Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Grady Laird, President, and Co-Founder of Grady's Cold Brew, located in Bronx, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Grady's Cold Brew is an independently-owned NYC-based coffee company—born in Brooklyn in 2011 and now located in the South Bronx! We were one of the first companies to make a bottled cold brew that allowed customers to bring gourmet, coffee-shop quality cold brew to their home or office fridge. We specialize in making a New Orleans–style coffee (brewed with chicory) that is affordable, convenient, and highly customizable. Our customers are coffee lovers (snobs and novices alike). I would argue that coffee is one of the most subjective beverages in the world—down to the amount of sugar you might add or the type of milk you mix in (be that goat or oat!). With one bottle of Grady's, there are infinite possibilities. Everyone can find their perfect cup!
Tell us about yourself
I worked the corporate lifestyle for ten years before launching Grady's. I used to be a print production editor for magazines like Details, Men's Vogue, and GQ. Unfortunately, it was a dying position in a hurting industry at the time. I had survived a number of layoffs already, but I knew I would have to figure out a career pivot. I grew up watching factory tours on Reading Rainbow and How It's Made, and I always knew I wanted to make something tangible. So I basically had one foot out the door of magazines and was looking for some type of business to start. Around this time, an article was published in GQ titled: Suck It, Starbucks!, that taught me how to make a cold brew concentrate (thanks, Mark Kirby!), and the rest is history. As for motivation... it's always our customers. I love to produce a product that brings people joy on a daily basis. That is very rewarding and why we never compromise on quality.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think the biggest accomplishment for me was reaching our 10th anniversary. A joke about living in NYC is that you aren't officially a New Yorker until you have lived in the city for ten years. I feel the same way about operating a business here. New York is an incredibly challenging (and immensely rewarding) place to operate a business—especially a manufacturing business—but being able to stick around this long is definitely a source of pride.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I think the hardest thing about being a business owner is just the roller coaster of it all (amplified a million times during the pandemic). Things can go right or wrong on a daily basis, and you never know what to expect when you walk in the door. And anyone who says, "that's a good problem to have," doesn't know that positive stress can be just as tough to deal with as negative stress.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don't always chase trends—keep your focus on what made you special in the first place.
- Sometimes, it's good to keep the blinders on and not focus too much on your competitors.
- Compliance is boring but so essential in business, so make sure you always stay on top of it.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.gradyscoldbrew.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gradyscoldbrew/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gradyscoldbrew/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gradyscoldbrew
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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