An Inspired Chat with Ricardo Trillos

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Ricardo Trillos. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Ricardo , thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think many people need help in life and business. This can be in different areas like love, relationships or clarity, sales boosting or guidance. I have seen people struggle and live with those struggles trying to deal with them instead of looking for help and advice. Pride or fear of judgement are a big deal in today’s society.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Ricardo Trillos, co-founder and Chocolate maker at Cao Chocolates. Our business focus on creating customized chocolate activities for individual groups or corporations as team building. We create chocolate tastings and ship chocolates worldwide then connect with guests and host classes. We have hosted events for over 47.000 attendees since covid which is how we pivot our business.
Another brand that recently emerged during the pandemic is “The Choconnector” which is the combination of my 16 years of experience in the food industry with my accounting degree, human resources background and business coach certifications.
At The Choconnector I combine business expertise with food business background to work from start ups, anybody who is working on a food business idea to businesses that have been around for years but don’t have the growth, sales, or business organization they are looking for. Of course I focus on Chocolate businesses, cocoa farmer associations but work with coffee shops, bakers and small restaurants. Most of my sessions are virtual and allow me to have clients in Bogotá, Colombia, Germany, NY, Nigeria, Ecuador and Miami.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was a dreamer, someone with a very small conform zone, always looking for change. The world did not told me who I had to be but in a way life (or people) at some point told me who I shouldn’t be and I did not listen.
When I have the right time to create my first business (Cao Chocolates) I was told by many people it was not the right time, no investment money, someone told me I had a 2 years old baby girl to feed and all kind of ridiculous feedbacks. That is the moment where I felt they were telling who do I had to be and I refused! I will be in charge of my victories and learning curves. Remember the world can tell you who you have to be you can adapt only if you agree with that version of yourself.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Of course, Trying to grow we went for opening a second location in Coral Gables, Florida and struggled a lot with permits bureaucracy (Miami can be the most anti-entrepreneurial place you can imagine) who put us almost out of business. We decided not to continue with build out, after being asked to do so many crazy and non sense things by city of Miami. Regardless, cash flow was low and business loans were not stopping so it was a hard time.
The easy route could have been giving up, no more money issues, let staff go and try to get some peace of mind but we refused (my wife and I) that Cao Chocolates was going to end that way. For us, our team, our family and our people we took many life punches and came out winning that battle after working harder and smarter than ever during the pandemic to turn that setback into the best years in business afterward.
Remember Rocky beating the Russian boxer in Rocky IV?…yes, that was exactly our life.
What I learned? what to do and not do, how to manage stress, how to become a better person, read more, learn more, how to manage stress and never let it affect my family.
I became a stronger person mentally and that is exactly some of the power and expertise I used in The Choconnector.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely.
I am who I am, I am great at sensing fake people and totally hate it. I stay away from them as far as I can so of course I am the opposite I am transparent with my friends, clients and family. I always tell people who want to work with me they can google me and will find exactly what they hear when talking to me.
life is an open book nowadays with technology whether we agree or not so why bother having different versions of yourself?

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What will you regret not doing? 
I learned early in life that time will never come back.
If there is an opportunity to do something I will do it. will do it with fear, hesitation yet will still do it.
I don’t want to live my life looking back regretting things I didn’t do or risk I did not take.
I rather collecting experiences and lessons than fears of not doing things I want.

Contact Info:

• Website: www,caochocolates.com www,thechoconnector.com
• Instagram: @caochocolates @thechoconnector
• Linkedin: linkedin,com/in/ricardotrillos
• Twitter: @caochocolates
• Facebook: @caochocolates