Episode: Jean Thompson, CEO of Maeve Chocolate

What does it take to rescue a chocolate company after a literal earthquake, a departing CEO, and a distributor bankruptcy — all while raising kids and drawing no salary? Jean Thompson, founder and CEO of Maeve Chocolate (formerly Seattle Chocolate), knows firsthand.

In this episode, Mark sits down with his longtime entrepreneur friend Jean for one of the most candid founder stories you'll hear. After nine years of losing money, taking on home equity loans, and at least one roadside panic attack, Jean built a thriving, values-driven chocolate company — and rebranded it entirely in year 33.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How a Seattle earthquake in 2001 accidentally made Jean the owner of a failing chocolate company
• Why "this housewife is going to take the company to its knees" became her rocket fuel for years
• The brutal cash flow reality of physical product businesses — and why growth almost killed them
• What Jean saw visiting cocoa farms in Ghana (including tribespeople tasting chocolate for the first time)
• Why she turned down Ferrari of Seattle during her divorce to keep the chocolate company
• The bold, all-or-nothing rebrand from Seattle Chocolate to Maeve — named after a fierce Irish warrior queen
• How immersive factory experiences, pop-ups, and a viral book collaboration sold out an entire year's inventory in 36 hours
• Building an "evergreen" company designed to outlast you

Key Themes: Founder resilience, ethical supply chains, experiential retail, rebranding, sustainable growth, women in business, the experience economy

Links & Resources:

• 🍫 Maeve Chocolate: maevechocolate.com
• 🍫 J.COCO Chocolate: jcocochocolate.com
• 📍 Factory tours & tastings available at their Tukwila, WA location
• 📱 Experiences App (show sponsor): experiencesapp.com

The Experiences podcast is brought to you by the Experiences app — the booking system built for Shopify merchants who sell bookable tours, tastings, classes, and adventures. Free 14-day trial in the Shopify App Store.

🧵 SHOW NOTES

In this episode of the Experiences Podcast, Mark Sandeno welcomes longtime Experiences app user and endlessly fascinating creator, Rachel Lorenz, founder of The Creative Contessa. From her home in South Korea (by way of Paris, Heidelberg, and Albuquerque), Rachel shares how she turned decades of medieval living history, culinary arts, embroidery, and historic dance into a thriving experiential business.

We dive into:

• 🛡️ How medieval living history turned into a modern-day business
• 🧠 Why she walked away from AI-threatened translation work to double down on creativity
• 🍷 What makes “sip and stitch” different from sip-and-paint (hint: actual teaching!)
• 🌍 The role of culture, travel, and authenticity in her offerings
• 💡 Why hands-on, real-life experiences are a powerful antidote to digital burnout
• 🪡 How she’s created a business that helps people feel more human through tactile learning and joyful connection
• 🔥 Advice for creatives who want to turn their passion into a business
• 🍖 And the medieval dish she swears needs a comeback: Aloes de Mutton

Whether you’re a creator looking to teach your craft, or just someone desperate for something real, this conversation is your sign to try something different.

🧵 Learn More About Rachel

🔗 Website: https://thecreativecontessa.com

📺 YouTube: The Creative Contessa on YouTube

📍 Based in South Korea | Online + in-person workshops available

🛍️ Powered by ExperiencesApp.com

Want to turn your unique skills into bookable experiences?

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✅ No clunky plugins

✅ On-brand, onsite, with full control of your customer data

✅ Free 14-day trial. No credit card required.

If you’re in the business of hosting people, Experiences App is for you.

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Welcome to the Experiences Podcast!

Mark Sandeno sits down with longtime friend and fellow adventurer Zach Smith, founder of Anywhere.com — a global travel platform that’s redefining how we explore the world.

In this episode, we go deep on:

🌍 The origin story: How Zach went from body surfing and hammocks to building one of the most thoughtful travel companies in the world

🔁 From chance meeting to startup launch: The unlikely business plan that began with a dusty office in Costa Rica

🤝 Why co-created travel matters: Personalized trips, informed travelers, and meaningful connections with local cultures

💡 The Anywhere model: Tech-enabled, human-powered itineraries that deliver immersive, regret-free experiences

⚖️ Mass travel vs. mindful travel: How convenience and cost miss what great travel is really about

🌱 What’s next: New geographies in development (Greece, Morocco, Italy, Mexico) and how Anywhere continues to scale with integrity

Whether you’re a traveler looking for deeper experiences or an entrepreneur building something that matters, this conversation will challenge your thinking on what modern travel should be.

🌐 Learn More

• Visit: https://anywhere.com
• Follow Anywhere on Instagram and Trustpilot
• Try planning your own trip: anywhere.com

Sponsored by ExperiencesApp.com

Are you a retailer looking to offer bookable in-person experiences?

Forget clunky third-party booking tools. ExperiencesApp.com lets you sell appointments, classes, and events natively through your Shopify store.

→ Free 14-day trial, no credit card required.

🎧 Listen & Subscribe

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Music

Leave us a review if this episode inspired you!