Dan Abel Jr. is the Chief Chocolate Officer of two beloved St. Louis-based companies: Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company and Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier. Dan occasionally goes by another nickname: “Willy Wonka of the Midwest.”

But no matter what you call him, he’ll never forget his roots. Dan is a 2nd Generation Chocolatier & son of the founder of Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company. Along with his two siblings, Dan oversees the operations of both Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company and Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier. Manufacturing, distribution, national sales channel and product development are the key areas to Dan’s focus.

Currently the Abel family is expanding its manufacturing facility, adding a bar and a café – and Dan is very instrumental in the construction management and development of both concepts while continuing to push growth. Dan is married with three children –enjoys playing golf, gardening with his young children and spending time with his family.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:32] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:48] Growing ventures through deep personal ties
• [03:01] Finding purpose through early hands-on work
• [04:29] Optimizing small resources for maximum impact
• [05:53] Building presence through hands-on outreach
• [07:56] Leveraging sampling to win customer trust
• [09:00] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [10:12] Creating impact with hands-on marketing
• [15:18] Callouts
• [15:28] Attending trade shows to drive direct sales
• [16:35] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [17:44] Sponsor: Freight Fright
• [19:44] Acquiring companies to accelerate growth
• [26:11] Delivering customer value despite COVID pressure
• [30:25] Creating connection through thoughtful service
• [31:41] Reinvesting in technology to enhance experience
• [34:34] Experimenting with old and new strategies
• [35:25] Solving problems through direct involvement

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Handcrafted Artisan Chocolates chocolatechocolate.com/
• Handcrafted Chocolatier bissingers.com/
• Follow Dan Abel Jr. linkedin.com/in/dan-abel-jr-15541765
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Turn your domestic business into an international business freightright.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Christine Monaghan is a builder of growth engines and a weaver of stories, helping brands scale from startup chaos to sustainable success. She blends storytelling with systems, tech with brand, and strategy with hands-on execution to deliver results that last.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:33] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:49] Building brands through storytelling
• [04:34] Tracing the roots of storytelling
• [06:23] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [07:36] Evaluating early-stage customer signals
• [10:09] Testing assumptions about customers
• [12:22] Callouts
• [12:32] Surveying customers to validate assumptions
• [14:55] Leveraging insights to improve messaging
• [18:15] Testing media to find what converts
• [21:28] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [22:33] Sponsor: Freight Right
• [24:36] Connecting blogs to nurture discovery
• [27:15] Targeting platforms where customers exist
• [28:58] Optimizing ads for long-term growth
• [34:48] Understanding top-of-funnel users

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The modern way to drink milk almondcow.co/
• Follow Christine Monaghan linkedin.com/in/christine-monaghan
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Turn your domestic business into an international business freightright.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Michelle Songy is a serial entrepreneur and the Founder of Press Hook, a platform that helps brands get media coverage through a hybrid model of earned, affiliate, and paid press opportunities. Prior to Press Hook, Michelle founded and sold Cake Technologies to American Express.

She’s passionate about making PR more accessible and transparent for small businesses, especially mission-driven consumer brands. Press Hook is used by 1,000+ companies— from early-stage startups to category leaders— to connect directly with journalists, newsletters, and podcasts that drive real product discovery.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:56] Realizing the need to master your own PR
• [02:36] Understanding why generic pitching fails
• [05:21] Boosting discovery via trusted publishers
• [08:06] Navigating earned, paid, and affiliate media
• [11:26] Callouts
• [11:40] Standing out with visuals and clarity
• [15:26] Adapting strategies to decentralized media
• [18:58] Enhancing discoverability in crowded markets
• [20:57] Building systems before scaling PR

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• AI-driven media relations and PR pantform presshook.com/
• Follow Michelle Songy linkedin.com/in/michellesongy

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!