We were lucky to catch up with Julia Street recently and have shared our conversation below.

Julia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

While I’ve gained valuable insights from launching my business later in my career, I also wish I had ventured into the food industry much earlier. I never granted myself the permission to fully immerse myself in the creative process, even though it was a recurring passion. I was afraid that dedicating myself entirely to something I loved might lead to a sense of disillusionment. Despite the occasional moments of frustration, I genuinely adore what I do and the connections I’ve forged in the food world. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I had dabbled in the food industry on and off, mainly in a supportive role, since I entered the workforce after college. On the side, I continued to study and gain experience in food, including stages, but I was still apprehensive about making the leap full time. In 2019, I made the bold decision to leave my corporate job in pursuit of self-discovery and a career change. I undertook a fermentation residency and worked at a fermentation shop in Oakland before launching my chocolate company. Here, I was able to channel my passion for fermentation into chocolate-making (although I have yet to experience cacao fermentation, as it’s best done at its origin).

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m passionate about crafting small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate, and my journey into this industry was largely self-taught. Over time, I’ve further honed my skills by immersing myself in the craft, including participating in a stage with an experienced chocolate maker and enrolling in various classes to master the more intricate aspects like roasting and scaling the business.

My focus primarily revolves around creating single-origin chocolate bars, but what truly sets my work apart is the emphasis I place on pairing the chocolate with fermented and upcycled ingredients. This allows me to present chocolate in a unique and innovative way, providing customers with an experience that goes beyond conventional expectations and also educating them on the pros of working with upcycled ingredients.

What I take great pride in is the fact that I’ve built this business from the ground up, operating as a solopreneur, and gradually transforming it into a recognized brand associated with quality, creativity, and sustainability. This journey has been both rewarding and challenging.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

One of the best ways I keep in touch with clients is through my quarterly subscription. I offer 5 bars quarterly and subscribers get first dibs on limited release seasonal bars and also a deeper look into how I run my business. Past subscriptions have included a bonus chocolate bar of test roasts so they could get an inside view of my chocolate development process in addition to more in depth notes of what’s going on in the business.

I also like to include a bonus sample chocolate when customers order directly (whenever possible) to show customers what else I’m up to and to give them a little delight when they open their package.

Further, I try to always be responsive- whether it’s a direct message or email, I take the time to connect with them and let them know I’m the face behind the business. I hope this personal touch helps build trust and a sense of community.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

I teach bean-to-bar chocolate classes locally in the cooler months. It’s a great way to connect with the community and also diversify income streams. I also offer the subscription as mentioned in an earlier question as a way to incentivize more direct sales. Otherwise I sell chocolate directly on my site and at popups and locally via retail (wholesale) stores.

Contact Info:

• Website: jstchocolate.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/jst.chocolate

Image Credits
Star Chefs, Elizabeth Vecchiarelli of Preserved. All other images are my own.