ï»żEmmanuel Eleyae: Welcome to Eleyae Systems Podcast, Journey To An 8 Figure E-Commerce Business. I'll be your host, Emmanuel Eleyae, CEO and founder of Eleyae Systems, where we build systems that build brands online and help e-commerce entrepreneurs go from 10K a month to 100K a month to a million dollars a month in revenue without wasting a fortune on ad spend or working themselves to death to do it so that they can finally pay themselves what they deserve out of their business. We do this because we have built our own e-commerce brands. We've done over $50 million in revenue for our own brands and our client's brands in our agency, and we're just getting started. These systems that we teach, they work, they are effective, they're repeatable, they're scalable. They've worked for our businesses, they've worked for our clientâs businesses, and they'll work for your businesses too. Welcome to Eleyae Systems Podcast, Journey To An 8 Figure E-Commerce Business. In this episode Iâll be interviewing Kristoffer Quiaoit, co-founder of Good Journey Foods. Man, he has had a long journey in business full of ups and downs that have led him to where he is today. Youâll hear him talk about how his business, previous business failed and actually sent him into bankruptcy. And thatâs even after successfully getting a deal on Shark Tank, and all the lessons that he learned from that. His story of failures and successes is truly inspiring and should encourage you that there is no such thing as failure in business, just keep going, keep going, do it again, like heâs doing. Youâll hear how he built himself back up to create his new business Good Journey Foods where he sells keto donuts. Anyone thatâs been on a low-carb diet knows how hard it is to find good sweet treats on your keto journey and his product is a game-changer. I can tell you this from personal experience they are delicious. He also talks a lot in depth about his struggles with content creation. He has some great tips for those of us that are really shy about putting ourselves out on camera or nervous to really get ourselves out there and making content, so pay particular attention to the part where he talks about simplest and easiest way to make lots more content where it doesnât even feel like youâre making content, so you donât have to be nervous or self-conscious at all - just documenting the journey. I know youâre gonna get a lot out of this conversation with Kristoffer Quiaoit, so without further ado, hereâs Kristoffer Quiaoit. Alright so we are lucky to talk today, Kristoffer Quiaoit is here with us today on the show and I'm so excited to have you, brother. I'm glad you made time for us. Thank you.
Kristoffer Quiaoit: Yeah. Thanks for having me here.
Emmanuel: Sure. For, for folks that don't know you, please just start off with like what it is you do, who you are, what's your story?
Kristoffer: Yeah, so I'm the co-founder of Good Journey Donuts. We make a low sugar donut that's delicious with three grams of net carbs and six grams of protein.
Emmanuel: Nice. And I would love to know kind of like if, let's start with literally like what your business does. Like what is your business, what is the benefit it provides and how do you make money?
Kristoffer: Yeah, so our whole big thing is helping people enjoy the journey. So we created a delicious donut that pretty much tastes like a regular sugary donut you get at different shops. But it's, it's better for you. So, the reason why I got into this is, um, when I was going through a challenge, I, I, I had a keto cookie company before we had to shut down, and this was after Shark Tank. We got on Shark Tank, made a bunch of mistakes, and then we had to shut down our company. Uh, I filed bankruptcy, had to move in my, uh, wife and my son in with my aunt and uncle lost my, you know, a bunch of money from my family and friends. And it was really tough, a tough time. I was having a lot of anxiety and, um, I had friends, you know, that, that were, you know, they went under some stress and, you know, had manic episodes, schizophrenia. And I was like, man, if that happens, that could happen to them, to my friends. That could happen to me. And um, you know, I had a family that was depending on me, so I was like, all right, well, let me protect my mental health. And I knew that cutting out sugar and carbs can do that. Going on a ketogenic diet is neuroprotective. And so I, I stuck to it through that process. And then, you know, um, I ran to my friend and I visited her bakery and she has like bagels, donuts. So she's been in, in donuts for a while and she's like, âHey, why don't you create low carb donut?â And uh, I was like, âOoh, why don't we?â And so, you know, after a bunch of experiments, after a year of working on the recipe, we finally created a donut that we really like, that, you know, was low in sugar, didn't give you that sugar high and crash. And um, that's delicious. That's the, the, our main focus was like, can we deliver on delicious? And so that's what we're up to and with this business, um, we're out to how people enjoy the journey and I want to enjoy this journey cuz, you know, with the last business, I was very hard on myself and, you know, with this business, like, all right, how can I be kind to myself? And by be kind to myself, I can be, it's a lot easier to be kinder to others. And that's, that's kind of our whole ethos around this company and with our customers, our partners, is like, how can we help them enjoy the journey, and be kind to themselves? Cuz we know that's gonna come from, starts with them internally, starts with us internally, and they, it goes out. And so that's our whole big thing is just helping people enjoy the journey.
Emmanuel: Man, so much to unpack there. First of all, I love your story bouncing back. Did I hear you say you went bankrupt?
Kristoffer: Yeah.
Emmanuel: Yeah. Oh man.
Kristoffer: Yeah, so we had taken a lot of debt. I had personally guaranteed a lot of debt. And then it became a debt spiral. Like, you know, the interest payments were so high and, you know, there was really no way out of it. I, I, I was pretty ineffective at raising capital and so, um, you know, we had to shut it down. We had no more money to buy, to get more product in for inventory and sell, so we shut it down. Um, then I had to file personal bankruptcy because I had personally guaranteed the debt, uh, which was a hard thing cuz like, um, I remember like, I made it a point where it's like, okay, I just felt so ashamed. I felt so ashamed of filing bankruptcy. Like I had previously, I had like 800 credit, you know, and didn't really have much debt and for you know, me to go through this process, you know, I made it mean like, man, I really messed up. And, um, and like, what am I gonna do? Like I can't, you know, we're living at my aunt and uncle's house, you know, and my wife is carrying us financially. Um, and so that's a tough process. I definitely felt alone, but thankfully, you know, I reached out to a friend, his name is Chad, and, um, he's like, yeah, man, I went through the same thing, you know, back when the housing, uh, market crashed. And at that point I didn't feel alone anymore. Like, oh, what? There's other people, like, I looked high, you know, I, I looked very, you know, up to him and I was like, whoa. People like him have been through the same thing. And then I talked to another, another owner of another business. He's like, yeah, I did that twice. And so then I knew that, okay, I'm not alone and I don't have to feel ashamed. And then, and then I, you know, a few days later, I get a box, it's like a long box, brown box in the mail. And then, um, I open it, there's like $140 bottle of tequila, and then a note, a note card, and it says, âHey man, you, you went up to bat and you swung. Not many people get to do that or have the courage to do that. And, um, congratulations. You earned your stripes.â and, uh, signed Chad. And so that's from Chad. And, and then afterwards I just started bawling, like , like, like, oh man. Like, uh, I just, you know, felt so much love there and, and I knew that I wasn't alone, that things were gonna be okay. So, that was a very powerful experience for me. Um, didn't know I was gonna get emotional
Emmanuel: It's okay, brother. It's all right.
Kristoffer: Um, but Iâm also thankful like it's for people, for people like Chad, that that's stood for me and, uh, said things are gonna be okay. And even if things are not okay, I'm here with you, you know? And so, dor me, it is important for me to share my story because I know people are going through this.
Emmanuel: Hmm, man, I thank you, brother. The, the bravery even to just say what you're saying right now and that is clear. It was, that's not an easy thing to go though and I love what you're taking from it is this idea of you're not alone. And Chad is, is a friend of both of ours,I love the guy tremendously and I looked up to him as well and his feedback spot on. You swung the bat, you know, you're up to it. I've got a wood carving of the man in the arena up there. Right? It's not the critic who counts, right. But the person in the arena, right. And, uh, that's you brother. You did it. So I'm almost wonder, so now having been to that experience, cuz thinking about this as someone who's watching this and wanting to be an entrepreneur, you don't even consider that, it's never built into the business plan, bankruptcy. You, you feel like it can't happen to you even though there's a 97% chance your business will fail. Right? Like, what does failing look like? I would love to know what you would say to the person who feels like that would be a shameful experience or, have those feelings of being ashamed, how, how would you advise them?
Kristoffer: Is one is it takes a lot of courage to start your own business, right? It is the most confronting thing that you will be, you know, you'll have to deal with because it's gonna pull you outta your comfort zone. You know, you're gonna make decisions that you're gonna, you might second guess, you might say the wrong thing to your team or question your leadership, right?
And it brings a lot of the insecurities, you know, that's been lurking and that you could hide by, you know, in, in whatever job you're in, you could possibly hide it. And it really shows up when you, you're put in a position where you're the one driving the, you know, driving the ship. And so it takes a lot of courage. So I, one thing is I want, if you're starting a business or if you already have a business, is, you know, I acknowledge you. I acknowledge you for, for going out there and taking a swing, and yeah, there's gonna be mistakes, there's gonna be failures, but you're the man in the arena, the woman in the arena, right, that is on the court playing, playing all out. And, um, you know, most people don't want to do that. And it's totally fine. The people that, that don't wanna do that, it's totally great. And the people that do, you know, it's definitely another level of one is knowing who you are, and, and two, is like how you work with people and, and, uh, what, who you know yourself to be. So if you're in it, keep going. Ask for help. I think one of the things that I, that I could have done previously is ask for help right away, right? I was so afraid of like, oh no, like things are burning. You know, our finances are going, uh, crap. And, uh, I was so afraid of like looking terrible and I wanted to look good in front of everybody. But the key is like, you gotta be just authentic. You know? I had made it out to be like, oh, I had to make sure everything was good. You know, I had to be internally or at least forward facing that I have my shit together. And you don't have to be right. You're a human being. And so, you know, go ask for help. Be real with people. You'd be surprised of how generous people are, you know, and be open to receiving. Because one thing is like, I was very terrible at receiving help because like, I made it mean that I wasn't good enough to figure it out. You know, I wasn't good enough to figure it out or who am I to, to receive this generosity? If you're an entrepreneur, you know, keep going. You know? And, um, if you failed, if you failed at a company, you know, have compassion for yourself. Have compassion for yourself. You did the best that you could. Yes, you probably made mistakes. Everybody does. It's part of being human. And, you know, I look forward to seeing what, what else is waiting for you.
Emmanuel: I love that man. Cuz you're spot on. The shame that comes with this idea of failure, uh, I love the advice that you gave is ask for help, right? Because the first reaction is to retreat inwards. I screwed up, I failed. And the second thing is to do what I just said there is internalize the failure, the business failed, doesn't mean I failed.
Kristoffer: Yes. A hundred percent.
Emmanuel: Right, thank you for that message.
Kristoffer: Yeah, the, the business failed. I am not a failure. And so that, you're right. Like I, part of it is the process is not internalizing it and making it mean that that's who I am. Right? Hundred percent.
Emmanuel: Because at the end of the day, we're starting something that in any other field of endeavor, 95% to 97% of businesses failed in the first five years in any other field of endeavor that's a guarantee of failure. Right? If I say there's a 95% chance you're gonna win the lottery, you would, you would, you'd do it, or 95% chance you're gonna die from this, you wouldn't do it. You, that's ridiculous. But we're the 3-5% crazy few that are like, I'll succeed, but when we don't succeed, we think that we're a failure. It's like, come on, you tried, you know? Uh, I love for this to- go ahead. Go ahead.
Kristoffer: And, and it's kind of crazy that, I would start a new business, you know, knowing the, the statistics, right. Knowing that 95% of business is gonna fail and here am I like, all right, let me do it again and let me do it again in food. Right? Which is another hard industry to be part of, you know.
Emmanuel: Let's do that. Please tell me why would you do this to yourself? What, what was, sorry, let me ask you two questions. First, what was that previous business? So it makes, uh, sense for the new business, and then why did you decide, you know what I'm going to do this again?
Kristoffer: The previous business was a keto cookie company. We, um, we didn't know what we were doing. We honestly, like, uh, I wasn't in the food world, but I started a ketogenic diet and we're like, Hey, there's something missing here. So we created a keto cookie and it grew really quickly. We didn't understand inventory like, hey, if you're, if more more people are buying product, then you're gonna have to spend more cash to get more inventory in. And, um, we didn't understand what it means to scale. You know, we messed up on our reformulation so we could go into manufacturer. We had to, our dough wouldn't work with our machines. We literally had this gigantic machine spitting out, you know, crumbs and, and oil or fats from our, from the butter and uh, and coconut oil. And it was just a disaster. And then when we changed our recipe, you know, we understand like, okay, we have to keep it shelf. Like if we're gonna keep it shelf stable, we have to make sure the recipe is ready for that. And it wasn't. So when we got on Shark Tank, you know, we, uh, we sent out like 300 grand worth of product that got moldy. Uh, we started getting emails from people, Hey, you know, there's a moldy cookie here. You know, it was like, can I get a refund? So we started issuing refunds. The challenging thing is we didn't have money really to start issuing refunds to that degree we stopped paying ourselves like so we could keep our team, uh, and then we had to shut down. But like, so that was like, now that I'm thinking about it, I didn't, I didn't really get, there's some things I haven't really fully processed through. And I started to, you know, I, I began processing through all the stuff I had held, like emotionally and that kind of, by processing it emotionally in allowing myself to feel the emotions it kind of opened up this freedom to create. And so with this donut company, we actually, you know, I, I kind of had my foot on the break, right? I was like, oh, we can't grow too quickly cuz what if I crash this thing again? You know? And for me, I had to realize that, okay, it's okay to be the person that pushes this thing forward. And for me it's like we have still an issue in the US where one in three people are either pre-diabetic or diabetic, we still have people that have some sort of metabolic disease that's because of eating a bunch of sugar and glycemic carbs. And we also have people that are having a hard time personally, you know, that, um, are trying to take care of their mental health, you know, are trying to figure out their way in life. And for me, that's really important is like, how do we be this brand that stands for these people that empowers them to be happy and healthy? And then yeah, there's, you know, it's a donut and it tastes amazing and, and it's, it's a product. But like, what I want for this company is for us to create this culture of like, Hey, we want you to enjoy the journey, you know, and we want you to be happy and healthy. Whatever we could do to do that, whether it's the message, whether it's like, you know, content like this, whether it's creating a community, different groups to support each other, like that's what we're up for. And you know, the donuts just a vehicle. Honestly. It's like our way to like, all right, how do we create a sustainable platform to do this? How can I also enjoy the part, this part of the journey? So it's, for me, it's a challenge to me. It's like, you know, it's my training ground. So to remind myself to be grateful for everything in my life and to, because it starts with me and then it goes out, you know? So that's kind of why I went in it again.
Emmanuel: Nice, yeah. Do you think that having gone through what you went through helps you in this new business? With the bankruptcy and previous company?
Kristoffer: Yeah, a hundred percent. Like if, if I can, if I can get through that right then it's like, this is gonna be a piece of cake. I mean, I, it's gonna be hard. This definitely be hard, but I've gotten enough training and I've fallen on my face enough where, okay, I know how this feels and like I can remind myself of how to get back to center. And so the biggest piece was the mental aspect of the business, right? Is really taking, like, making sure that I took care of myself mentally and, um, being grateful, um, acknowledging myself and acknowledging my team, acknowledging people that we work with, right? And just being very generous. So this is exciting cuz it's also expanding me as a human being. Right. And that's the thing about business is like you get to know yourself as a different person along the journey cuz you're constantly being confronted, you're constantly, um, given opportunities to expand yourself. Yeah and then also there's like, what are the mistakes that I made before, comparing my, our brand, our company to other brands, right? Um, I think that's a big pitfall. I know, you know, it's, it, it's important to know who your competition is and what they're doing, but it's also important that you don't make specific decisions out of like ego, right? Like, oh, they're already, you know, they already raised like 20 mil. We were comparing ourselves like, funny story like with Keto Cookie or Nui, a couple of hundred thousand. And then we were comparing ourselves to another brand that had raised maybe like 12 or 20 million. Right? And like, they're just, they're everywhere, right? And I was comparing ourselves like, how come we can't do what they're doing? And it was causing me grief and it was causing my team grief, right? As opposed to like, the focus is how do we do what we're doing really well, right? How do we create a sustainable business and do what we're doing really well? And then yes, we'll get inspiration from other people, but we don't have to make those decisions based off of fomo, right? I think a lot of decisions that, that we made, were out of fomo, you know? And so how do we really stick to our principles, our values, and really focus on our game? Because if we play our game, we're gonna win. Like as long as we stay in business, we're gonna win, right? In this game of business as opposed to like, how do we get to 10 million in sales, you know, in three years, you know? So for us, how do you work in the core fundamentals and also in some ways have our blinders just focused in the direction that we believe this is the right direction.
Emmanuel: Right. I'm fascinated by what you're saying and how, what you're describing with all these lessons that you took from, what would a lot of people would consider a failure and almost a scarlet letter where you should bow your head in shame for the rest of your life. Never try again. But it sounds like there's a whole lot of positives that came out of what happened that you can apply to literally the exact same scenario - a startup in the food space. Is, would that, would you say, is that what you're saying? Is that what I'm hearing? that there's a lot of positives here?
Kristoffer: No, absolutely. There's a lot of positive, I mean, like, we paid the price, right? We paid the price for these lessons. We might as well use those lessons. You know, if you already paid the price, it's expensive, we might as well use that and take it into this, this new venture, um, that we're creating. And, um, that's with anything, right? Any painful experience, you already paid the price. You might as well use that for something good and expand on it. Um, the key is to not attach your value to what happened, which is a big, a big, big part of this is, and it's still, I'm still practicing and it's like not attaching my value to what happened or to the outcome, to the result, right? I'm a very results driven person, and if the results don't happen, then it's like, oh, I'm total failure. But the key is that you, your value is who you are as a human being and that you keep showing up and you keep working on improving yourself.
Emmanuel: Well, I applaud you, sir, for talking about it. The, the bravery to come up and all the work you've done to get past the shame. Cuz this is not talked about enough and I wish to high heaven that more people talked about it. And I hope folks like yourself coming forward and sharing this stuff on social media, especially in the hustle, hard culture. Hustle. Hustle. Just fake it till you make it. You can do it. Just go out there and push, push, push. Everyone can be a successful overnight millionaire, right? Like it's not true. Most people are going to fail and it's not a problem. I heard a saying that I love is this idea of entrepreneurship is not win or lose, it's not pass or fail, it's win or learn, right? And both of those are positive outcomes and if you can keep that attitude, you never fail. And on top of that, the another analogy I, I heard that I loved is this idea that, uh, in every other field of endeavor where we feel smart or where we're, we're working, we're prepared. Whether that's social conditioning, from when we're born to schooling to the school system, to your job, you're on the job. And in every one of those environments, you have peers going through it with you or someone who has done it before you that you can look to. You are ready when it's time to sit in the chair and do your job. Except for entrepreneurship. If you're doing it right, you're innovating. No one has done what you've done before. So there's only one school for you, and that's the school of hard knocks. You have to learn through failure, so you're going to fail and hopefully you fail enough and learn enough lessons before the money runs out. But for most people, it's gonna fail. So, if that's our only teacher, then we need to be comfortable failing and not become and internalize it like you said. So, like I said, I Apolog- excuse me, applaud you, sir, for bringing this up. And let's, let's make this thing normal. It's okay. It's not, you're not a failure. The business failed and I'm doing the next thing. So now how is the next thing going?
Kristoffer: It's going great. We're uh, in a few coffee shops. One of the things that we realized was you go to coffee shop and if you're eating low carb or low sugar, there really isn't anything, you know? And, um, and so for us it's like, how do we educate these coffee shop owners that, hey, there's actually one in six people in the US who eat low carb and they go to your store and there's nothing to buy. And you know, how about we offer them something delicious that suits them and, you know, they'll keep coming back. And so we have customers, you know, I, I met a few customers. They're like, yeah, I go to this coffee shop and I, every time I go, I ordered a donut. You know, with my coffee. And um, and I was like, oh, you know what, you know what brought you into this? He's like, well, you know, I had type two diabetes and I'm trying to maintain my, my blood sugars, and, and I want to make sure that I eat something that's not sugary. I have your donut. And, um, and so that's, that's one thing we're pretty excited about is food service. We're still learning, right? Like how to approach these new coffee shop owners cuz we're so used to this, you know, croissant, sugar, muffin, all this, you know, mentality. Um, it's not that we're, you know, we, we, we totally respect that and there are people that will eat that. And there's also these customers that's not being served. So how do we help you serve these customers? And the second thing we're pretty excited about is we're launching e-commerce pretty soon. Um, it is, this one's a little bit more challenging because, um, our product isn't shelf stable. Like you, you can refrigerate it, but if it won't, it won't be shelf stable if you put it on a shelf. Um, and so how do you ship a perishable product, you know, with ice packs and then ice packs weigh a few pounds, then you gotta put a insulated liner and we wanna make sure the product gets, you know, the donuts get to the customer, you know, intact and still delicious, right? And, um, so that's been the challenging part of this is figuring out like, how do we do shipping and make it make sense, um, economically right for our business is how do we make it make sense? Um, it's not as easy as like, hey, just put it in a box and just send it out like an Amazon package. So that's one thing that we're working on. Uh, we're pretty excited about it, of getting these donuts. To people like all over the country, right? For people to try. Um, we know people have been waiting to have a donut that tastes delicious. And, um, we're just sup we're super excited. And also, like, you know, it's an, it's a opportunity for us to share our story and just be a mirror for other people, right? And um, and that's what we're pretty stoked about.
Emmanuel: Dude, that's incredible. And I had no idea it was that many people that are low carb now. How, how many? Was it one in three or one in seven people?
Kristoffer: Uh, one in, one in six. So one in six people.
Emmanuel: And even if we're off at all, like it's a lot of people that are low carb, you are absolutely right when you describe the problem of the market that you're solving, this is a high value problem. People want to eat less gluten, less sugar, be low carb, uh, and, but then they have to re, uh, restrict themselves a lot, like, you almost have to remove yourself from society, and you're helping to solve that problem. That's fascinating.
Kristoffer: Yeah. No, a hundred percent. It's like there's this, like the coffee culture is very inclusive, which is pretty cool. You, if you see it, a lot of them are these coffee shop owners, managers, they're so like, why they're there is to create community. Right? Um, I met the owner of Phil's, he's the founder, the Phil, Phil of Phil's Coffee, which is a brand here in California. Um, And, you know, I had talked to 'em, I was like, you know, the one thing I wanted to create was community. And, you know, whatever we do, we make sure that people feel like they're part of a community when they come to our store. Um, and interestingly enough is Phil was, uh, type two diabetic, right? Um, and so this is kind of like, Hey, how do we, how do we include people like Phil inside of the, inside of the food offerings, right? Like, we're creating community and how do we be inclusive? The people that are looking for, uh, a better for you alternative.
Emmanuel: And I think you're spot on because one in six people, that is a tremendous, like you can look at any coffee shop and there's gonna be more than six people in line. One of them is probably low carb, right? And so they're literally not being served. And you're spot on like these coffee shops. And we like, we like our coffee. Coffee's an American staple, right? Or for worldwide. Uh, and you want that experience of being able to go to the coffee shop. Like I was recently just at one and I just had to go off my diet for those two days I was there because I couldn't, that was the only options. There's literally no other options. It's not a matter of no carb or low carb or no sugar or sugar. It's how much sugar you want in your pastry, in your donut, in your coffee, in your lattes, whatever. There's sugar everywhere.
Kristoffer: Absolutely. There's sugar everywhere. Like a typical donut would be like 20 grams or 30 grams of sugar right? That's like drinking a soda. Soda, you know. And then, uh, you know, you're gonna feel a sugar spike and then you're gonna crash. You're gonna feel icky afterwards, right. One thing is like, we want people to eat it and be like, all right, I'm ready for the day. Got my coffee, got my donut, let's go. You know? And we want it to be inclusive and our job is to educate. You know, that's our responsibility.
Emmanuel: Yeah. So then now, who is your perfect customer? Like, so go to market, right? Your job's to educate. You're building this business. You want to give a tasty option to folks who are low carb, or no carb, keto, or paleo or, or carnivore. All these types of eating, ways of eating. How. You can't sell to all people. That's one of the first lessons of business, right? So what is your strategy for finding, first of all, who's your perfect customer and how are you reaching them?
Kristoffer: I would say our, our, our, so we have two customers, if we're gonna focus on one, I would say the fitness community, right? The people that are looking to perform at another level. I eat low carb, you know, I, I, I go between low carb and keto, mainly because I, I wanna perform at a high level. So in a sense, in a sense, I'm the customer yâknow and so then I try to cut out sugar. And also I wanna enjoy life. You know, I don't wanna, you know, just feel like I, I'm missing out. And, um, so that, that'd be our customer is someone who's, who eats low carb for their performance, and then that's our main one. So they might be into fitness, they'll be into probably biohacking or, um, but the second customer would be, uh, people that are on this healing journey. People that who might have, and, and in no way this is a, um, are these FDA, you know, or claims about health, but the people that are, you know, that are trying to cut out sugar, you know, are diabetics. Diabetics, right. So that's another customer, um, is people that are on this healing journey and trying to, they're now committed to having a healthy life, which is awesome, right? For the people that you know, used to weigh 300 pounds, right? Not that that's anything to be ashamed of, but I really got how committed they are to feeling great about themselves in terms of health, right? And also knowing that like, hey, there's an impact here. You know, if I, if, if I have diabetes and if I'm obese, that, um, you know, it's up to me to make that change. And they've taken responsibility for it and, and, you know, we want to support them on that journey. And, um, so those are the two, the two main customers that we're, that we're focused on. But there's a, there's a wide variety of customers. Like I ran into a father at one of the bakeries we partner with and he ordered a donut. I said, oh, so like, what made you order this donut? Right? And he's like, well, my daughter is in the car right now. And, she asked for a donut and I don't want to give her anything sugary. So he got her a donut. And then, so that's pretty exciting. And I have kids of my own and I definitely do try to limit the sugar cuz you know, they start bouncing off the walls and get like hangry when their blood sugar's going up and down. Um, and so I totally get that. So there's definitely all sorts of people that, that do low carb for a specific reason. But we'll be focusing on, you know, one or two types of customers initially. But we see this as like, hey, this could be the next level above Dunkin Donuts. You know, this could be the next generation of donuts. Donuts that hey, you could have, you could enjoy it and feel great about it all around, right? And when you look at Dunkin, notice, Dunkin Donuts, it used to be called Dunkin Donuts, now theyâre called Dunkin, right? I think what, what? They're quietly and slowly moving away from donuts. Like they used to have a bunch of donuts in their store. You go into their store right now and there's maybe just a few shelves ofdonuts, and they just sell you coffee and beverages, because I believe Dunkin even knows that people are staying away from donuts cuz it's sugary, right? And so they're making their own adjustments and changing in their brand so they can keep their sales up. And so even Dunkin Donuts knows they're not right for you and people are moving away from it. So that's, that's definitely a tell right there. For us it's like, how do we be that next generation of Dunkin? Right? Almost like how Tesla was to, uh, cars is like gasoline cars are antiquated. And then let's make, and Tesla, it wasn't just an electric car, it was like a, an electric car, a car you just wanted to be in. And for us is like with our donuts is like. I just want a donut, you know? And, and, and this is the next wave of donuts. I'm pretty excited about it. We're creating the future of donuts. I know it's a very big statement and there's definitely a side of me like, whoa, what am I saying here? Imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome, you know, but it's like, if we don't, if we don't stand for this, who else is gonna stand for it? Right? We're gonna be that, that person, whether or not we fail. We're gonna keep going. We're gonna do our best. And, um, and help people enjoy, you know, their, and be happy and, and healthy.
Emmanuel: I love it. Yes. Imposter syndrome rears its ugly head. But you are disrupting my friend. I hear it and I love it. And you started with your first company. I am one of those exact people you were talking about that was on that healing journey that was supported by you, my friend. I would eat, I was keto, I was 309 pounds, I was overweight and I went keto and I lost 70 pounds doing it and I was miserable cuz I couldn't have any of my sweet treats. I missed sugar, I missed sweet stuff. Here comes keto cookie and I could have sweet things again. So yeah, it helped, I think it was keto cookie, keto brownie, and there were a couple of nut butters that I'd have. I just needed something sweet. And uh, now I love that you're back in the game doing something for donuts cuz I love donuts. And to your point, you were talking about how one donut will have 20 grams of sugar. And people like myself would never eat just one donut. I'd buy a whole dozen and eat 'em myself. Right? So imagine how much that is. And it wouldn't be the little small ones, it'd be the bear claws, the, you know, the big ones. So you can only imagine what I was, how I was tearing my body apart. And so to hear you saying something like the future of donuts, my goodness, thank you. Right? Because the only reason I would keep eating is cause I kept that sugar would make me want more and more and more and more and more. It's almost like a addiction, right? Addiction response. So to make a donut that still gives you that feeling, but also satiates you so that you're not constantly craving, I, my goodness, what better mission is there? Thank you and I, and I hope you continue and don't let that imposter syndrome get you down. You are brother, you're finally attacking the industry.
Kristoffer: I appreciate it. I appreciate it, and I acknowledge you for, for, you know, your commitment to your own health. Man, that's amazing, right? To take that step, to do whatever it takes to be healthy and, uh, so it's, you know, people like you, man, that makes this, this journey worth it. So thank you for sharing.
Emmanuel: I appreciate it. Yeah, that, that, of course what scared me was the pre-diabetic thing. Once I tipped over I was like, whoa, wake up call. Because you know, I was already having the, all the symptoms, lethargy, lethargy and outta shape and, and I knew it was like, that's far into the future, but it was like, uh oh, I'm pre-diabetic now. Wow. There's, this only goes one way. Diabetic, amputation, feet problems. Like, that's what I thought. I didn't even know. You actually can reverse it by just stopping filling your body with sugar, lose the weight. So, I mean, and the ideal scenario is that I don't eat that much sugar. I'm not enticed. And that's what you're solving. So I I I think we're coming at it both ways, right? Is there's obviously some personal responsibility, but I think the industry's these industries need to be attacked. Like you're saying, I can only imagine if, imagine if Dunkin Donuts right, or the donut part sold sugar free donuts or donuts that didn't spike your blood sugar and that was the standard in the industry. Donuts just didn't spike your blood sugar. Great.
Kristoffer: That would be awesome. Like if, if Dunkin creates a low carb, low sugar donut, right? Like, that's awesome. That means we helped inspire this change. Right. And, um, and like big, uh, big food, they've done a great job of getting people to eat their products. Right? And so for us it's like, how do we learn from them and get people to eat stuff that's good for them? You know? We don't have to like say, I mean, yeah, they've, they've made people unhealthy with all their products, but it's like, you know, how do we learn from what they, that that's working for them and incorporating what we're doing and actually leverage it for good, you know, and, uh, so if Dunkin comes out with, you know, a low sugar donut, that would be awesome. Like, it's like, all right, cool. You know, we helped inspire this and, um, and yeah.
Emmanuel: Yeah. They really need to just go on, you know, you need to get big, make this popular, and then they need to just buy you for a billion dollars and then you can they need to just buy you, man, uh, give you the credit you deserve, and richly, richly reward you. Um, so I'm curious, you mentioned three different people, uh, that you help the person who's wants better health, maybe they don't have a problem, then there's a person who probably has a problem, they're on a healing journey, and then the child bouncing off the walls. Do you mind giving me, like, what each of those people, what is the benefit they get from eating your donut versus, uh, a different donut? Sugary donut.
Kristoffer: Yeah. So, I mean, there's a lot, there's overlap, but let's say the, the performance person right? There's someone that's high performing that's, that works out so they can perform at a high level, right? Is um, one is it's gonna help them not have that sugar crash, right? So like, when they're going through their day, they're not feeling as low, like, oh man, I'm just so disoriented, I just wanna take a nap. For that person they're doing that so they could have high energy all throughout the day, right? And so when you eat sugar, it's gonna be counterproductive. In terms of like the person on the healing journey, the one that has, uh, pre-diabetes or diabetes is, you know, now they can enjoy what they've always enjoyed, right? But without all the sugar. And for them it's like the eating experience. It's like nostalgia. Uh, I went to a friend's house and, uh, the person that was painting my friend goes, Hey, you should try this donut. And then, you know, he says, huh? Like, uh, well I can't really eat donuts. I have diabetes. And then I was like, well, there's only a gram sugar. He's like, what? I can eat more donuts. You know? And for them it's like, how do I enjoy more? How do I eat more? Um, and then in terms of the parent with a child is like, you know, I'm a parent. I have a three and a half year old and the two-year-old, you know, and my three and a half year old, he loves sugar. Like, he just loves it. He asks me for candy like maybe every morning I have to say no to him. And for me, cuz I know when he eats sugar, he makes, he, he, his emotions are just all over the place. You know, I can empathize with that parent who just like, Hey, I want, I want my child to, uh, one is be, uh, satiated, but also like, not have these crazy mood swings, you know, and also know that like, you know, we can make good choices eating. So it's, it can be a teachable moment for parents. It's like, all right, let's have, you know, let's grab this donut and it's low in sugar. You know, we've, we've taught our son, it's like, Hey, this, this chocolate is sugar-free chocolate. And then, you know, I say, oh, okay. I love sugar-free chocolate, you know? Um, and so teaching them healthier choices, so, and setting it up for their health success, uh, for them. And that's the hope. You know, my son is, and my daughter are their own, they're, they're individual person. I can't control what, how they're gonna be, but at least I can help them, you know, with, with lessons and be there for them with, you know, and establish some values. I mean, it's gonna start with me too, you know, if I'm eating terrible, they're gonna see that and they're like, all right, well Papa is doing eating this, so I wanna eat this too.
Emmanuel: I love it. And let's talk about the elephant in the room, right? Because we talk about sugar free, net carbs, one gram of carbs, and we're really going after big food and the donut industry here. But is sugar free healthy and are we just replacing, cuz you've heard of like the Aspartame and all these sweeteners, right? How is your stuff sweetened to taste like what we remember of the taste of a donut, but yet I'm still okay to eat it?
Kristoffer: Yeah, that's a great question. So we sweeten our donuts with a blend of allulose. So allulose is a very cool sweetener. Some it naturally occurs in figs, um, and raisins, it has 1/10 of the calories of sugar. It's very interesting because it's technically molecularly, it's a sugar, the way it's designed it, your body doesn't digest it like sugar. Uh, so it tastes like sugar and it's easier to use, uh, when you're baking with it. But it's, you know, it doesn't have those effects. I know there's, you know, research on aspartame and we, we don't use that. Uh, we also use stevia extract as part of our sweeteners. And, um, you know, from what I know, there hasn't been any negative research on that. And, and we also talk to, like our friends in the community that are in the scientific community, you know, we have friends there. We ask them about this stuff and like, Hey, you know, what's your feedback on this, on this sweetener? What's your feedback on this fiber? Right. One thing that people don't know is that certain fibers actually break down if the heat is applied to it. They'll break down into simple starches, like when you think about a green banana, right? Like plantains. When you think about green plantains, you're like, oh, awesome. That's a lot of fiber. I could eat it. But once you like cook it, it becomes simple starch, it becomes a starch, I don't know if it's simple starch, but it becomes a starch that your body's gonna process and it's gonna contribute to calories and your blood sugar. You know, we're always open to feedback. We're reaching out to the people that we know and asking like, Hey, like, how is this? We do our best, you know, we do our best to make modifications based on the feedback. Yeah so that's, that's one thing that we're, that we're looking to do. And we are always learning. We're always learning. We're always looking for a better way to do things.
Emmanuel: Okay. I wonder, I wanna talk about the other elephant in the room. Like I like the sound of that, but I still have this nagging suspicion in the back of my head cuz when I eat a donut, I don't eat a donut to, uh, Um, just have one donut, like Pringles. You can't eat just one. Right. There's gotta be a catch. Right, because it sounds like you're saying, I can sit there and eat donuts like I used to. I can eat a dozen of these donuts and rah. Or is there another catch where it's like one of those wagging the fingers, everything in moderation. Like you only have a little, like, even these, uh, other sweet treats, they're like, uh, or smart treats. They're like, yeah, as long as you only eat one little package or a serving size is basically one bite and you're okay without spiking your blood sugars. Is, is there a catch here with your donuts as well, where it's like you can't eat too many, like be careful.
Kristoffer: Well our donuts have 185 calories, so if you eat a dozen donuts, that's like a full day's worth of donuts and more. Right? Uh, so calorie wise, you know, you still want to restrict your calories. Um, and so I wouldn't recommend it. And also you're gonna get tired of it, of eating sweets, you know? Honestly, it's, it's enough where you're gonna be satiated by one or two donuts, but then you're gonna, you know, the next day you're gonna want some more. I wonât say, yâknow, eat a dozen, you know, that would be, um, irresponsible of me. And also, like, it's a lot of fiber, right? Right. There's a lot of fiber in those donuts. So if you eat a lot of those donuts, you're gonna, you know, um, it'll be a good trip to the restroom if you have like a dozen of them, or you might get gassy one of those things. Um, and so like, the thing about nutrition is do what works for you. There are things that might affect people when they eat our donut, they might be great with it. There might be people that, that like, Hey, actually it's not great for me, for this reason or this reason. It's not for everybody. Like, I wish we had a, I wish we had like the magic donut that's like, Hey, this is great for everybody. But the reality is, is nutrition is so nuanced, you know, and genetics is so nuanced, you know, like, like your genes might be great with, you know, with eggs and bacon and dairy and, but for somebody else, it might not work for them. That's one thing I would say is like, I'm not here to say like, this is the donut for everybody. This is fine if this donut works for you, awesome. Like, we, we love that. And if it's not, that's awesome too. Like, I'm not gonna BS about it you know? Um, but yeah, I mean, we're here to just help people enjoy the journey or whatever that is. And if it happens to be eating our donut, great. If it happens to not be, then that's great too.
Emmanuel: Hmm. That's fair. I think one thing that I love hearing, even though you know, it's not like, uh, you know, cuz obviously if you're eating a dozen donuts like I was, you're eating for other reasons other than food. It's more pleasure or emotional eating or, or binging. There's a different reason. But what I loved hearing you saying is satiation. Satiated. Right. To me, that's a win. If a food product helped me feel satiated, that's better. Because what normally happens is with the donuts, they're actually designed to trigger cravings like sugar. All these sugary treats, they want you to keep eating. So I, you answered it for me in the sense that your, your donut is being designed with the idea of not trying to get me to eat as many as possible, or not trying to trigger those dopamine responses to where I eat more and more and want more and I'm left with empty calories that make me want more. You're actually going to build it in a way that it's satiating where I feel full and then it can be treated like a treat, which is why I actually liked keto, because the more fat you eat, the less food you eat. It's counterintuitive, but you start to feel full faster. Right. And so that I actually liked cuz my problem is binging. So the fact that you're talking that way, that's phenomenal. And so let me ask you thisquestion is it a satiating food? Like are there things in there that make you feel fuller rather than craving more of the donut?
Kristoffer: Yeah. Yeah. So it's high in fiber and also there is a good amount of fat in there and protein, right? So there's six grams of protein. Um, I mean, you know, whenever this comes out, it might change, right? Because we're still improving our, our recipe. But, you know, those things are satiating and there's no gra, no, there's one gram of sugar, and that's from our almonds, right? And so, um, it's a very low sugar, and it's not your, you know, your body, your stomach's not responding to the sugar. Like go, like, gimme more, gimme more, right? Y'all know that feeling is once we have it, it's like we just want more of it. Um, and so they're very satiating. Some people on the first time, they're like, man, that was so good. I wanted a second one. I have a friend that ate two. And, um, but yeah, we're, we're not designing it to be an addictive product. We're designing it to be like a product that you, you would like, like you crave, but it's not like I'm gonna, you know, you know that like, it's just sounding the alarm in your head. Like, I gotta buy this bag of chips, and you're just like a zombie, like going through the store and buying this bag of chips, right? Um, so we want it to be part of people's, like daily habit, but we don't want them to binge, you know, that'd be just counter to what our values are.
Emmanuel: Love it. Yes, I definitely know that zombie feeling where suddenly you, you come back to consciousness and you're standing, sitting in your car, you just came to the grocery line and there's next to you on the seat are a bunch of empty wrappers of Pringles and Twinkies and like, wait, I didn't even, I don't even remember leaving the house. I was a zombie. I just was craving so much that I blacked out and just ended up at the store and bought a bunch of stuff and I just been stuffing my face with candy and cookies and treats. Oh. So thank you for building something that doesn't trigger that. That is not your desire. But that being said though, does it taste good? You know, how do you convince someone, you know, listening to this or going to your website or cuz that's gonna be your challenge, right? You know, trust. You know, for people that aren't in a coffee shop or don't have the ability to taste it first, you're gonna be asking them to see an ad or a social media post or this interview and just take your word for it. Hey, this is delicious. And maybe it's not the exact same as a donut, but, or maybe it is, but how do you convince people this donut tastes good without them actually tasting it for themselves?
Kristoffer: Yeah. I mean, if it's coming from me, it's totally biased, you know? Yeah. Cause I, I created it. Um, and I mean, my co-founder, she's been in the donut space for a long time, you know, like, it was like 30 years at least. And for her to approve it was one step. And then the next step is getting it to people's, into people's hands. And so like, people reach out to us, they're like, whoa, this tastes amazing. You know? And, um, you know, I had a phone call yesterday with, uh, another keto brand. You know, we're partnering with them so they could sell, uh, at their farmer's markets. And, uh, you know, we dropped off some donuts for them and they're like, man, these are amazing. Like, we tried making donuts, but it was like, it wasn't up to our standard, but these taste like a real donut, you know? And, and this is what we kept hearing over and over. This tastes like a real donut. We could, we could give it to a random person, you know, that's not low carb or whatever, and they'll be like, oh, this, yeah, tastes like a donut. What's the big deal? You know? Um, which is a huge, huge, uh, plus for us. And then like, you know, I went to a coffee shop and I had one of the baristas try it. It's like, are these good? You know? And like, because he, he was like, I really love donuts, so I will give you my honest opinion,you know, I'll crush donuts. And, um, then he tried it. He's like, oh man, this is really good. Like I'm a big cake donut fan, and this is up there, like this is up there. And so that, that meant a lot for, for us, is like, wow, you put this up there with the cake donuts that you love, you know, at whatever shop you're going to. So that's, that's our goal is like, how do we get this to be like just, hey, this is a donut and it's three grams of net carbs and a gram of sugar, but I don't have to tell you, just eat it. You know, like, if, if I could, if I could just like trade people, like as they're ordering their donut, like, Hey, I'll just trade you for this donut. You know, and just so you could have something better for you, I would do that. You know.
Emmanuel: Yeah. That's not a bad idea. Sampling. Just give them, just try it. Please. You know what? That almost sounds like though, sounds like a drug dealer, where it's like, you know, give 'em their first taste. Just give a bite. Customer for life.
Kristoffer: Just try it. Yeah, just try it. Yeah
Emmanuel: Yours is, is constructive versus destructive like a drug dealer. But it's, I mean, yeah, it works.
Kristoffer: Yeah, we're donut dealers.
Emmanuel: Donut dealers, not drug dealers. I love it. That's a quote for you right there. So I'm, I'm really excited about this and happy for you because, I mean, what you just described to me is, is an amazing innovation, just flat out on its face. It's an innovation because what you're, you're, and the promise is bold, but I think you're delivering on it. Like I asked you all the hard questions, right? Basically, you're describing a product that allows me to quench the sweet tooth. Even though I'm low carb, it doesn't spike my blood sugar. It doesn't trigger cravings. It's actually satiating. So I don't trigger binges either. Has rave reviews by everyone that's tried them and it tastes really, really good. That's the holy grail man. I can't wait to get these. I hope you go big.
Kristoffer: Yeah, man. And I love the sirens in the background
Emmanuel: Oh yeah. Here they come.
Kristoffer: Thatâs how good they are, the sirens are coming out.
Emmanuel: Yeah. It's tricking people. People are running around causing crimes, trying to get these donuts. Go get 'em coppers. Well, I'd love to switch gears a little bit and talk about, um, how you're dealing with another series of adversities that we talked about is content creation, right? Putting yourself out there, like, I know this isn't comfortable for you, and we talked a little bit about that before this started, and it wasn't comfortable for me either, but I'd love to know how you're dealing with getting over the imposter syndrome, putting yourself on camera, perfectionism, procrastination, all these kinds of things that are triggered when you start making content.
Kristoffer: Definitely I've been hesitant on putting my face out there. I think, you know, it is just like, what are they gonna think? Are they gonna care or not care? And it's been a, like an ongoing conversation with myself. Part of it is reminding myself like, Hey, it's not about me, or about me looking good, and I have to give up looking good, right? Like, I gotta give up looking good, or like saying the right things. As long as I'm authentic, then it comes easy. And then also my intention, right? My intention is to empower people to be happy and healthy. As long as I'm doing that, then this is, this will be fun. This will be, you know, it fulfills my purpose. Um, and also like if I'm hesitating, is to do it anyway. So that's been my practice lately is like, oh man, I'm definitely resisting this. I'm procrastinating on this and it's an indicator to me to do it anyway. Just do it now. Right? And so that's one thing I'm practicing. I'm no and no, like I'm not perfect at it. I'm still practicing it, but it's like that's my indicator is once I feel like I'm resisting it, just do it. Every single rep, it's reinforcing a new identity for myself. So as opposed to someone that's shying away from the camera, it's telling myself that, hey, I'm actually the person to be in front of the camera. I'm actually the person to create the content. Right. Even when you don't feel like it. And that's why when I don't feel like it, Iâm like, okay, lemme do it anyway. Because it's a matter, it's a practice that really matters and it's a practice and the habits that really shape who I am.
Emmanuel: Nice. And what type of content are you making?
Kristoffer: Uh, well, one thing is practicing documenting. So documenting, you know, whatever's happening. Sometimes I'm like, is this even exciting to see? You know, uh, I think that's a big, maybe that if there's anything is like, oh man, like is this boring? Like if I share about this is this, do people, I mean, you know, does this add value to people's lives? Um, so I'm practicing documenting, and, and, every single step of the process. That's one thing that we're gonna be practicing more and more, uh, with Good Journey and my co-founder is like, just document it. Cuz it takes, you know, if we document it, it doesn't take much thinking behind it. We're just like, hey, this is what we're doing. But part of it's just getting, doing the reps right and as we do the reps, then it's just gonna become no big deal. But before you do the reps, there's like this big story around it, you know, which is there, and it's when you do the reps that are like, okay, that story is actually not that big of a deal.
Emmanuel: And for someone that may not be familiar with what documenting is, what, what do you mean by documenting? How would you define that as a type of content creation?
Kristoffer: Just sharing what we're up to. Like, hey, I'm making. You know, I'm dipping these donuts, or we're working on r and d and icing, or I'm going to talk to another coffee shop, or this coffee shop said no to me. You know, uh, or talking with our packaging people. Cuz I think people are also curious about to see what it takes to start some, some food company and what it, you know, and also I would like to share more. Definitely. It's just like, share the human aspect of it, right? Like, it doesn't have to be the glamorous parts of having a business that like, hey, I have doubts. You know, there are times where I wake up in the morning like disoriented and I'm like, oh man, I don't even feel like showing up today. You know? Um, and that's part of the journey. The more people see that, they're like, okay, like that person is a human being and I'm a human being, so I can do the same thing too. Right. That's one thing that, you know, we're practicing and I say practicing cuz that's, you know, it's, it's never gonna be perfect. And, um, but yeah.
Emmanuel: Yeah. And I love what you're saying there too, because we put such a lofty standard on ourselves and on our content. We want to be perfect out the gate, right? Which is never gonna happen. And B is not what anyone is asking for. I loved how you said there a second ago, is this even interesting? Right? Like interesting is too high of a standard, right? Because that is not for you to judge what interesting is it is the whole idea of beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which is actually pretty liberating as a content creator. That's what got me outta my shell. Like I've, I still get nervous even talking to you here and doing all this content and what's it gonna be like, how are people gonna receive it? But what helped pushed me out was just like, well, as long as I am passionate about what I'm doing and I'm okay with what I'm saying, it doesn't, it's gonna be fine. I'm gonna be able to make it and that's all I need to do. Because what's interesting is gonna be different for everyone, and one of my mentors told me is literally think of it the opposite way. Don't think of it as, I want this to be interesting to everyone cuz that's really what we're saying. I want this to be interesting to everyone that's not, and then they will watch it. That's not the goal. That's not even possible. What it is, is you want to polarize and find the people that are interested in being yourself. And if you try to be all things to all people, it's you're gonna be nothing to no one. And it's just gonna be this very bland kind of content. But if you try to just be yourself, you're rewarded by people who find you interesting. And that to me has been the most powerful, like liberating, exciting part of content creation. You know, because the people who follow my stuff, it's fascinating. They are actually a pretty specific type of person they love the media in, and I'm just like, you're my people. I found my people and that came from putting out content. I had no idea you guys existed. Other weirdos and nerdy cooky people like myself, you're out there. Oh, I found you. And it came from making content.
Kristoffer: Hmm. I love that. I love that. It's like the, the right people will be attracted to you, And they will find you, and you don't have to please everybody and who you are if you're authentic, it's like, you'll, you'll, those people will gravitate to you. Love that.
Emmanuel: Yeah, it was, it's such a counterintuitive thing, right? Because you're sitting here thinking that you know the reward for good, the reward is you put out good content and then you get a bunch of views. No, that's not the reward. And then, you know, other things come, sponsorship deals and influencers and sales and all that. No, that's not the reward. You find your people. That's what's most exciting, especially for an introvert like me. Like you can't find a lot of other introvert, uh, other people. And you, and even if they are out there, you're not gonna have the energy to go out and socialize enough to meet them all. But yet here I can sit in my studio or behind this camera, make content on my terms when I have the energy, push it out there and I get to meet all these other people that I would really want to interact with. They and I didn't have to socialize. I didn't have to do all the networking, all that stuff. Yeah. That's the biggest reward in my opinion, being a content creator.
Kristoffer: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you get to be authentically who you are and not have to please anybody or feel like you have to prove yourself. Right. And we don't. We're not politicians, you know, we don't have to be, we don't have to play the politics around how we're gonna say things like we're just gonna say it the way that we see it, you know? And then whoever's vibing with it is gonna vibe with it.
Emmanuel: Which is also why the whole reason I brought that up is cause what you were saying about documenting, right? That's why content like that could be so powerful because you're not necessarily gonna build a big audience, but you're gonna build the right audience. Because if people are willing to sit and watch you build your company, warts and all, and see the behind the scenes and you making food and crumbs flying everywhere, you know, the, the way you described the fats and the oils and you know, the process of making, if somebody's interested in that, they're gonna be a customer at some point that's gonna come. And more importantly, they'll probably be a friend, a supporter, a raving fan. They'll tell other people about it. They'll be the perfect customer, the right customer, a raving fan, versus just a fly by night. Oh, that's cool. Swipe, move on to the next one. So I, I applaud that for sure. Building, lowering the barrier to creation, just the easiest while you're working stuff in passing, push it out there and find who likes it. That'll be the right person you want in your audience. Yeah. Good stuff, man. So then, if someone wanted to find your content, where would they go to find it and see your journey that you're documenting?
Kristoffer: Yeah, so you could find us on Good Journey on Instagram or My Good Journey on TikTok. Uh, but if anything, I would love for you to join our Good Journey private community. It's like where we're gonna really share about ourselves, get people's feedback, like you want this to be a community that that helps, you know, build this brand up. Search Good Journey on Facebook, look for a group, join our group. We'll welcome you and we're excited to have you as part of this journey.
Emmanuel: That's excellent my friend. Uh, there was one story I wanted to talk about as we start to wrap up here is you mentioned manic, your, some of your friends had gotten manic and that keto helps with because of neuroplasticity, I think you called it, or neuro it's neuroprotective. Can you talk about that story?
Kristoffer: So there's, there's a lot more researchers coming to the forefront in terms of a ketogenic diet, helping with mental disorders. But what some of these scientists are saying is, a lot of these mental disorders are actually a different way of expressing a mental disorder. And they all function a certain way in terms of the, uh, mitochondria in the cell is not functioning properly. Um, and so it goes back to, and the mitochondria is a powerhouse of your cell. It creates all the energy, uh, in your cell. And if it's not functioning properly, then your cell's not pro functioning properly. Your organs are not functioning properly. And so in terms of the brain is this helps, you know, help the mitochondria function properly as a ketogenic diet. And in no ways this to replace any, um, any medication, and this is not any health advice, this is just, you know, what the research is starting to show and I'm not, I'm not an expert in no way. I would go look for it, but that's kind of what I, what we're seeing. There's gonna be a new keto wave to be, honestly, I believe there's gonna be a new wave of keto. It's not gonna be specifically for losing weight or diabetes. It's gonna be actually for mental health because there is a growing mental health concern, you know, in the US and this is a way to actually preserve it and everybody's different. So I cannot say that keto is gonna help you with whatever you're dealing with. I'm just saying it's an option to explore and see if it works for you. And, um, but yeah, I believe that this is gonna be the next thing why people do keto and it's gonna be an interesting conversation to have. We'd love to be part of that conversation. Um, cuz I mean, that's what helped me, you know, along my journey is like, all right, I'm gonna stay keto. So I don't, I don't, um, go off the deep end and start having episodes, um, because of all the stress and anxiety.
Emmanuel: Wow. What we put in our bodies, man, it makes a big difference. It really fascinates me. So, Kristoffer and then, uh, I do wanna make sure we get this in here too, is can you tell us about your name? It is such a unique name, how to pronounce it, and how it came about and where its from.
Kristoffer: Yeah. So, Um, it actually came about with my cousin, so I think they're on the way to the hospital. My cousin, my mom's on the way to the hospital and my cousin says, Hey, why don't you name him Christopher? And my family is like a big Catholic family, they're big on Christ, and then they wanted to change the spelling. They're like, oh, actually we like this singer slash actor named Chris Christofferson. You know, I think he was on Blade, the movie, the old white guy with the beard, white beard. Um, and so they like that spelling, so they're like, all right, let's name 'em Kristoffer with a K and two Fs. Uh, so that's how I got my name. And, uh, yeah, it's always, it was always a fun experience explaining how to pronounce it. Um, thankfully there's a movie called Frozen, where the main character, his name is Kristoff, but then now people will call me Kristoff. I'm like, actually it's Kristoffer.
Emmanuel: And then your last name, how do you pronounce that and what's the story there?
Kristoffer: Uh, it's Quiaoit. So it's a very like an indigenous Filipino name. Like most, a lot of Filipino names have some Spanish origin, but this one actually is indigenous to the country. It's in the northern part of the Philippines. And it actually came from a sound of birds. They would say âkee-ow-itâ like, it's, there's like a bird that says it like that. And that's kind of how they came up with Quiaoit.
Emmanuel: That's beautiful. Quiaoit. Kristoffer Quiaoit. Did I get it?
Kristoffer: Yeah.
Emmanuel: Kristoffer Quiaoit. Yes. Got it.
Kristoffer: Got it.
Emmanuel: Man. Yeah, well we'll be practicing that cuz uh, I feel like there's a lot of people gonna be putting your name in their mouths and saying your name cuz you're gonna get big, my friend. I'm, I'm calling it now. Right. You're doing big things brother, and I appreciate you.
Kristoffer: I appreciate it. I appreciate it.
Emmanuel: Any last words or, uh, thoughts before we go?
Kristoffer: No, um, you know, follow me, follow, you know, you can find me on LinkedIn, um, just look up Kristoffer Quiaoit and connect with me. I'd love to, if you're going through a tough time, just reach out, you know, I'd love to be someone just to listen, you know, and, and let you know that things are gonna be okay. And then give our donuts a try. We're gonna be online soon. Give our donuts a try.
Emmanuel: I'll definitely be doing that as soon as I can. I'm running to get some. Thank you Kristoffer Quiaoit. We appreciate it and uh, have a wonderful day.
Kristoffer: Thank you. You too.
