We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Red Thalhammer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Red, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I have overcome many obstacles and challenged myself throughout my life, creating a history of success. This includes many autodidact events engaging in creative hobbies, working in the family restaurant as a teenager, supporting friends, and building a successful career as an Art Director and Brand Designer for brands such as Pepsi, Sprite, Dove, and Porsche. However, true mastery comes when things are not going well for a period of time and regaining self-esteem by focusing on who I am as a whole.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I started Antidote – Chocolate That Loves You Back, in 2010. Antidote will grow your superpowers and make you feel good when you need it due to our potent formulas harnessing the power of cacao. It’s also exquisite chocolate with remarkable flavor fusions like Lemon + Licorice, Lavender + Red Salt, Anise + Tomato, and Orange + Earl Grey. Making flavors is my favorite part. I think of it as a creative process of creating tension, like a piece of art or the rhythm of a classical piece of music. Oh, and how could I forget the packaging? As a designer in my previous career, I specialized in packaging design and developed my own strategies for what I believe good packaging must have. I’m obsessed with packaging that does more than just tell you about the product and brand philosophy. I want it to inspire you and make it part of the whole experience.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
They say you need two out of three things to succeed: 1) money, 2) time, and 3) ideas. In my case, I had ideas/creativity and time. I think it’s different for everyone. There are many different ways to reach the goal, or better yet, to create a nice journey, since the journey should be the goal.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
This may sound counterintuitive, as there is so much talk about growing and pushing no matter what. I had adrenal fatigue for a long time and then long COVID, and I’m still not back to 100%. Taking a break, moving slower, and going with the flow is my way to recharge this summer. “Rest is as important as action” is a universal law. Aside from that, it’s about brand awareness. If you are an influencer, we’d be happy to send you bars to sample and share with your audience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://antidotechoco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antidotechoco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AntidoteChoco/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82301522/admin/feed/posts/
- Twitter: https://x.com/antidotechoco
Image Credits
Portraits: Ekaterina Juskowski
Product Shots: Erika Rojas
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
