Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kelly Contessa, co-owner of Zodiac Coffee Roasters, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

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

Zodiac Coffee Roasters is a specialty small-batch coffee roaster, selling Blends, Single Origin Varietals, Espresso, and Seasonal Specialties. Our customers are coffee lovers, from the snobs to the newbies, anyone looking to enjoy a fresh cup!

Tell us about yourself

I've always loved consuming coffee and wanted to learn more about it. I decided to enroll in an intensive "coffee school" program in Vermont. I learned how to roast and taste coffee via SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) guidelines. What many people don't realize is a coffee can be somewhat of a culinary experience; I relate it to being a Sommelier, each coffee origin not only has its unique inherent flavor properties (terrior), but those flavors can be enhanced or brought to subtleties with the craft of the roasting process. Working in the coffee industry, I get to create a product I not only enjoy but can continue to learn about. There are countless coffee varietals from around the world that can be roasted, blended, brewed, creating an endless combination of flavor and culinary curiosity.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Simply being able to say that I am a business owner and continuing that journey each and every day.

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

Finding the continual motivation and drive to keep the business growing. You have to be your biggest fan and critic, and playing both roles isn't always easy. Coming from an operations background, the hardest thing for me has been playing the role of the "fan." I'm terrible at keeping our socials up to date and constantly promoting our products. Though I truly love the coffee I make, my self-congratulatory/promotional behavior has always seemed disingenuous.

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

  1. Go for it! You can sit around making the plan to start, making sure that plan is foolproof, but nothing happens until you just throw yourself into it. The inevitable bumps in the road that come along with that journey can never be anticipated and are always what you'll learn the most from.
  2. Be ready to play ALL the roles and stay humble! Even if you're able to hire a capable staff, you'll always need to be the one building, growing, motivating, and jumping in to help perform ALL the tasks from big to small. Stay humble and in the trenches with your team, especially when you're just starting.
  3. Don't be afraid to fail. The biggest deterrence for starting a business is usually the fear of failure. That always still looms on the horizon even once the company is up and running, but c'est la vie! Yolo! Etc. If you never try, you'll always fail.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Zodiac Coffee Roasters is available for events, markets, parties, and more! Please contact us for more information!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://zodiacroasters.com/
Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/zodiacroasters/

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.