Luxury Chocolatier - Lift Chocolate

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Brandon Busch, owner of Lift Chocolate, located in Boulder, CO.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Lift Chocolate is a luxury chocolatier, specializing in European-style truffles, holiday molded pieces and totally original offerings like our Splitz bars. We are so proud to have our products in Whole Foods Rocky Mountain Region, Pharmaca, and on the Williams-Sonoma website. We are in independents nation-wide, and, at times, in United Airlines' Polaris clubs. This holiday season, we will have products in Sur La Table stores.

Tell us about yourself

While deployed during my time in the Marines, I read culinary textbooks in my downtime. I was inspired by pastry and went to pastry school after active duty. I fell in love with chocolate there, as it was challenging, and evokes a reaction like no other food on the planet. It's very special. I absolutely love working on new chocolate products and seeing them come to life and sell in stores.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Making 25,000 truffle boxes for United Airlines Polaris Clubs. It was a very large number, and hard to get materials with all of the shortages in the supply chain.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Constantly increasing expenses. Raw materials and labor continually get more expensive, and yet only so much cost can be passed on to customers. That is, you have to balance the cost of doing business with how much a customer is willing to pay for chocolate.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Accept that reality will likely not be close to your business plan.

2. Adhere to your vision.

3. Perseverance and grit will get you through tough times, which will come.

I was a heavy LIFT helicopter pilot in the Marine Corps prior to the chocolate business. That's where the name LIFT comes from!

Where can people find you and your business?

https://www.liftchocolates.com/

https://www.facebook.com/liftchocolate/

https://www.instagram.com/liftchocolate/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-busch-398b846b/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.