When we first started Monk Cacao, imposter syndrome was our daily companion.
We weren’t wellness influencers. We weren’t dieticians or nutritionists. We weren’t herbalists or health food entrepreneurs. We were just a couple of people trying to solve a very personal problem - wanting something healthy that didn’t taste healthy.
But the more we read, the more the doubt crept in.
“This isn’t how it’s done.”
“Cacao is meant to be taken by itself.”
“Your product isn’t considered ceremonial grade.”
And quietly in our own minds:
People won’t like the bits of chia seeds.
The turmeric will overpower the cacao.
No one said these things to us directly. But the unspoken rules were everywhere - hidden in articles, whispered in wellness spaces, echoed by purists guarding tradition.
And we started to wonder if we were doing everything wrong.
Then we thought of Chris Riccobono, the founder of UNTUCKit. He wasn’t a fashion insider - just a guy who wanted a shirt that looked good untucked, who no one thought belonged. He wasn’t a designer. “That’s not how shirts are supposed to work.” He launched anyway. And it resonated. Because he was solving a problem for real people, not for industry insiders.
That’s what Monk Cacao is to us.
A solution. A better-for-you blend that actually tastes good. A daily ritual that’s nourishing, but also comforting. It’s not raw cacao in a dimly lit ceremony - it’s for real life.
And as it turns out, the things we were worried about? You embraced them.
You told us you loved our unique “chunky chia cacao.”
That the turmeric didn’t overpower - it added depth.
And “ceremonial grade”? Turns out there’s no universal definition - just clever marketing and shifting goalposts. Our blend has even been used in real ceremonies, and the people involved loved it. So, we’re happy to call it what it is: ceremonial enough!
More than a year on, your feedback has replaced our doubt with direction.
We’re still not “experts.” But we are confident now - confident in the product, confident in the process, and confident that there are more people out there who’ve been looking for exactly this.
Thanks for helping us shake the imposter syndrome.
We’re not pretending anymore.