Specialty Coffee With an Impact - Swelter Coffee Roasters

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stephanie Welter-Krause, Founder of Swelter Coffee Roasters, located in El Cerrito, CA, USA.

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

Swelter Coffee is a small, craft coffee roastery that's focused on sustainability. A key component of the mission is supporting women farmers. All our coffees are sourced from women-run farms or women-run importers. Our customers really value sustainability, equity, and supporting businesses trying to make the world better than how we found it. We also launched the first-ever zero-waste coffee club, where coffee lovers anywhere in the US can receive our coffee in reusable containers.

Tell us about yourself

I come from a career in design and have worked with many companies, large and small, on their branding, website, and other communication strategies. I am also a maker at heart; I love trying to make things with my hands to understand better what all goes into them. I discovered I could roast coffee at home after spending most of my adult life as a devoted coffee drinker, and once I tried it out, I was hooked. Roasting coffee quickly became a leading hobby and passion. Then learning about accessible climate solutions through Project Drawdown, supporting women farmers (globally) is a key strategy to help curb climate change – women don't have the same access to training, financial support, ownership, etc., so the idea is if they could get equal access to all the support men typically have, they would have higher crop yields that could sustain our population without further deforestation. In addition, women statistically invest more of their income into their local community, resulting in better livelihoods locally. I feel it's important for businesses to find better solutions for customers, better solutions for our planet, and better solutions for doing business. So, I am here trying all of it!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

In a way, starting this business (during the pandemic, no less) has built my confidence and a sense of purpose. I always assumed going out on my own, stripping the security blanket of a paycheck, and taking all the risks would be next to debilitating anxiety. I have no training in business, but I am pretty good at figuring things out as I go (though slower than I hope sometimes), and that is deeply fulfilling. And finding community within the coffee space, as well as among other women entrepreneurs, has been tremendous. Last but not least, meeting customers who are super excited about what I'm trying to create with this business is really the best gratification.

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

Time management, hands down. I always thought of myself as rather organized and good at prioritization. But now that I am the one calling all the shots, I find it much harder to create the structure I used to thrive in. I attribute it partly to the learning curve, but it's still a struggle. I am trying to learn to just roll with it and accept the fact that I won't be as efficient as I could be, but maybe there is some purpose there. Maybe.

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

I am still a very small business, and I feel there is so so much to learn still. I don't feel I am in any place to give advice truly. But I've found it super important to have a support system. Financially and emotionally. Seek out business advisors and experts for things you don't have training in - there are free/cheaper resources out there; it just takes work to find them. Maybe last but not least, make sure the passion is there. It's a lot of hard work, and your heart needs to be in it.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://sweltercoffee.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweltercoffee/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/swelter-coffee-roasters/

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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