The Chocolate Pod

Ever wonder what it really takes to turn cacao beans into incredible chocolate? The Chocolate Pod takes you behind the scenes with the passionate chocolatiers, makers, and innovators who are crafting some of the world's best small-batch chocolate. In every episode, you'll hear the real stories—the aha moments, the expensive mistakes, the late nights perfecting a recipe, and the pure joy of creating something people love. Whether you're a chocolate superfan curious about what makes craft chocolate special, an aspiring maker wondering if you could do this too, or just someone who appreciates a good origin story, you'll walk away inspired, informed, and probably craving chocolate.

I'm Zack Gallinger-Long, and if you've been to a craft chocolate festival, you might know me as "the Golden Ticket guy" (yes, I wear a shiny gold suit while my wife rocks a Chocolate Queen costume). We're not industry insiders—we're enthusiastic fans who fell in love with this community and wanted to share these incredible stories. I bring my background in business consulting and small business ownership to ask research-informed questions that matter: How do you scale? What does "bean-to-bar" actually mean in practice? What factors influence the chocolate industry? This is a show for anyone who believes that the best stories are found in the passion, craft, and people behind what we love.