Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Noah Evers, founder, and CEO of Flow Coffee, located in Venice, CA, USA.

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

I took a leave of absence from Harvard to invent coffee that helps you think better. Using my background in cognitive science, I created coffee that builds you a better brain with every sip by stimulating new brain cell creation (mainly in your learning and memory regions). Our coffee also provides 2x more energy because our molecules have twice as high absorption by the body, with none of the coffee's side effects (no jitters, anxiety, or crash). Our customers are coffee drinkers seeking the ability to get in the zone on demand.

Tell us about yourself

I've always been obsessed with the mind. I started conducting psychology research when I was 13 and published research in my first major scientific journal when I was 16. I continued conducting research, making international news and was featured on NPR, US News, Scientific American, NBC, and WebMD. I serve on the board of a Wiley high-impact scientific journal and lead a team of grad students and professors, using the quantitative psychology methods that I created to analyze the psychology of cultures around the world.

However, when I went to Harvard for college, I was overwhelmed. The teachers expected so much from me. The other kids were brilliant. I kept wishing, "If only I could think better," until it hit me… I had spent a significant amount of time studying cognition. Maybe I could think better? I looked around me, and everyone was drinking coffee. I had never tried coffee at this point, but ostensibly they drank it to "think better," so I had to check it out. It was one of the most incredible discoveries of my life. It took my academic performance to the next level and made me enjoy my work so much, but I was sensitive to the side effects. I hated the jitters, anxiety, and caffeine crash. I needed to eliminate coffee's side effects to indulge in this incredible discovery, but more than that, I needed to make coffee the vehicle for getting into the zone on-demand and stealthily making me smarter every day.

So, I started experimenting in my dorm room. About a year later, I had transitioned from my dorm to a food science laboratory and had successfully realized my vision: coffee that got me in the zone on-demand and made me smarter with every sip. My coffee delivered twice as powerful and long-lasting energy (because each caffeine molecule had twice as high absorption) with none of the side effects (no jitters, anxiety, or crash). It also stimulated new brain cell creation with every sip (improving memory, learning rate, mood, and slowing brain aging forever). When I sampled the product with other college students, they were obsessed. They had always wanted a product like this, and every day their passion motivates me to try to bring Flow to everyone.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The creation of the product. From a scientific and organoleptic perspective, it was hard to deliver the "Wow, this is obviously better than coffee!" mind state that I desired and knew existed while ensuring the taste was on par with the other leading premium cold brews. However, with the help of Mark Satterfield and my co-founders, William Thein and Catherine Beddingfield, we finally succeeded.

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

The constant ups and downs took a while to get used to and are still challenging. You need a lot of passion, drive, and mental resolve to push forward in the face of all the roadblocks and disappointments that you will encounter along the journey. However, I saw the tumultuous startup life as an opportunity to strengthen my mindset. I remained calm and driven when confronted with adversity, thanks to my two-hour per day meditation practice.

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

  1. Make sure you choose co-founders who will be all-in, leading the company for several years.
  2. Confirm your product is something that people need.
  3. Get to the first sale of your MVP as soon as possible.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.flowcoffee.us/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noah.evers.16
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noahfgevers/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahevers/

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.

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