Discover how Venezuelan chef Corina transformed her tropical chocolate-making expertise into an award-winning artisanal chocolate business in Norway. As the owner of Xoco by Corina, she has spent eight years mastering the bean-to-bar process while introducing unique flavor profiles that bridge cultural gaps.

Her dedication to craft chocolate goes beyond mere production – it's about ensuring transparency in the supply chain and fair wages for farmers. Despite the challenges of adapting to Norway's seasonal changes, Corina has successfully carved out a niche in the artisanal chocolate world, earning numerous awards for her exceptional creations.

The episode explores the stark differences between industrial and artisanal chocolate production, highlighting how quality ingredients and careful craftsmanship create superior products that are winning over discerning customers. Corina's approach to chocolate making emphasizes the importance of maintaining authenticity while building meaningful connections with customers who value artisanal craftsmanship.

Ready to indulge in a fascinating journey through the world of craft chocolate? Tune in to hear how one passionate chocolatier is revolutionizing Norway's chocolate scene, one bean at a time.

Discover how André Fangueiro, a Portuguese designer at Tietoevry, transformed his career by embracing Norway’s celebrated work-life balance and prioritizing authentic connections over technical skills. Gain fresh insights into UX design, where the best solutions are invisible, and technology serves without showboating. Through André’s journey—from navigating cultural contrasts to reflecting on AI’s role in design—this episode offers valuable lessons for anyone looking to rethink work, creativity, and success. Tune in for an inspiring discussion that bridges Southern passion with Scandinavian pragmatism.

📷 Ola Gytri

In this episode of The Business Compass, host Andrea Ribeiro chats with Siv Havik, founder of Lenoo, a Norwegian language school helping newcomers integrate and thrive. Siv's journey is anything but ordinary—she went from representing Norway on international runways to becoming a passionate educator and entrepreneur.

Siv shares how her early experiences in modeling taught her confidence and adaptability, which later helped her build Lenoo from scratch. With over 11 years of dedication, she’s turned her vision into a thriving school offering both in-person and online courses. Hear her story of innovation, persistence, and the deep connections formed through teaching.

An inspiring episode blending creativity, passion, and the power of education—listen now!

In this inspiring podcast, Anders Midttun, a seasoned business consultant, shares his journey from a corporate role at Shell to founding his own consulting company. When Shell downsized in 2002, Anders took the opportunity to pursue his passion for teaching and creativity, transitioning to entrepreneurship after years of preparation. Despite initial challenges, Anders combined his teaching and business skills to create a successful venture offering creativity courses. His proactive approach and positive mindset were key to his smooth transition.

Anders shares valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and consultants throughout the discussion, emphasising the importance of financial stability, trustworthiness, and clear client communication. He advocates for building a solid financial foundation, either through savings or severance, to give entrepreneurs time to establish products, find customers, and develop essential business functions like sales, finance, and management.

The speakers also highlight the importance of understanding client needs and maintaining open communication to build strong relationships. For those considering freelancing or consulting, Anders advises exploring various options, networking, and staying true to one’s interests to find fulfilling work, even in uncertain times.

Overall, this podcast provides practical insights on transitioning into entrepreneurship, building solid client relationships, and laying a strong foundation for long-term success.

Webpage to visit Midttuns Verden here.

Sara, is a self-care guide and Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), shares her journey of starting Renkos, an organic skincare business that provides a nurturing environment for clients to connect with their inner selves. Through facial treatments and guided conversations, she helps clients gain clarity and insights to apply in their daily lives.

The guest discusses their path to finding a sense of "home" - both physically by starting a home-based business in Norway, and internally by embracing the highly sensitive nature.

Sara also shares how becoming a parent helped her understand her own childhood experiences and the importance of self-care. She quit her job and started Renkos, offering a unique "silent treatment", with skin massage and approach to help people connect with a deeper part of themselves.

The guest emphasises the importance of following intuition, overcoming fear and imposter syndrome, and embracing high sensitivity as a superpower. She aims to empower clients to believe in themselves and their inner power, beyond just skincare products. Self-care is crucial for being able to show up for others, and Sara cautions against simply following trends or copying others.

Sara IG: @divine_selfcareguide

Renkos webpage: renkos.no

First, I want to remind everyone that English is not my first language or Frode's. So, it is normal that some parts may be a little hard to understand, but please bear with us. Second: This is our second episode. I am not an expert in podcasting; this is completely out of my comfort zone, and I hope it can only get better from here regarding sound and quality. Thank you very much, and here is the episode:

In this engaging episode of Business Compass, host Andrea Ribeiro sits down with Frode Isachsen, an inspiring communications expert and entrepreneur. Frode shares his transformative journey from being a teacher to founding his own advertising company, ultimately transitioning into leadership coaching.

Discover how Frode's career evolved from graphic design to focusing on the human element within business cultures. Through insightful anecdotes, he emphasises the importance of asking "why" and highlights the significance of building strong relational skills with clients.

Frode offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, stressing the need to dream, create structure, and foster a positive company culture. He shares personal stories, including a heartwarming encounter in France, reminding us of the power of kindness and human connection.

Join Andrea and Frode as they explore the intersection of communication, leadership, and the human side of business, offering listeners a unique perspective on achieving professional and personal fulfilment.

Welcome to the first episode of the Business Compass Podcast, hosted by Andrea Ribeiro. This episode serves as an introduction to Andrea, a seasoned freelancer photographer and videographer based in Norway. She shares her professional background and personal journey, reflecting on her experiences in the business world.

Andrea discusses the importance of balancing human elements with business decisions, emphasising that business is never just business—it's deeply personal. She recounts her own challenges and triumphs, offering valuable lessons learned from both good and bad experiences.

This episode also highlights crucial advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, such as the significance of signing contracts, consulting lawyers, and thoroughly vetting business partners. Andrea's insights aim to inspire and guide listeners to avoid common pitfalls and celebrate their successes.

In future episodes, Andrea will be joined by various guests to share diverse perspectives and stories from different business areas. Listeners are encouraged to contribute their own stories, which will be discussed anonymously or with attribution, as preferred.

Tune in to gain wisdom from Andrea's journey and get ready for engaging conversations with upcoming guests who will share their expertise and experiences in the business world.

Remember you can also share your story to us to: podcast@maracuja.no

This episode is the pilot episode. Here, you can understand what this podcast is about and what we hope to achieve together. We invite everyone to send their stories to podcast@maracuja.no with your stories we hope to learn and teach people who would like to start a business or have a better day at work.

The podcast has a goal to help people to succeed and share their stories with us, so we can learn and see more about different red flags that other people have experienced.