Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Leandra Brient, owner and operator of Atlin Mountain Coffee Roasters, located in Atlin, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Together with my husband, I operate a coffee roastery off the grid. We offer certified organic coffees with a conscience from around the world. We also offer a unique whisky barrel-aged coffee that we create in collaboration with a local distillery. We love coffee, and we love the outdoors; all coffees are sustainably roasted in our wood-fired roaster, in our solar-powered roastery, off the grid in the boreal forest.
Tell us about yourself
Having been successful entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry, we wanted to challenge our skills by roasting coffee for a new café that we opened. We quickly fell in love with coffee roasting and closed the cafe to focus on the roasting. We are now starting our 9th year of Atlin mountain coffee roasters.
We operate the roastery on our off-the-grid homestead, and for us, it's the lifestyle that motivates us. Doing something we are passionate about, working together, making our own schedule.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We are located in a remote town of 400 inhabitants. Thanks to the amazing local support, I think it’s a great accomplishment that our product is now enjoyed by coffee lovers across the country and internationally.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest about being a business owner of a home-based business is separating work from home. We go on weekends to have family time and be away from home so we can ground ourselves and come back fresh for a new week. For two years in a row, we have gone camping every single weekend from April to Thanksgiving.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Believe in your product and always push yourself to do better.
- Persist, patience is the key to success, don’t give up if it doesn’t pick up right away.
- Don’t forget to take time for yourself.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.atlinmountaincoffee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlinmountaincoffee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlinmtncoffee/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.