About this Episode: We sat down with Lauren Blanco, the Co-Founder, and CEO of Markham and Fitz Chocolate in Bentonville. Lauren shared her origin story and how she found success with making Chocolate. Hear how time spent in war-torn parts of West Africa introduced her to the Cocoa Bean. Learn how they developed the Markham & Fitz name - hint, they wanted a solid trademark. Discover how Lauren’s mom's baking skills influenced her. Learn why Dark Chocolate is good for you and why Markham & Fitz uses organic ingredients simply to make their chocolate stand out in the crowded candy bar market. The higher the percentage of chocolate in a bar, the less sugar involved. According to Lauren, the health benefits of chocolate start in bars with 70 percent or more chocolate.
You can visit their Dessert Bar and Cafe at the https://8stmarket.com/ (8th St. Market in Bentonville) to sample their goodies. You can also order their chocolate bars and confections online for delivery on their website - https://markhamandfitz.com/ (MarkhamandFitz.com). And, if that is not enough on Friday afternoons, you can stop by the shop and try out new chocolate offerings before they release them to the public. In addition to ordering the chocolate bars online and at the https://8stmarket.com/ (8th St. Market), you can also find https://markhamandfitz.com/ (Markham & Fitz) Chocolate Bars at https://onf.coop/ (Ozark Natural Foods), https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/ (Whole Foods), and https://www.snacklabnwa.com/ (Snack Labs). All this and more on this “SWEET” episode of I am Northwest Arkansas. Important Links and Mentions on the Show*: Connect with Lauren Blanco via Email https://markhamandfitz.com/ (Markham & Fitz Website) https://www.instagram.com/markhamandfitzchoc/?hl=en (Markham & Fitz on Instagram) https://www.facebook.com/markhamandfitzchocolate/ (Markham & Fitz on Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWZT_0Ug5Ci/ (The video we did for Markham & Fitz) https://onyxcoffeelab.com/ (Onyx Coffee Lab) Mention the Discount Code: IAMNWA10 for 10 Percent off your Chocolate purchase online at https://markhamandfitz.com/ (Markham & Fitz).
This episode is sponsored by*: https://www.signature.bank/ (Signature Bank of Arkansas) - https://www.signature.bank/ (Signature Bank) was founded here in Northwest Arkansas in 2005. Their focus is personal and community banking. When you bank with a community bank, you’re investing in local businesses, local entrepreneurs, local charities, and the causes close to home. Signature Bank has worked hard to earn its tagline, “Community Banking at its Best.” You may ask why bank at Signature? Because they focus on the customer instead of having a branch on every corner, this means you can have your questions answered by a real person, whether you’re reaching out to the call center or your banker’s cell phone. You can access any ATM in the country without fear of a fee. They will refund all of those fees at the end of every month. Finally, they are constantly improving their digital offerings to ensure you can access the best financial tools from your laptop, phone, or tablet 24 hours a day. Signature Bank of Arkansas is a full-service bank offering traditional checking and savings accounts, investment accounts, business and personal loans, and mortgages. Give the folks at Signature Bank a call (479-684-3700) or visit their websitehttps://www.signature.bank/ ( Signature.Bank) and let them know you heard about them on the I am Northwest Arkansas Podcast. https://www.signature.bank/ (Signature Bank of Arkansas) is a Member of the FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender. http://www.iamnorthwestarkansas.com/canva (Canva) - Are you looking for ways to build a Digital Marketing Strategy from scratch? Whether you need to design things for your family