Cole Fungaroli shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Cole, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
First, I hit the gym. Then refuel with a sauce-filled breakfast. Then get to work.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey, I’m Cole, and I run East Coast Sauces here in Raleigh, NC. We make small-batch sauces that aren’t just about heat—they’re about flavor, health, and purpose. Every sauce starts with a base of bone broth, which lends it a deep, umami richness and packs in real nutritional benefits you don’t usually find in a hot sauce.
What makes it special to me is that it’s not just a product—it’s a way to connect people through food and do a little good along the way. A portion of every sale goes toward fighting human trafficking, so every bottle has a purpose beyond the plate. Right now, we’re expanding up and down the East Coast, cooking up more batches, and working on our first-ever Coastie-exclusive sauce that our community will help design. It’s been a wild ride so far, and I’m just stoked to keep building it one bottle at a time.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
A moment that really shaped how I see the world was standing on top of Mt. Rundle in Alberta. Up there, looking out at this massive landscape, I realized how small we really are—and how the “big” things we stress over aren’t what truly matter. What matters is being a good person, following Jesus, and focusing on the small, intentional ways we can impact the world. I don’t need everyone to know my name; if the ripples of what I do can be felt—even if they’re never traced back to me—that’s enough.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I used to think that if you failed at something, it meant you were a failure. For me, that moment came with soccer—I thought sports were my only path forward. When that door closed, it felt like the end. But over time I realized it was just one chapter, not the whole story. I took the discipline, work ethic, and drive I learned from sports and applied them somewhere else—and that’s where I started to thrive. That “failure” actually set me up for success in ways I never could have seen at the time.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
The cultural value I protect above all else is my faith—the values of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They’re the foundation for how I live, treat people, and make decisions, both in life and in business.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What light inside you have you been dimming?
The light I’ve been dimming is my willingness to speak up about faith. For too long, I went along with the direction modern society was heading, thinking it was “just the way things are.” But in that, I realized we’ve drifted from God—and I don’t want to be quiet about that anymore.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eastcoastsauces.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eastcoast_sauces/
Image Credits
Myself
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