoff attended Vanderbilt and got her degree, but she didn’t love it enough to pursue that path. What she loved was cooking. So, Katrina moved to Paris to attend culinary school. From Paris, she went to Spain and was inspired to travel the world for nine months to study street food and work in restaurants. Katrina returned home, still unsure of what she wanted to do with her life. All of her friends had used their degrees to start their careers, and she felt behind, still figuring it all out. It was not until a necklace she had acquired from her travels, with a story behind it, made her realize her inner voice was telling her to use chocolate as a medium for storytelling. Katrina now is the creator and founder of two chocolate brands Vosges Haut-Chocolat and Wild Ophelia, where she makes a living and impacts lives by using chocolate to deliver a narrative. The Sweet Stories Shared -Her mom’s reaction to her decision to travel after receiving her degree -Why she’s tired of what she calls the “French Provincialism” -How working for her Uncle helped her learn how to bring a product into the market -The moment that everything made sense to her and she knew what she needed to do -How her mom’s work ethic and support aided her in creating her own business -The moment she fell in love with chocolate -How her chocolate brands support and empower American women and entrepreneurs Katrina’s Inner Voice Says... “I am Macedonian and just felt like food was so much connected to love. It was just a thing that I felt I wanted to do more of.” “My second semester of my senior year I went to all of these career fairs and job interviews. I was like ‘oh my God, I cannot do this. I cannot apply for a job to be a consultant or in finance.’ I didn’t want to be a doctor.” “It was disheartening to think after all of [culinary school and traveling the world to learn about food] I didn’t want to be a chef. I didn’t want to do anything with my degrees at Vanderbilt and then I am thinking to myself ‘what am I doing?’ There was something still in me driving towards something, and I don’t know exactly where it was going, but I knew it was going somewhere. I just trusted the signs.” “I believe in signs and I believe in that very strong inner voice that I have, and I just kept listening to it. ” “I was very driven. My mom worked really hard,and we didn’t have a lot of money growing up. We really appreciated that about my Mom, and our family wanted to work hard to prove ourselves. It was in my blood to start my own business.” “I always say to people, when they want to have [business] partners, really be cautious about it, to be sure that truly you are both bringing something very different and complementary to the table; you are both really aligned in the risk that comes with being an entrepreneur.” “I think things have meaning. Things don’t happen by coincidence; there is a meaning to things and it’s your job to figure out how to translate that for yourself. Only your inner voice can help decipher what it means. ” “I think that it makes my life really rich to share [my] story and get people inspired to start their own companies.” “I think women make great entrepreneurs because they are naturally very good at multitasking and really good at solving problems.” “Food is quite male-dominated. Most chefs are men. It’s an ironic thing because you think about most women cooking in their kitchens for their children, and what not, but it doesn't manifest so much in the actual restaurants.” [Connect with Katrina Twitter (@Vosge), Instagram (@vosgeshautchocolat), Facebook, Pinterest, www.wildophelia.com, www.vosgeschocolate.com] RESOURCES: Le Cordon Bleu 1871 Instacart YeahDave Meditation Hoffman Meditation Pinterest