We had the good fortune of connecting with Brad Cocklin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brad, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My wife, Katie, and I wanted to put our time and effort into something we could build for the future. Something that we could be proud of and put our stamp on. With that being said, we weren’t looking to start a franchise or anything like that but food seemed like a great opportunity with a wide market to go after. My Grandma, Cuddy, always had this snack she would make at Christmas and called it Chunk Nibbles (also Christmas Crack – but not nearly as marketable when trying to sell it year round). After making a test batch and approval from Katie – we decided to go all in by quitting our corporate insurance jobs, liquidating our 401ks, and selling my car to buy a used Ford Transit van to chase the dream.

What should our readers know about your business?
Our snacks come from a 3rd generation family recipe that we hold very dearly and take incredible pride in the work we are doing. After losing my Grandma, Cuddy, at the end of 2020 – we now press forward keeping her legacy alive through these delicious treats! Having been in business 5 years now and weathered a global pandemic, supply chain crisis, battling inflation, and in the midst of a recession; this has been ANYTHING BUT easy. We continue to monitor our costs and do our best to be scrappy and innovative to weather the storms and battles we are constantly faced. We take pride in offering our customers innovating products that have a nostalgic effect. We had no idea that so many people would relate to our items based on the similarities they have in their own family history. “My uncle/aunt/Grandma/etc used to make something JUST like this!” is something we hear often. Another lesson is just taking every win and loss in stride. This is a marathon process and not a sprint to success. Patience has never been a strong suit of mine but this process has forced me to have develop not only a tolerance for risk but also patience in so many ways. On top of tasting good – our product FEELS good. We donate a portion of every unit sold to our charity partners Blue Star Service Dogs in Pinckney, Michigan. They rescue dogs from animal shelters and train them for Military Combat Veterans suffering from PTSD/TBI as service, emotional, or therapy dogs.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Our success is due to everyone who was willing to give us advice, a chance, their business, their time, and effort to help us growing our snack brand. Whether that is other food brands in the area or suppliers taking a chance on new customers with little business credit or background. Our contractors being flexible on payment terms or logistics companies going to bat for us. It takes a wide community of people in order to make something grow and flourish. We appreciate everyone who has given us a break or assistance in helping us along the way.

Website: www.chunknibbles.com

Instagram: @Chunknibbles

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chunk-nibbles

Twitter: @chunknibbles

Facebook: @chunknibbless

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMichigan is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.