❝Story01:30
A Language Barrier Created a New Founder Path
Mia Moon moved to Ghent, Belgium, after marrying and found that local job listings prioritized Dutch and French. Rather than enter an application process where she felt unqualified, she looked for location-independent work that could use her decade of sales and marketing experience.
- Moon moved to Belgium in 2018
- Language requirements discouraged her from applying for local roles
- Remote entrepreneurship offered a way to reuse her existing skills
“I basically uprooted myself and found myself in a country where I don't understand the language”
#career change#remote work#belgium
❝Story08:30
How Two Homes Became One Chocolate Brand
Moon says she did not begin with a passion for sweets. The idea emerged from combining homesickness for the Philippines, Belgium's association with chocolate, and the Philippines' own cacao tradition into a product story linking both cultures.
- The product idea did not begin with a lifelong dessert passion
- The concept connected Moon's Filipino roots with her Belgian environment
- Cultural meaning and available local strengths shaped the opportunity
“I did not have a passion for sweets or anything”
“we're bringing together you know all things about chocolate from the philippines and belgium”
#product idea#culture#chocolate
❝Story19:30
From a 20-Kilogram Experiment to a Metric Ton
The first prototype used just 20 kilograms of beans carried to Europe in a suitcase, and Moon's husband supplied the initial experimental capital. She says the business later used about a metric ton of raw chocolate in its record month, illustrating the change in production scale rather than guaranteeing a repeatable growth path.
- The initial bean batch weighed 20 kilograms
- The first launch comprised 100 boxes
- Moon reported roughly 1,000 kilograms of raw chocolate in a record month
“our batch of beans to create our first prototype was just 20 kilos”
“we did, yeah, like a metric ton in a month”
#bootstrapping#production#growth
❝Story23:30
A Two-Week Kickstarter Funded the US Supply Chain
Moon says a small crowdfunding campaign raised $10,000 to establish US operations. She deliberately limited the Kickstarter campaign to two weeks and credits friends, their networks, and local Filipino news coverage with helping it reach the target.
- The campaign target was $10,000
- The money was intended to establish the US supply chain
- The Kickstarter ran for two weeks
- Community referrals and local coverage expanded its reach
“I only put two weeks for that Kickstarter crowdfunding”
“it was yeah just friends telling friends and telling more friends”
#kickstarter#crowdfunding#community
❝Story24:30
The First Corporate Order Took Seven Months to Land
Without a Facebook advertising budget, Moon pursued organic connections and sent a corporate pitch in April. The Belgian company responded in November when preparing customer rewards, creating Theo & Brom's first bulk order and, according to Moon, improving its financial stability.
- The pitch was sent in April and answered in November
- The order came through organic outreach rather than paid advertising
- The bulk order supplied additional working capital
“we sent our pitch in April and then we heard back from them in November”
#b2b sales#corporate orders#patience
❝Story38:30
Moon Reported $300K Revenue and Set a $1M Target
Moon says Theo & Brom closed the prior year at $300,000 in revenue and was aiming to reach $1 million by the end of the current year. These are the guest's stated figures and target in the interview, not independently verified results or a guarantee of future performance.
- Moon reported $300,000 in prior-year revenue
- She described $1 million as the next annual target
- The target was prospective and qualified with uncertainty
“last year we closed at 300,000 in revenue”
“our next goal is to hit a million by yeah by the end of the year”
#revenue#growth target#business results