DONO da CACAU SHOW conta como foi o INÍCIO da MARCA - ALEXANDRE COSTA (CACAU SHOW)

Summary

The transcript details the journey of an individual who grew up in a hardworking, entrepreneurial family in São Paulo. His mother, an innovator in direct sales, created a successful business involving various products like Tupperware, Natura, and chocolate. At 17, the individual re-entered the chocolate business, turning a small family-run venture into a successful company. After overcoming challenges, including sourcing and making his own chocolates, he introduced a new market niche, selling to padarias, restaurants, and supermarkets. His story reflects creativity, perseverance, and entrepreneurial spirit in building a business from the ground up.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker recalls growing up in a working-class family in São Paulo, where his mother was an entrepreneur selling products like Avon, Tupperware, and later creating her own brand, Cacau Show.
• 😀 His mother was deeply entrepreneurial, running home-based sales meetings and growing a network of sellers for various products.
• 😀 The speaker's early exposure to business came from helping his mother with her sales and eventually taking responsibility for handling orders and accounting, even at a young age.
• 😀 At 17, the speaker decided to revive his mother’s chocolate business, Cacau Show, which she had stopped running a few years prior due to logistical issues.
• 😀 The speaker learned how to make smart pricing decisions by comparing different suppliers' rates, leading him to create his own pricing model for chocolates in time for Easter sales.
• 😀 Through trial and error, the speaker realized the challenges of meeting customer demands for seasonal products like Easter chocolates and came up with a solution to scale production quickly.
• 😀 The speaker's creativity helped him navigate product shortages, working with suppliers and local businesses to find alternatives, such as using smaller chocolate forms and adjusting his pricing.
• 😀 The speaker was resourceful and involved in all aspects of the business, from pricing and product development to delivering orders and handling logistics.
• 😀 As a young entrepreneur, the speaker saw an opportunity in the chocolate market that was underserved by large industrial brands, focusing on artisanal products like truffles and bombons.
• 😀 Over time, the speaker expanded his business by selling directly to local bakeries and restaurants, creating relationships with small-scale buyers and gradually growing his customer base.

Q & A

What was the role of the speaker's mother in the family business?

The speaker's mother was a very entrepreneurial figure, initially selling products from brands like Avon, Natura, and Tupperware. Over time, she expanded into creating her own catalogs and even created a chocolate brand called 'Cacau Show.' She also managed a network of resellers and took innovative steps to grow the business.

How did the speaker's early experiences with his mother’s business influence his career?

The speaker was heavily influenced by his mother's entrepreneurial spirit, learning the processes of sales, product marketing, and business management. His early involvement in tasks like receiving orders, handling deliveries, and working with catalogues shaped his understanding of business operations.

What challenges did the speaker face when trying to sell chocolate as a teenager?

The speaker faced challenges such as supply issues with chocolate, a lack of reliable delivery systems, and difficulties with pricing. He was forced to seek new suppliers and find creative solutions, like partnering with a woman, Dona Cleusa, to help him make and package the chocolate.

How did the speaker adapt when the chocolate supplier could not fulfill his order?

When the supplier couldn’t fulfill the order, the speaker found a solution by working with Dona Cleusa to make the chocolate himself. This required him to borrow money from his uncle and buy chocolate bars, ingredients, and packaging to fulfill the orders.

What was the significance of the speaker’s early decision to create his own pricing strategy for chocolate?

The speaker's ability to create his own pricing strategy was a key moment in his entrepreneurial development. By understanding the price differences and calculating the potential profits, he realized that he could offer competitive prices while still making a significant profit, which set him apart from the competition.

How did the speaker begin his independent chocolate business?

The speaker started his independent business by making truffles and chocolate bombs and selling them to local bakeries. He identified an underserved niche in the market, as there were few local suppliers of high-quality artisanal chocolate.

What strategy did the speaker use to sell chocolates to bakeries and padarias?

The speaker began selling his chocolates by offering them at a lower price to bakeries and local businesses. He would visit early in the morning, build relationships with the shop owners, and sell his products directly to the customers in line, often reselling for a higher price.

What was the significance of the speaker’s use of broken chocolate bars in his business?

The speaker realized that broken chocolate bars were being discarded at a low price, and he leveraged this by buying them for cheaper and using them to make his products. This was an example of his resourcefulness in minimizing costs while still creating quality products.

How did the speaker transition from making chocolates to creating a larger business?

The speaker expanded his business from making chocolates in small batches to selling to larger clients, including supermarkets and restaurants. His keen understanding of market gaps, especially for affordable, high-quality artisanal chocolate, helped him grow the business.

What role did the speaker's family play in his business success?

The speaker's family, especially his mother, played a central role in his business journey. His mother’s entrepreneurial mindset provided him with early lessons in sales, product development, and management, while other family members, like his uncle, helped financially during critical moments.