Coffee is ME - Start Your Coffee Business

In this episode of the Coffee is Me podcast, Valerian interviews Mabel and Ming from Moonwake Coffee. They discuss their first sip of coffee, their professions, and why they decided to start a coffee company.    They also talk about the meaning behind the name Moonwake and their sales channels, including direct-to-consumer, farmers markets, and wholesale. They highlight the importance of building...

In this conversation, Mariana Moreno from Tueste Café in Mexico shares insights into the Mexican specialty coffee scene and the growth of specialty coffee in the country. Mariana discusses the challenges and opportunities of being a woman in the coffee industry and the unique aspects of their coffee company, which includes a coffee school and a coffee shop. She also talks about their approach to s...

In this episode, Austin and Colin from Mom and M Coffee share their journey from San Francisco to Cincinnati and the challenges they faced in opening their coffee shop. They discuss their decision to start roasting their own coffee and the process of choosing a roaster. They also talk about the benefits of owning their real estate and the foreign concepts they introduced in Cincinnati. Finally, th...

In the bustling world of specialty coffee, where the beans tell stories and the aromas transport you to distant lands, one brand has been quietly brewing a storm, not just in a cup, but in the entrepreneurial world as well. Welcome to the universe of Hydrangea Coffee, a small specialty coffee brand that has managed to blend the rich notes of passion, quality, and smart business into a delectable b...

In this episode, Sameer takes us back to the origins of Voyager Coffee, a concept born out of a desire to revitalize their city, San Jose. As natives of the area, Sameer and his partner Lauren noticed a trend of friends and acquaintances leaving for more exciting urban centers. Determined to inject vibrancy into their hometown, they envisioned Voyager Coffee as a catalyst for community-building an...

In this episode, we chat with Erich Joiner, founder of goodboybob coffee in Los Angeles, California. GBB has gained a reputation for sourcing the world's best coffees, including top lots from Cup of Excellence. Initially catering to his friends and colleagues in the film industry, Erich's passion for specialty coffee was sparked by the unique flavors and aromas he encountered. We explore how he ma...

How and why did Hiver start Chromatic coffee? His origin story is really inspiring. So many people say “this is what I want to do,” but what are you ready to give up? Would you give up your comforts, free time, and risk your financial security? Difference in doing business in the central EU and USA. What kind of personality you have to be in order to become an entrepreneur? In this episode we will...

Talking with former student of mine Sebastian Ramirez about his tips for new coffee shop entrepreneurs.  Cafetal Coffee is a Specialty Coffee shop located near ASU in Tempe, Arizona. offering coffee from their family farm in Colombia and serving Latin infused breakfast and lunch!  Sebastian was very generous and shared a lot of useful tips for everybody who is thinking to open a cafe or a coffee s...

Come explore the specialty coffee scene in India with us and Rahul Reddy. Rahul is the founder of Subko Coffee Roasters, a revolutionary coffee concept that sources the best lots from local farmers for the local consumers.  This is the first episode recorded with video, so if you want to see our faces, join us on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa5A34qegnupOj_gt04Jzhw In this episode we...

In this episode we talk with Eddie Alaniz about his brand Coffee Conspiracy.  Eddie's brand is a lockdown businesses. While most cafes had to be closed, Eddie offered single origin cold brew to the beach crowd in Santa Cruz. Despite his humble beginnings, Eddie did not stop with his cold brew cart. His next move was to start to roast his own coffee and sell it via an online store.  How did he do i...

In December, we held the Roasting Lab PRO Course, where future coffee entrepreneurs study efficient ways of roasting, developing products, packaging and branding, understanding sales channels, not to mention having an awesome time exchanging ideas and meeting like-minded people from all over the world. I run this course every 3 months; it is limited to 6 students, and the next one is coming up in...

In this episode, Daniel Streetman explains how you can start a coffee roasting business with minimal investment. After Daniel was laid off during the pandemic, he and his wife Ella looked deep into their wallet and figured out that the most they could spend on their new company was $2500.   I love to brag about how I started Green Plantation with only $8000, but I would never even attempt to start...

In this show, I interview Gleason Jones from Opelika, Alabama and founder of Minimalist Coffee. Minimalist Coffee is the brand new venture of this 25-year-old entrepreneurial gentleman, addressing the need for a good, freshly roasted coffee with associated charity contributions in the local community.  Gleason dared to violate my rule for the size of the coffee roaster. How's that working for him?...

For this episode we asked you, our listeners, to send us questions - and to plug your business. You sent thought provoking questions which challenged us -- Valerian and Marcus to think outside the box, share their experiences, and call upon their combined experience to come up with possible answers.  We have tasted and drank a lot of coffee, and listener Katie asks us to name the single best cup o...

Anya and Matt are prime examples of the American dream: they had a dream and they invested all their time, money, and energy to make it a reality. The result has enriched  the L.A. coffee culture and brought a unidog to the bottom of the cup. As a European living in the USA, I have always admired the entrepreneurial spirit of my American friends, and I love the unidog. If you do not know what a un...

In this podcast I interviewed Darren Spicer of Clutch Coffee Bar, a fast-growing coffee drive-through chain. Drive-throughs are a bit foreign to me. I've never used one and personally I consume coffee differently, but most Americans welcome a good coffee on the long commute to work. I am always intrigued about the unknown, so I was very happy when Darren's path crossed with mine in this podcast ep...

Last year my business partner William Murad and I offered our coffee roasting company, Unleashed Coffee, for sale over this podcast. You know me by now, I live for experiments like this. I was curious whether this podcast was influential enough to sell a company. Spoiler alert! The answer is YES.  For this episode I interviewed the new owner - Kelly Abbott. The deal is done, and in the first part...

In this podcast I welcome back Marcus Young from Boot Coffee. This is an episode where we discuss the most common questions we get from our consulting clients. No, you do not have to pay a dime for this, but a review on  Apple Podcasts  is welcome.  Thanks. We start the podcast with a discussion about designing a roast profile. Is there such a thing as a correct approach? How many roast profiles s...

In this podcast I talked with Lee Pike from the International Women's Coffee Alliance, about the role of women in the industry and what the IWCA does to help improve the life of women coffee producers. The IWCA is a global network of self-driven chapters focused on achieving sustainable livelihoods in their communities. Each chapter sets and pursues its own goals, guided by the IWCA Code of Conduc...

I met Frankie at one of the Q Grader courses at Boot Coffee.  She was 12 and taking part in cupping with us. In this episode I am talking with Frankie Volkema about her brand, Joven Coffee. Frankie's mission is to introduce consumers to young coffee producers. Her goal is to help these producers stay in the coffee industry and to create a sustainable future for them.   Frankie shares some insights...

Tim is not new in the business world, he built and sold a few successful ventures. When he moved to Grand Rapids, MI, he decided to skip the line and buy his next venture instead of doing the startup hustle.  In this podcast Tim elaborates on why he decided to buy in rather than start up, and whether it was a good idea. He  also gives us valuable tips about how to find and evaluate a company if yo...

My guest in this episode is Stephen Ezell. Stephen is my old buddy, who together with Jonathan Shepard started Sequential Coffee. Jonathan is the business brain and Stephen is the coffee brain of this operation. It is a dream combo for every coffee nerd out there. Lucky Stephen! In this episode, we talked about the first steps and challenges when starting a coffee roasting operation. Sequential Co...

I am not sure whether it is Joey's fascinating story or the current global situation, but this episode got a bit personal.    Joey first started trading in “commodities” as a drug user and later dealer.  Today he is the CEO of Cafe Kreyol  -- a direct trade coffee importing and roasting company based in Manassas, Virginia.  His path was not straight, but finding God and purpose in his life led him...

Mitchell Popadziuk managed to fall into a perfect team. He is the business mastermind, his brother Tristan brings the coffee passion, and their mother Kelly is the soul of sales and marketing. I am jealous! In a good way ... :) [CxT] is a very young but dynamically growing company which, despite to the fact that Mitch is a podcast listener, fell into the same trap that we at Green Plantation coffe...

Nick Walton is a rebel... was a rebel. He grew up on a milk farm, but his revolutionary attitude towards his parents drove his dad to say "enough! Time to grow up!" Nick's coffee story starts with sleeping in a car while homeless. Was this the push he needed to take life seriously, which finds its conclusion in a mysteriously-named coffee roasting company  Flag and Wire ? I will let him tell the s...