Case Study: How to Turn Cacao into a Full-Time Biz

There’s something about that first sip. Thick, warm, a little bitter — like the Earth is speaking directly to your cells. For some, it’s just a beautiful morning ritual. For others, that cup becomes a calling.

This is a story about one of those moments. It’s about a soul who sat down with a mug of ceremonial cacao and stood up with a business plan. Well — not immediately. But you get the idea.

Let’s walk through how cacao, a sacred plant ally, became the foundation for a thriving full-time business — without losing its heart.

When a Cup of Cacao Becomes a Calling

In 2018, Mia attended her first cacao ceremony in Tepoztlán, Mexico. She’d come for the retreat, but it was that circle — the shared silence, the grounding breath, the way the cacao made her body feel — that lingered.

Back home in California, Mia began sourcing small bricks of cacao from Guatemala, sharing them with friends, and guiding informal circles. One evening, after a ceremony in her living room, someone asked, "Can I buy a block from you?" Then someone else. And then someone else.

It didn’t feel like selling. It felt like serving. And so began her path from ritual to revenue.

Why Cacao Is a Powerful Business Ally (Not Just a Beverage)

Ceremonial cacao isn’t your average hot drink. It’s plant medicine, community ritual, and embodied practice — all in one. This multi-dimensional nature makes it ideal for spiritual entrepreneurs.

• It’s tangible — a physical product with sensory presence
  
• It’s relational — used in groups, ceremonies, coaching sessions
  
• It’s teachable — offering opportunities for courses, events, content
  
• It’s repeatable — like tea or coffee, it invites return and rhythm
  

The ceremonial cacao market has been steadily rising. According to SPINS data reported by New Hope Network, functional cacao products have seen a 32% year-over-year growth since 2021, especially in the wellness and ritual space (source).

For mission-driven creators, cacao offers more than a product. It offers a practice that naturally extends into a business model — if held with care.

From Ritual to Revenue: The Business Journey

For Mia, turning cacao into a business wasn’t about scaling fast — it was about stewarding something sacred.

She began sourcing directly from a women-run co-op in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, whose fermentation and sun-drying practices were grounded in Q’eqchi’ Mayan lineage. That connection changed everything. She learned about the moon-based harvesting calendars, the importance of fair pay in regions without consistent infrastructure, and how even the fermentation method impacts flavor and energetic quality.

"They weren’t just growing cacao," she recalls, "they were tending to a relationship that had been passed down for generations. I wanted my part in the chain to honor that."

From there, she set up a basic online shop. No funnels. No hype. Just bricks, a paragraph about her sourcing, and a checkout button.

She charged $33 for a 1lb block — enough to honor the work of the growers, cover shipping, and support her own ritual time. As her community grew, she added:

• A seasonal cacao subscription box
  
• Live new moon cacao circles (on Zoom and in-person)
  
• Educational PDF guides and videos on preparation and intention-setting
  

Every piece of her business was still in dialogue with the ritual. That was her non-negotiable.

Big Lessons from the Path

Running a cacao business may look romantic on Instagram, but it’s not all mugs and mantras. Mia encountered a few sharp edges:

Logistics Get Real
Shipping cacao bricks across borders requires heat-resistant packaging. One summer shipment melted mid-transit. Customs held another for weeks because it wasn’t labeled as a food product correctly.

Education Is Ongoing
Many first-time customers didn’t know how to prepare cacao — or why it shouldn’t be microwaved. Mia started including preparation guides with every order and created videos to deepen understanding.

Ceremony = Brand Loyalty
Customers who attended even one ritual stayed with her longer. They weren’t just buyers — they were part of a community.

Cultural Lineage Must Be Honored
Mia began her journey as a white woman offering cacao. As her platform grew, she collaborated with Indigenous leaders to offer classes on cacao’s origins, and now gives 10% of net profits back to the Guatemalan co-op.

“If you’re selling a sacred plant, but not returning value to its people, you’re not in right relationship,” she says. We agree.

W1SE Marketplace Support and Brand Alignment

Mia joined W1SE Market in 2022. She was drawn to the emphasis on lineage clarity, reciprocal commerce, and storytelling as integrity.

Here’s how W1SE supported her cacao biz:

• Community-first Marketing
   Instead of product pushing, W1SE helped Mia create blog posts, ritual guides, and interviews about her sourcing and ceremonial work.
  
• Cultural Integrity Review
   Our team and external partners supported a full review of her language — making sure every mention of cacao reflected cultural accuracy and avoided spiritual tokenism.
  
• Education Tools
  We helped Mia design her "Cacao 101" series — free email content that helps buyers move from curiosity to confident practice.
  
  

"W1SE didn’t just help me sell. They helped me speak with clarity and walk with respect."

Call to Action: Brewing Your Own Path

Whether you’re dreaming of a cacao biz, already running one, or simply want to support brands doing it right — the path of sacred commerce is open.

Cacao may be your medicine. Or it may be your metaphor.
Either way, the same principles apply: relationship, reverence, and rhythm.

Want to explore more ritual products? Visit the curated offerings on W1SE Market.

Ready to build your own soul-aligned business? Check out W1SE Cooperation — where we offer business mentorship grounded in ethics, energy, and embodiment.

Let your business be an offering.
Let your mug be full.
 Let your mission be clear.