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After college, Jake Karls thought he desired to be an investment banker. But he never passed the first job interview. Burdened by an mental disability and lack of enthusiasm for corporate work, the Canadian was forced to return to his parents’ home.
“I couldn’t find a job, so I literally had no choice but to become an entrepreneur,” he says. “It was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Co-founder of Karls Southern squares with his sister Lezlie and her husband Nick Saltarelli. The Good-For You chocolate bar is non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan and filled with pea protein. But Karls says the one ingredient that actually sets it apart from the pack is the emotional connection it makes with the consumer.
On this week’s episode of the One Day with Jon Bier podcast, Karls talks about his journey from early failures to success, why he thinks authenticity and good storytelling made the difference in Mid-Day Squares, and what learned about himself and running a successful business.
The secret ingredient
When developing the marketing plan for Mid-Day, Karls looked at brands like Sephora and admired how their customers desired to be a a part of them. They posted photos of themselves in the store on social media and gushed about how much they loved the brand.
“The food and drink world didn’t have the connectivity that the beauty world had,” she says. He wanted customers to go to the food market and “not just buy a bar of chocolate, but feel like they’re buying from a friend. They felt part of it.”
That’s why Karls focused on building a deep connection with consumers by being sensitive and transparent, and telling an authentic story about the brand’s origins and his personal journey. This allowed the brand to develop a passionate fan base who felt invested in the company’s success.
Jake Karls
Playing to your strengths
Initially, Karls took on the role of the company’s CMO because he felt he needed to take on a leadership position and manage people as a co-founder. However, he quickly realized that he was profiting from his weaknesses.
“It was six to eight months of total destruction,” he recalls.
By stepping back and focusing on what he was really good at—building community and telling brand stories—the company began to grow. Karls learned the importance of blocking out the noise and focusing on his unique strengths and superpowers.
Overcoming burnout
But the breakneck pace of growth took its toll, and Karls experienced severe burnout that left him with crippling anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
“I thought you could go 200 km/h 24/7 and that your body could handle it, but in the end my body gave up.”
He decided to face this mental crisis openly, going through a 37-day non-stop therapy, eating healthier foods, and undergoing hypnotherapy, which he claims “really changed everything.”
“My fears became minimal. And my OCD has reached a level that I do not even think about or care about,” he explains.
Knowledge gained
Reflecting on his early struggles, Karls realizes that he was so focused on pleasing everyone around him—his parents, friends, and family—that he lost track of his own priorities.
“There’s too much noise in this world telling you to do this, try this, work with this, do this, use this strategy,” she says, acknowledging that much of that advice comes from people who care about you and love you.
But ultimately you have to trust your gut feeling and be able to turn a blind eye.
“When you play and understand your strengths and begin to pursue them, you’re feeling a freedom that makes you’re feeling unstoppable.”
In that spirit, he plans to build Mid-Day Squares into a $100 million company inside two and a half years.