Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Joel Brilliant, Co-Founder of Brill Coffee, located in Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Brill Coffee specializes in providing the highest quality coffee to at-home brewers. Let's be honest; we just want you to have the best experience when drinking our coffee at home. With over 15+ years of experience in specialty coffee, we know exactly where to source coffee that we believe you'll really enjoy. Then, we roast these beans with great care and attention, producing a product that will give you an amazing coffee experience at home or at your favourite cafe.

We pride ourselves on quality, service, transparency, and honesty. Our products have been featured in design blogs and picked up by coffee retailers and cafes across Australia, as well as a luxury hamper company and a gift retailer. Their reason for buying and featuring was purely based on the look of the product and our award-winning branding. Once they tried the coffee, the repeat purchases kept coming in.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Joel, and I'm a Co-founder of Brill Coffee. I've been in specialty coffee for over 15+ years. It all started when I left high school, and my parents bought a cafe. It seemed pretty exciting and fun, so I asked my Mum if I could work for her. After about a year, I told her I wanted to open up my own coffee shop. Since then, I've owned multiple coffee shops and cafes and worked for a number of other high-profile coffee businesses and roasteries around Australia. I've been on the frontline of cafes, working in wholesale fulfillment and roasting. Now, I specialize in Growth Marketing and e-commerce.

The reason I started this business is because coffee is my passion. I love waking up in the morning and drinking a delicious coffee, and I love the journey and process involved in the whole supply chain of coffee. Everything from the incredible farmers, the regions, and the countries coffee originate from.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I solved a significant supply chain issue we faced during COVID. We were very close to dissolving the company due to this, but we were resilient and confident we could come through with a solution, which we did.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I would have to say problem-solving and being able to make the most informed decisions on the fly. As a business owner, you're constantly challenged in all sorts of areas, and being able to react to those challenges is vital to your success. However, this is also one of the most rewarding aspects of being a business owner.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Just do it - there's never a perfect starting point.
  2. Follow your gut feeling, stay focused, and remind yourself of your goals.
  3. Be realistic and stay true to your ambitions.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Running a successful business is incredibly rewarding. If you've got an idea, give it a go!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://brillcoffee.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brillcoffee/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brillcoffee/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brill-coffee/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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