We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nathan Larsen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nathan below.

Alright, Nathan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Day to day the world can seem like a tough place, but there’s also so much kindness in the world and we think talking about that kindness helps spread it and make the world a nicer, kinder place. Can you share a story of a time when someone did something really kind for you?

I am the kind of person who tries to see the best in everyone and want to believe everyone has good intentions. Some people prove me right and others can disappoint. Sometimes people show so much kindness that it blows you away. On one occasion, someone did just that. While driving home on a 6 hour road trip, a deer jumped out in front of my car, which was going nearly 60 miles an hour. There was very little time to react which ultimately left my car totaled and the deer dead. Fortunately I wasn’t physically hurt, but was shaken. I remember getting out of my car, and looking at my disfigured car. The first thing that came to mind was “I can’t afford a new car, I just paid tuition.” Luckily I had insurance and ended up being ok. Shortly after composing myself, a few different people stopped to make sure I was ok. One of those people who stopped was a lady in a truck and house trailer. She made the effort to pull off the road and check on me. Once she asked if I was ok, she asked if I needed a ride somewhere. At this moment I wasn’t sure how I was going to get home. I was about an hour from home. Being the person who didn’t want to inconvenience someone else, I told her I think I was ok. She gave me her number just in case.

After getting the car towed back to the nearest town, I was left with figuring out a way to get home. This was a very rural area where Ubers didn’t exist and there was no public transportation. I decided to call this lady who gave me her number and asked if I could pay her to drive me home. She arrived 15 minutes later to pick me up. Not only did she show up shortly after calling but she had also packed me dinner she had made. This act of kindness really touched me because she was going above and beyond to help me on a night that was not going well for me. When she dropped me off, she refused to accept any money. This women reminded me there are so many good people out there who are doing good and helping others with no expectations of something in return. Its been 5 years and I haven’t seen this lady since, but still remain grateful for the kindness she showed me that night,

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

Hello! My name is Nathan Larsen. I would describe myself as a entrepreneur, adventurer, foodie, and social person. I may not want to be the center of attention, but I love being around other people. I do admit that I can suffer from FOMO. I grew up in a very rural part of Colorado and loved to do all the traditional boy things: fishing, hiking, playing in the dirt, and running around barefoot outside. When I was 16 years old I helped with a fundraiser that involved selling 50 pound bags of potatoes. Through this experience, I really enjoyed working with money and providing something of value to people. Ever since then, I decided I wanted to go into business. I loved the idea of providing a valued product or service to someone. I give my parents a lot of credit in raising me to look for ways to help others. It has brought me a lot of joy to help people in small and big ways. Often times not knowing how much of a help it actually was. My long term goal is to start some kind of non-profit helping people.

I am also a person who may have slight ADD and get’s board easily. This is probably why I have so much going on. Currently my main job is as a CEO of a small mortgage company based in Utah. While it may not be the most exciting industry, it is an important one. At the end of the day, it feels good to know that I have helped someone into a place they can call their own. Its not a easy process and can be scary borrowing that much money. When I am not doing that, I own an airbnb rental property and a food truck called The Cocoa Camper. Of these three businesses, The Cocoa Camper is the most fun. We sell hot cocoa in the winter, and frozen cocoa in the summer. Don’t forget our fried goods: Cronuts, churros, and sometimes fried cinnamon rolls! We currently only do events and catering, but hope to have a second trailer in the next year that will allow us to have set hours.

In my free time you can find me traveling, being outside, or performing in local theatre productions. As I am preparing this interview, I am in New Zealand! Traveling is one of my favorite things to do because of the diversity in culture and food. Fortunately all of my work can be done remotely, and so I find myself traveling a lot. I know that is something I won’t regret later in life.

Let’s move on to buying businesses – can you talk to us about your experience with business acquisitions?

I bought my food truck, The Cocoa Camper, back in the spring of 2021. I was not currently in the food industry nor was I looking for a food truck or a job in the industry. Only a few months prior to buying the business, I saw their instagram page and loved the idea and the vintage trailer. There wasn’t anything like it in the area. The Cocoa Camper at the time was selling hot cocoa and cronuts. When I saw that he was selling the business, I saw potential in it. He had only been open for 2-3 months, so while there as not a huge following, there was a great idea and framework in place. The camper was fully build and just needed someone to come in and take over. I met with the owner and looked at the finances, functionality of the food trailer, and his current menu. His customers really liked the product and idea of the camper. It was brand that was unique and cute, which Utah loves. So I decided to move forward with it. While the finances weren’t super organized, I knew this was a long term opportunity and continues to be one. While it has not made me an overnight success, it has shown great progress. For the next few months, we have events almost every weekend, this year we are on track to make more than last year, and that was with taking a 3 month break when we did some updates to the trailer. My biggest recommendation when looking at buying a business is to explore more than just the finances. First, be passionate about it. If you don’t love the concept, you are less likely to put the work in that will be successful. Secondly, look at it and ask if it has potential. Is there room to grow bigger and better. What is the competition like and how can you stand out among those competitors.

Any advice for managing a team?

While I know I have responsibilities to manage a team, I try to look at it in a way that doesn’t make it feel like I am managing them. I want them to know I am willing to work right along side of them. While I may be their boss, I strive to make them feel like we are equal. Their responsibilities are different than mine but just as important. Connecting with them on a personal, yet professional manner, has allowed my teams to be productive and increase morale. Don’t always talk about work. Ask them about their weekend, and when they tell you they are doing something like going to a concert or visiting their family, ask them how it was. Simple things like this build their morale and trust. I also try to organized company events or even small gatherings among my team to do something non work related. Taking the time to gather your team in a way that doesn’t;t involve doing or talking about work will make them more productive when it comes to working. You will find that they look forward to seeing their team members at work which give them a drive to keep working and stay at a company longer.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecocoacamper/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecocoacamper
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlarsen47/
• Other: Personal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nathan2.o/