The Lighter Side of Coffee - Golden Ratio
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Clark Nowlin, founder, and CEO of Golden Ratio, located in Austin, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We're Golden Ratio, and we sell ultra-low roast "Gold Coffee." We roast our coffee much less than regular coffee roasters do, resulting in a smooth "gold" coffee that's 5x less acidic than regular coffee (easier on your stomach) with a smooth nutty flavor that will brighten your morning!
Tell us about yourself
I was a full-time touring musician for five years and had to stop drinking coffee on the road because it hurt my stomach so bad. I discovered this ultra-low roast coffee in Seattle and was hooked instantly because I could drink coffee again! We have the mission to feel good every day. Now we're helping people in all 50 States & Canada to Start Their Day the Golden Way too!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Not dying. We launched during the pandemic, which caused a major shift in our strategy right before launching the company. Grateful we've been able to serve customers for nearly two years now, grow our team, and not miss payroll! We recently were featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which was pretty fun.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Keeping on top of everything. I have 10x the amount of information and decisions flowing to me on a daily basis versus when I was an employee. Between our own initiatives, having 10,000+ customers, procuring raw materials, staying on top of bills, and growing the team – it adds up!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Believe in yourself and what you're doing. If you don't believe in yourself, how will anyone else? No one succeeds alone, so you'll need to provide the vision and reason for existing to many more people than just yourself!
- Get sales experience. Being a business owner means being full-time in either sales, recruiting, customer service, or fundraising. If you don't know how to communicate effectively with people and take rejection, you're going on one tough ride!
- Be adaptable. At the bottom, entrepreneurship is just giving people what they want. No business can survive without meeting a real need in their customer's life. It's foolish and egotistical to assume everything will be figured out as it should be on "launch day." Launch, learn, iterate, repeat.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Try turning water into gold at drinkgoldenratio.com ;-) Use the code "NewBrew22" for 15% off your first order.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://drinkgoldenratio.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drinkgoldenratio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkgoldenratio/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drinkgoldenratio
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.