JJ Rademaekers is the founder and CEO of JJ’s Sweets. The idea for this company came to JJ in a dream he had one night in 2009. Inspired by the dream, JJ began experimenting with making delicious, natural sweets made from sustainably sourced, organic, healthier ingredients. What started as a candy stand at Boulder’s local farmer’s market has since grown into a thriving natural candy brand, with Cocomels occupying shelf space in more than 2,000 retailers around the country. In 2014, JJ’s Sweets further expanded our reach in the natural candy market with a line of Chocolate Covered Cocomels.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [0:44] JJ Rademaekers joins the podcast to talk about Cocomel.
- [2:45] What inspired JJ to create a candy business?
- [4:40] JJ talks about the product development process.
- [7:50] Challenges that JJ has faced along the way.
- [9:15] Some proud moments from JJ’s journey.
In this episode…
What comes to mind when you think of dairy-free candy? Does it conjure up images of your favourite snack or an image of something found in the diet foods aisle? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from entrepreneur and business leader, JJ Rademaekers. In his conversation with Jeremy, JJ explains why he started JJ’s Sweets, what led him to focus on dairy-free candy, the development process, challenges they’ve faced along the way, and much more. You don’t want to miss a minute of this fascinating episode featuring JJ’s unique story!
Have you ever had a dream so large that you couldn’t help but follow it? JJ Rademaekers was minding his own business touring with his band when he had a dream he couldn’t shake. In the dream, he saw all kinds of candies that he had never heard of before – when he woke up, he knew that he had to make them a reality. Drawing on his science background, JJ went to work creating and developing a line of dairy-free candy. The dream soon became a reality – today, JJ’s Sweets is a thriving business with a ton of potential. You can find a link to JJ’s website located in the resources section at the end of this post.
As you’ve advanced in your career, can you think of a moment when you felt like throwing in the towel? Or are you one of those “Crazy” go-getter types who thrive on challenges? As he began developing JJ’s Sweets, JJ Rademaekers found that each step along the way was like peeling back the layers of an onion. The process wasn’t easy to develop dairy-free candy, but JJ and his team were up to the task. Eventually, they were able to hone in on a formula that worked well for their packaging and their target market. What can you learn from JJ’s story?
Resources Mentioned on this episode
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