Ella McKay is a self-proclaimed food obsessive, a marketing professional turned entrepreneur and the co-founder of FATSO, a premium dark chocolate brand on a mission to prove that dark chocolate can be every bit as fun, flavourful and full of personality as its milkier counterpart.

The idea was born in lockdown from a conversation about how boring and overly serious dark chocolate had become. What started as a side hustle to shake up the category quickly revealed Ella's entrepreneurial instincts and she soon left the world of big corporate brands behind to drive momentum behind FATSO full time.

In this episode, Ella shares the story of how it all came together, what the leap from corporate to founder actually felt like and how positive psychology, maternal instinct and a willingness to trust herself have shaped both her business and her approach to motherhood.

💡 "Instinct is your most powerful tool when becoming a mother. Don't be afraid of marching to the beat of your own drum. Don't be afraid of being different." - Ella McKay

In this conversation, we explore:

✨ How a lockdown conversation about the sorry state of dark chocolate became the seed of a global brand and what those early side hustle days looked like before Ella took the leap full time

✨ The decision to leave a successful corporate marketing career behind to back herself and FATSO and what gave her the confidence to make that call

✨ Why partnering with Luker Chocolate in Colombia was about more than supply chain - it was about finding a partner whose values and purpose aligned with the kind of business Ella wanted to build

✨ The reality of navigating early motherhood and entrepreneurship simultaneously and how she found her footing across both

✨ How Ella approaches the balancing act of work and family life and why rigid rules have never been her style

✨ The role of instinct in both parenting and business and why millennial mothers in particular need to reconnect with their intuition after a lifetime of being told what they should do

✨ How positive psychology shapes the way Ella leads her business and her family and why that philosophy feels like a natural fit for both

✨ Why embracing individuality in motherhood matters and what she would say to any mum who feels like she is doing it wrong

✨ The advice she would give her younger self and what it reveals about confidence, identity and trusting the path that lights you up

About the Guest:

Ella McKay is the co-founder of FATSO, a premium dark chocolate brand built on the belief that dark chocolate should be as fun, flavourful and full of personality as any other kind. With a background in marketing for some of the world's biggest brands, she brought both commercial expertise and genuine passion to building FATSO from a lockdown side hustle into a globally stocked product. Ella is a mum who leads with positive psychology, trusts her instincts and believes that doing so is one of the most powerful things you can model to your children.

You can find FATSO chocolate at sofatso.com and connect with Ella on LinkedIn.

About The Host:

I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer, personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

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