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After graduating from university, Jake Carls wanted to become an investment banker, but he didn’t make it past his first job interview. Plagued by a learning disability and a lack of enthusiasm for corporate work, the Canadian was forced to move back home.
“I literally had no choice but to become an entrepreneur because I couldn’t find a job,” he says. “It was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Co-founder of Carl’s Midday Square Created with his sister Leslie and her husband Nick Saltarelli, the bar is non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan and packed with pea protein, but Carls says what sets it apart is the emotional connection it makes with consumers.
On this week’s episode of “One Day with Jon Bier,” Carls shares his personal journey from early failure to success, why he thinks authenticity and good storytelling made the difference for Mid-Day Squares, and what he’s learned about himself and running a successful business along the way.
Secret Ingredient
When developing Mid-Day’s marketing plan, Karls took inspiration from brands like Sephora and was impressed by how their customers wanted to be a part of the brand: They would post photos of themselves in the store on social media, raving about how much they loved the brand.
“The food and beverage industry didn’t have the same connections as the beauty industry,” he said. He wanted customers to go to the grocery store and “not just buy a chocolate bar, but actually feel like they’re buying from a friend and feel like they’re a part of it.”
So Carl’s focused on building deep connections with consumers by being vulnerable and transparent and telling an authentic story about the brand’s origins and its own personal journey. This helped the brand build a passionate fan base that felt invested in the company’s success.
Related: Don’t Be a Boring Brand – How to Create Brand Distinction That Everyone Notices
Jake Carls
Use your strengths
Karls initially took on the role of CMO, thinking he would need to provide leadership and talent management as a co-founder. But he quickly realized he was exploiting his weaknesses.
“There was six to eight months of total destruction,” he recalls.
By taking a step back and focusing on what he really does best – building community and telling his brand story, the company began to thrive. Karls learned the importance of blocking out the noise and focusing on his unique strengths and superpowers.
Related: Building a community around your brand is essential to long-term success. Learn how Flex Watches creates an emotional connection with their customers.
Overcoming burnout
But the rapid growth took its toll on him, leading to severe burnout and leaving Carls plagued by extreme anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
“I thought I could run 200kph 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and my body could handle it, but in the end my body just couldn’t handle it.”
He decided to tackle his mental health crisis head on, going to therapy for 37 days straight, eating healthier foods and undergoing hypnotherapy, which he says “really changed everything.”
“My anxiety has been reduced to a minimum, and my OCD has been reduced to a level where it’s not something I think about or worry about,” he explains.
Lessons learned
Looking back at his struggles as a child, Karls realizes he was so focused on pleasing those around him – his parents, friends and family – that he lost sight of his own priorities.
“There’s so much advice out there: do this, try this, work with this, do this, have this strategy,” he says, acknowledging that much of this advice comes from people who care about and love you.
But ultimately, you need to trust your instincts and be able to put blinders on your horse.
“Once you understand your strengths and start playing to them, you start to feel free and unstoppable.”
In that spirit, he plans to turn Mid-Day Squares into a $100 million company within two and a half years.