When your family owns a company older than the United States—founded in Paris in 1668 as chocolatier to King Louis XIV—you don’t just make candy. You guard a legacy. Dan Abel Jr., CEO and “Chief Chocolate Officer,” carries forward Bissinger’s centuries-old recipes while reinventing chocolate for a new age.
From childhood Valentine’s strawberry rushes to leading 150 employees today, Dan has lived inside the chocolate factory his whole life. But growth wasn’t all sweet. A multimillion-dollar expansion pushed the company into high-volume contract work, only to discover that mass production drained its soul. Dan’s decision to walk away from seven-figure deals restored the company’s heart—and reignited its growth.
Listen now to hear how a great, modern chocolatier leads craft and crisis, culture and commerce, family and future. See more @ MarkSpencerCook.com
Discover the hidden truth of leadership that Dan learned the hard way: scaling without soul is failure, no matter the numbers.
“Culture is the ingredient you can’t fake.”
“Hands-on leadership tastes better than corner-office theory.”
“Losing millions is safer than losing your soul.”
This is chocolate as calling, not candy.
Questions Explored:
• How do you run a company older than America?
• What happens when growth steals a business’s soul?
• How do you scale artisan craft in a mass-production world?
• What does a cocoa crisis teach about leadership and values?
Lessons Learned:
• Never compromise your recipe for profit.
• Ideal clients restore morale and culture.
• Hands-on leadership builds trust faster than strategy decks.
• Data obsession fuels innovation—but only when tied to craft.
Guest Links:
Website: https://bissingers.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-abel-jr-15541765/
Host Links:
Website: https://MarkSpencerCook.com
Consulting: https://WindfallPartners.com
YouTube: Bold Encounters, Mark Spencer Cook
All Socials: @MarkSpencerCook
Chapters:
00:00 From Paris to St. Louis
03:16 A family of modern candy makers
10:43 Why Dad risked everything to start fresh
19:48 Wholesale disruption and bold decisions
24:42 Losing soul in mass production
27:42 Walking away from seven-figure deals
33:49 Surviving the cocoa crisis
40:37 Why beans taste different around the globe
44:31 Chocolate tastings and the craft revival
49:44 The five-o’clock exit: family first
50:46 Advice for the next generation
Keywords: Dan Abel Jr., Bissinger’s, Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company, King Louis XIV, Paris chocolatier, cocoa crisis, artisan chocolate, family business, resilience, craft vs mass production, legacy leadership