A lot of people have asked me what my plans are now that I’ve started a coffee company. My answer is complicated because my situation is also complicated. Of course, I have a plan but it’s not simple. I always say, if it was easy everyone would do it. I’m sure I’m not the only that says that but it sure does fit the way I live my life. Many people that I’ve come across don’t really know that I’m still active duty as a Warrant Officer in the U.S. Army. Sure, my coffee brand has the common “veteran owned” on it, but that leads people to believe that my service in the Army is over. Well, that’s just not the case. Not only am I a full time Soldier but I am a husband, and a father. Anyone can be all those things but being good at all of them, well, that’s the trick isn’t it?
No one stays in the Army or any branch of service forever. While serving, some people get into career fields that help with civilian employment. Although, I love what I do in the Army, and always give it 100%, it isn’t what I’m going to continue doing once I get out. That’s where coffee comes in.
When I’m not in uniform or taking care of my family I am working on something that involves my coffee company. The easiest way to explain my plans with my coffee company is to scale slowly, be patient and most importantly, find long term happiness through continued service to the military community and other veterans alike.
Many people have asked me when I’ll have cold brew, when I’ll sell kcups, will I have whole bean options and so on. My answer is always the same, yes and in time. My company just isn’t there yet and most importantly, I’m not ready for all that. Scaling is important for any business, it shows growth. Growth for me means I am able to support my family and help the people around me. Balance is everything. If I do too much too fast and when things get crazy busy my focus and balance will shift. That’s not fair to my Soldiers or my family. I could have just started a company when I get out right? Well, I could have but why wait? To me, it wouldn’t have made any sense to start a company once I get out of the Army. By the time I’m getting out I want to be up and running, not crawling.
The Plan
I have six to eight more years left in the Army. A ton of shit can happen between now and then so having a plan keeps me from veering off my path of coffee and happiness. In five years, I will have my own roasting facility. At the moment I contract out my roaster using my recipe to
produce the roast profiles that we currently sell and It will also dramatically drop the cost of production. Once, ZCC has the flexibility to roast any type of coffee at any time, I plan to open a café. The café will be around the eight-year mark. While all this is happening, I will slowly be scaling everything. From newer roasts to working with non-profits, everything needs work and everything will grow.
This truly is a journey and that’s one of the reasons I started this company. Life is all about creating relationships and memories. I invite anyone that wants to be apart of this journey or any other journey for that matter, to just go for it!
wow what a great coffe