Episode 234: This 30 Under 30 CEO's 3 Words for Moving Forward
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Today's guest on the Food Biz Wiz podcast is Skyler Mapes, the Cofounder and CEO of EXAU, a high-quality Italian olive oil brand. Skyler has been named a Forbes 30 Under 30 and has grown EXAU by 6x over the past 6 years. Still, Skyler says "no" to constant growth and expansion. In this episode, we are thrilled to share our conversation on her journey to this point and the lessons that she has learned, including...
🫒 Why the "slowness" of the food industry is relative and how you can use it to encourage thoughtful decision making
🫒 Three words you need to hear to grow YOUR comfort zone
🫒 The importance of doing self-healing work to root into your values more clearly
🫒 And how their passion for olive oil helped land them a book deal!
Wizes, as Skyler and I mentioned in this episode, we'd LOVE it if you scroll wayyyy back in our social media profiles and tag us on our early content! You'll see that being a brand online is a constant work in progress and see Skyler's three key words in action.
📨 DM and tag the Food Biz Wiz team on Instagram or LinkedIn here and check below for EXAU’s links!
MEET SKYLER MAPES:
Skyler Mapes is the Cofounder and CEO of EXAU, a high-quality Italian olive oil brand. She started the company in 2017 with her husband and cofounder Giuseppe Morisani. Together they care for hundreds of olive trees on their family estate along the Ionian coast of Calabria, southern Italy and each fall work harvest to make their delicious EVOOs.
Skyler’s work with EXAU has placed her on Forbes 30 Under 30, Oprah’s Favorite Things twice, and full features in Food52, Condé Nast, The New York Times, Eater, Buzzfeed, on live television, and many more. Her fun and approachable stance on olive oil landed her a book deal with Ten Speed, an imprint of Penguin Random House. The Olive Oil Enthusiast was published in August 2023 and was co-authored with Morisani. It’s described as a comprehensive, practical introduction to the often misunderstood world of olive oil.
Today Skyler wants as many people as possible to taste and enjoy true Italian extra virgin olive oil and hopes to see more transparency in the industry. Find EXAU on Instagram HERE (instagram.com/exauoliveoil) on Facebook here (facebook.com/exauoliveoil), and over on TikTok at their handle, @exauoliveoil. You can also check out their website and order directly from them here: EXAUoliveoil.com!
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