People first

People often assume we're in the coffee business. The truth is, I’ve never really looked at it that way.  I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about (and building) what actually makes a great work place, not just a good product, but something that lasts.

We run a people business that happens to serve coffee.

That might sound simplistic, but it drives almost every decision we make. In specialty coffee, it’s easy to become obsessed with the product, the origin, the roast profile, the tasting notes, the equipment. That’s all well and good. We care deeply about quality. But I’ve always believed in priorities.

First, the people who work here.

Second, the people who walk through our doors.

Third, the coffee/farmer (I hear the critics but it’s about sustainably affecting change that can be influenced)

When you put things in that order, everything changes.

The goal stops being simply making the perfect cup. Instead, it becomes creating a place where people feel welcome, valued, and connected (I’m talking about employees). The coffee is important, but it’s really the vehicle. What people remember is how they were treated, how they felt, and whether they experienced something genuine.

That philosophy doesn’t lower standards, it actually raises them in a different way. Excellence isn’t about performance or pretension. It’s about consistency. It’s about showing up every day, doing the work, paying attention to the details, and serving people well without making it about yourself.

I’ve also always believed in being honest about the realities of the business. There are trade-offs that every coffee company faces. You can never have the best or cheapest coffee, pay everyone fairly, source responsibly, and deliver exceptional quality all at the same time. Every business has to make choices. Rather than pretending those trade-offs don’t exist, I think it’s better to acknowledge them and build a company around what you truly value.

At its core, my approach is probably pretty Midwestern. Be humble. Work hard. Keep things simple. Don’t overcomplicate what doesn’t need to be complicated. Focus on doing a few things exceptionally well instead of trying to do everything.

The longer I wake up in the morning, the more convinced I become that great businesses aren’t built by putting the product first.

They’re built by putting people first and then holding the product to a standard that reflects that commitment.  For us, coffee just happens to be the vehicle.