Make Coffee Better - Coffee Manufactory

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jeremy Gursey, President of Coffee Manufactory, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

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

Coffee Manufactory is an independently operated coffee roaster born out of the partnership with Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. We focus on high-quality sourcing and roasting based on direct relationships at origin and sustainable practices. We sell directly online and partner with cafes and restaurants across the country - working each day to bring farmers closer to roasters, roasters closer to baristas, baristas closer to customers, and back again.

Tell us about yourself

I began on the barista side, having started out as the personal barista for Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, and later Larry David, who created the character “Mocha Joe” on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” based on my work serving coffee to the writers of “Seinfeld.” I later used the income from those jobs to build and develop my own brand and roasterie, which transitioned from entertainment to providing coffee for the luxury hotel and restaurant group sectors. Through relationships within the coffee industry, I built a foundation that led me to oversee the growth and future of “Coffee Manufactory.”

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner has to be helping to build a company I’m proud of and getting products to market. There’s nothing like walking into a supermarket and seeing a product that began as a figment of your imagination on the shelf or in someone’s shopping cart. I also do daily affirmations and pride myself on not only providing a great work environment but also leading, motivating, and inspiring people around me. Leading with purpose is my mission.

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

I think one of the hardest things about being a business owner is learning to adapt to your marketplace. As an almost 30-year veteran of the coffee industry, I’ve seen the industry constantly evolve. From 2nd wave (darker roasts) to 3rd wave (lighter roasts/small farms) and now beyond that.

People’s tastes change, and their palates evolve over time. Milk has changed and evolved so much since I started. When I began in the ’90s, it was all about non-fat skim milk, with soy and rice being the alternatives. As the 3rd wave evolved, so did people’s preferences. I noticed people ordering fewer skim milk drinks and seeking out Whole Milk, Almond, and Oat. Now Pistachio milk is fighting for a share of the alternative marketplace.

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

Be resilient! People will tell you “no” along the way! Ignore them. Move forward with your focus.
Create a road map! Map out where you are in business, where you want to go with the business, and then figure out what it takes to get there.
Leverage your connections and what I call “social” capital. Through 6 degrees of separation, you can connect through people you already know to people you want to meet. Once you leverage this, it doesn’t matter how much money you have or how many people you know. It matters how you can utilize connections around you to find things you need and grow your business.

Business is tough. It’s a roller coaster with lots of ups and downs. The greatest thing I can share is to learn to practice “Faith” over “Fear”! It’s never the end of the road when things get bad. And if you fail, learn from your failures to gain “success.” Henry Ford failed multiple times at the automobile before he finally got it right. If you ever hit rock bottom, the good news is you can always go up.

I’ve seen so many people in business fail, but they never lost sight of their end goal. And when they hit bottom, they could have easily given up… but they regained their focus and kept their eye on the prize! “Fear” only exists in your brain. So don’t let it overtake you. Keep the “faith” that you will succeed, and you will!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.coffeemanufactory.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coffeemanufactory/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-gursey-8a53796/

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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