114: Making Candy and Growing a Brand with Tamalitoz Owners Jack Bessulo and Dec Simmons

114: Making Candy and Growing a Brand with Tamalitoz Owners Jack Bessulo and Dec Simmons

Author: Joey Held May 18, 2022 Duration: 35:27

I’ve been a candy fan for about as long as I can remember. Halloween nights were a contest to see how many Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Twix bars I could amass, and I once ate an entire large bag of Sour Skittles at a movie once (it was Undercover Brother, if you’re scoring at home). Yet I’ve never tried a candy quite like Tamalitoz.

It combines some of the traditional flavors of Mexican candy with British sweets, with a bit of spice on the inside, rather than coating the outside. You’ll definitely want to try Tamalitoz by Sugarox. Owners Jack Bessulo and Dec Simmons share how they got started, ways to expand a brand, and some of the most surprising things about running a business.


Each week, Joey Held sits down for a genuine chat with someone quietly building, creating, or exploring something fascinating. Good People, Cool Things moves beyond the usual headlines to find the entrepreneurs sketching ideas in coffee shops, the musicians crafting albums in home studios, and the writers piecing together stories that haven't yet found a mainstream audience. These conversations live in the rich space where society, business, and culture overlap, revealing the personal journeys behind interesting projects. You'll hear the unpolished stories of how things actually get made-the late-night doubts, the unexpected breakthroughs, and the simple joys of doing work that matters. It’s less about generic advice and more about the specific, often quirky, paths people take. This podcast has a simple premise: good people are out there doing cool things, and their experiences are worth sharing. Tuning in feels like pulling up a chair with friends who remind you that passion projects and side hustles can grow into meaningful lives. The tone is consistently warm and curious, making every episode an engaging dive into the human side of entrepreneurship and creativity. Discover a new story each week, and you might just find the spark for your own next endeavor.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Good People, Cool Things
Podcast Episodes
171: A GPCT Crossover Episode! With The Integrated Schools Podcast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:18
Good People, Cool Things will return on October 4. In the meantime, we're sharing episodes from other shows doing great stuff.Today's highlighted show is The Integrated Schools Podcast, hosted by Andrew Lefkowits and Val…
170: A GPCT Crossover Episode! With Access to Inspiration [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:00
Good People, Cool Things is returning October 4. In the meantime, we're highlighting other cool podcasts!Access to Inspiration is a not-for-profit podcast that aims to improve people’s lives by helping them transcend the…
169: A GPCT Crossover Episode! With Art Heals All Wounds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:29
Good People, Cool Things is returning October 4. In the meantime, we're featuring other cool podcasts!Art Heals All Wounds is a podcast that features a different artist each week whose work is having an impact on their c…
166: Turning Your Creative Skills Into a Business with Evan Price [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:35
While merch and tours can help musicians make more money, they’re not the only ways to go. Evan Price helps artists think more like artistpreneurs. He wants them to approach their music like a business — because that’s w…
163: Travel Writing and Journaling Prompts with Nomadic Matt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:43
I’ve always felt fortunate that my family has loved to travel. Before I went to college, I had been to a luau in Hawaii. I had held koala bears and rode underwater scuba motorcycles in New Zealand and Australia. I had se…
162: Vegan Tourism and Travel Tales with Diana Edelman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:30
When you think of tourism, what comes to mind? Like how Paris, Texas has an Eiffel Tower with a cowboy hat on top? Or how some cities base their entire economy around one major event, like Williamsport, Pennsylvania does…