ONE-ON-ONE COACHING TO START AND GROW YOUR CONSUMER-PACKAGED GOODS BRAND

You've absorbed the knowledge in this playbook—the history, strategy, operations, and best practices for building a specialty coffee roasting business. But perhaps you're still wondering: How do I apply this to my specific situation? What challenges will I face that this book can't predict? How do I avoid costly mistakes when making critical decisions?

Knowledge is essential, but personalized guidance accelerates your journey and prevents expensive missteps.

The Gap Between Knowledge and Application

Reading about coffee roasting and actually launching a profitable business are vastly different challenges. You now understand sourcing, equipment selection, roasting fundamentals, branding, and marketing. But when faced with actual decisions—Which roaster should I purchase given my specific budget and goals? How do I negotiate with this particular importer? Should I pursue this wholesale opportunity or focus on direct-to-consumer?—generic advice often falls short.

Every aspiring roaster faces unique circumstances: different local markets, varying capital availability, distinct personal strengths and weaknesses, unique competitive landscapes, and specific goals and constraints. The principles in this book provide foundation, but application requires adapting these principles to your reality.

This is where personalized coaching creates exponential value. Having an experienced guide who has navigated these challenges successfully, who can ask the right questions about your situation, and who can provide specific recommendations based on your context dramatically increases your probability of success while shortening your timeline to profitability.

Introducing the Coffee Roaster Coaching Program

I've created a comprehensive coaching program specifically for aspiring and early-stage coffee roasters who want personalized guidance as they launch and grow their businesses. This program combines the strategic frameworks from this book with direct access to my experience building Clear Lake Coffee Roasters into an award-winning, profitable specialty coffee brand.

The Coffee Roaster Coaching Program provides:

Ten weeks of intensive one-on-one support via scheduled video calls and unlimited messaging as you take action on your business. This isn't a course where you passively consume content—it's active partnership as you build your business.

Personalized strategic planning for your specific market, goals, and resources. We'll adapt the frameworks from this playbook to your unique situation, ensuring your strategy is grounded in reality rather than generic advice.

Equipment and sourcing guidance based on your budget and objectives. I'll help you evaluate specific roasters, connect you with reputable importers, and ensure you're making informed purchasing decisions that align with your business model.

Hands-on operational support as you develop roasting skills, establish profiles, and build production systems. I'll review your roast data, provide feedback on your coffee, and help you troubleshoot challenges as they arise.

Marketing and branding consultation to ensure your brand positioning, visual identity, and go-to-market strategy differentiate you effectively. We'll refine your messaging, review your website and packaging, and develop customer acquisition strategies.

Financial modeling and business planning guidance to ensure your business model is sound. I'll help you understand your unit economics, set appropriate pricing, and project realistic growth scenarios.

Accountability and momentum that keeps you moving forward. It's easy to get stuck on decisions or delay action when working alone. Regular check-ins ensure consistent progress and provide external accountability.

Network access and introductions to suppliers, importers, and industry contacts I've developed over years in specialty coffee. These relationships often prove as valuable as the coaching itself.

What Ten Weeks of Coaching Looks Like

The program is structured to take you from planning through launch or, if you're already roasting, from early-stage struggles to sustainable operations.

Weeks 1-2: Strategic Foundation We'll refine your business model, target customer, and competitive positioning. You'll emerge with clarity about exactly what you're building and why. We'll begin equipment evaluation and create your sourcing strategy.

Weeks 3-4: Operational Setup We'll focus on equipment acquisition, facility planning, and supplier relationships. If you're already roasting, we'll optimize your existing operations. You'll develop your first roast profiles or refine existing ones through my feedback on your roast data and cupping notes.

Weeks 5-6: Brand Development and Launch Preparation We'll finalize your brand identity, packaging, website, and initial product offerings. You'll develop your pricing strategy and begin building your initial marketing assets and customer acquisition systems.

Weeks 7-8: Go-to-Market Execution We'll launch your coffee business or refine your existing approach to customer acquisition. You'll receive ongoing feedback as you begin selling, troubleshooting issues as they arise, and optimizing based on early customer feedback.

Weeks 9-10: Refinement and Scale Planning We'll analyze your early results, optimize operations and marketing, address any operational challenges, and develop your roadmap for sustainable growth beyond our coaching engagement.

Throughout all ten weeks, you'll have unlimited messaging access for quick questions, feedback requests, and troubleshooting between our scheduled calls.

Investment and Value

This intensive ten-week coaching program is offered at an introductory price of just $699.

Consider the value this represents: The equipment purchase decisions alone that this coaching helps you make correctly could save thousands of dollars in avoided mistakes. The sourcing relationships and guidance prevent costly purchases of inferior green coffee. The branding and positioning work ensures you stand out rather than blend into a crowded market. The operational efficiency you gain from experienced guidance compresses years of trial-and-error learning into weeks of focused progress.

Most importantly, this program increases your probability of success dramatically. The specialty coffee industry is littered with failed roasting businesses—passionate people who loved coffee but lacked business acumen, who made preventable mistakes, or who simply gave up when faced with challenges they couldn't solve alone. This coaching program provides the expertise and support that transforms passion into profit.

Is This Program Right for You?

This coaching program is ideal if you:

·       Are serious about launching a coffee roasting business within the next 6-12 months

·       Have already launched but struggle with operations, marketing, or profitability

·       Want to avoid costly mistakes by learning from someone who has succeeded

·       Value personalized guidance over generic courses or books alone

·       Are committed to taking action rather than just consuming information

·       Are willing to invest $699 in professional guidance that could save tens of thousands in avoided mistakes

·       Want accountability and support as you navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship

This program is not right if you're just casually exploring coffee roasting, if you're not prepared to invest financially and with your time, or if you expect passive learning rather than active business building.

How to Enroll

Enrollment in the Coffee Roaster Coaching Program is simple:

1.     Schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation call where we'll discuss your goals, current situation, and whether this program is the right fit for both of us. I only work with roasters I believe I can genuinely help succeed.

2.     If we're aligned, you'll complete enrollment and payment, then receive immediate access to the program materials and scheduling for our first deep-dive coaching session.

3.     We'll begin your ten-week journey toward launching or growing your profitable specialty coffee roasting business.

To schedule your complimentary consultation and learn more, email: clearlakecoffeeroasters@gmail.com with the subject line "Coffee Roaster Coaching Program"

Space is intentionally limited to ensure I can provide the personalized attention each coaching client deserves. I work with a maximum of five active coaching clients at any time. If enrollment is currently full, I'll add you to a waitlist for the next available opening.

Beyond Coaching: Ongoing Community

Coaching clients receive lifetime access to our exclusive Coffee Roaster Community—a private group of program graduates supporting each other, sharing challenges and wins, and continuing to learn together. This network becomes invaluable as you grow your business and face new challenges at each stage.

Your coffee journey doesn't have to be solitary. The knowledge in this playbook provides foundation. Personalized coaching provides acceleration and support. Together, they give you the highest probability of building the profitable specialty coffee roasting business you envision.

I look forward to working with you.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Building a coffee roasting business requires ongoing education beyond any single book or coaching program. The following resources have proven valuable for specialty coffee professionals and entrepreneurs. This curated list provides starting points for deepening your knowledge across sourcing, roasting, business, and industry trends.

Industry Organizations and Certifications

Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) The SCA is the premier trade organization for specialty coffee, offering extensive educational resources, certification programs, and the annual Specialty Coffee Expo. Their Coffee Skills Program provides standardized training and certification across multiple disciplines including roasting, brewing, sensory skills, and green coffee.

Website: sca.coffee

Consider pursuing SCA certifications to formalize your knowledge and demonstrate credibility. The Roaster Foundation and Intermediate courses are particularly relevant for coffee roasters.

Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) CQI focuses on coffee quality and offers the Q Grader certification program—the industry-standard qualification for coffee tasting and quality assessment. Q Grader certification is expensive and rigorous but valuable for serious quality-focused roasters.

Website: coffeeinstitute.org

Cup of Excellence Cup of Excellence (COE) operates quality competitions and auctions connecting exceptional coffee producers with roasters. Understanding COE scoring and participating in auctions provides access to extraordinary coffees while supporting producer recognition.

Website: allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org

Books for Continued Learning

The Coffee Roaster's Companion by Scott Rao Scott Rao's books are considered essential reading for serious roasters. This comprehensive guide covers roasting science, technique, and profile development with unprecedented depth and detail.

The World Atlas of Coffee by James Hoffmann Hoffmann's accessible yet comprehensive guide covers coffee origins, processing, brewing, and appreciation. Excellent for understanding the complete coffee landscape and building origin knowledge.

Modulating the Flavor Profile of Coffee edited by Scott Rao This technical volume explores how processing, roasting, and brewing decisions affect flavor development. Advanced reading for roasters wanting deeper scientific understanding.

Setting the Table by Danny Meyer While not coffee-specific, Meyer's insights on hospitality, customer service, and building culture are invaluable for any food and beverage business.

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries Ries's framework for building businesses through validated learning, rapid iteration, and customer feedback applies excellently to launching coffee brands.

Online Learning Platforms

Barista Hustle Offers online courses covering everything from espresso to water chemistry, taught by World Barista Champions and coffee scientists. Subscription provides access to extensive course library.

Website: baristahustle.com

Perfect Daily Grind Provides articles, guides, and courses on specialty coffee business and technical topics. Excellent free content with premium courses available.

Website: perfectdailygrind.com

Cropster Academy Free educational resources from Cropster, a leading roasting software company, covering roasting science and technique with data-driven approaches.

Website: cropster.com/academy

Industry Publications and News

Daily Coffee News Comprehensive daily news coverage of the global coffee industry, including producer stories, roaster profiles, and industry trends.

Website: dailycoffeenews.com

Sprudge Engaging coffee journalism covering culture, business, and personalities in specialty coffee worldwide. Less technical than Daily Coffee News but valuable for cultural perspective.

Website: sprudge.com

Tea & Coffee Trade Journal Long-running publication covering commercial coffee industry news, roasting technology, and business trends.

Website: teaandcoffee.net

Roast Magazine Trade publication specifically for coffee roasters, with technical articles, business advice, and industry analysis.

Website: roastmagazine.com

Coffee Science and Technical Resources

Coffee Chemistry by Illy and Viani Comprehensive scientific reference covering coffee chemistry from green bean to cup. Dense and technical but authoritative.

Coffee: Growing, Processing, Sustainable Production edited by Jean Nicolas Wintgens Exhaustive reference on coffee production, processing, and sustainability. Valuable for understanding the supply chain from agricultural perspective.

SCA's Peer-Reviewed Coffee Research The SCA website hosts research papers on roasting, brewing, sensory science, and more. Free access to cutting-edge coffee science.

Sourcing and Green Coffee Resources

Royal Coffee Major importer with extensive educational content about origins, processing, and sourcing on their website and blog.

Website: royalcoffee.com

Cafe Imports Another major importer offering detailed coffee offerings with transparent information about producers, processing, and pricing.

Website: cafeimports.com

InterAmerican Coffee Importer specializing in Latin American coffees with excellent educational resources about specific origins and producers.

Website: interamericancoffee.com

Many importers host origin trips, cuppings, and educational events. Building relationships with quality importers provides ongoing learning opportunities.

Equipment Manufacturers and Resources

Diedrich Roasters Manufacturer of high-quality drum roasters with extensive technical documentation and support.

Website: diedrichroasters.com

Loring Smart Roast Innovative roaster manufacturer with resources on efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Website: loring.com

Probat German roaster manufacturer with long history and extensive educational resources about roasting technology.

Website: probat.com

Bellwether Coffee Manufacturer of compact commercial roasters with innovative ventless technology, particularly suited for urban environments.

Website: bellwethercoffee.com

Business and Marketing Resources

Shopify E-commerce platform used by many coffee roasters. Their blog and resources cover online retail, subscription commerce, and digital marketing.

Website: shopify.com/retail/coffee-shop

Klaviyo Email and SMS marketing platform popular with e-commerce brands. Extensive resources on email marketing, automation, and customer retention.

Website: klaviyo.com/marketing-resources

SCORE Free mentoring and workshops for small businesses from experienced entrepreneurs. Local chapters nationwide provide valuable networking and guidance.

Website: score.org

Podcasts for Coffee Professionals

Boss Barista Explores coffee culture, labor issues, and industry dynamics through an intersectional lens. Excellent for understanding social dimensions of coffee business.

Opposable Thumbs Podcast Interviews with coffee professionals about business, roasting, and industry trends. Practical insights from working roasters.

Cat & Cloud Podcast From successful California roasters, covering business strategy, culture building, and coffee industry observations.

Continuing Your Education

The coffee industry evolves constantly—new processing methods, changing consumer preferences, sustainability innovations, and emerging origins continually reshape the landscape. Committing to ongoing education through these resources, attending industry events, participating in cuppings, and engaging with the coffee community ensures you remain current and continue improving your craft and business.

Consider these resources as starting points for lifelong learning. The most successful coffee roasters maintain curiosity, embrace new information, and continuously refine their approach based on emerging knowledge. Your investment in education compounds over years, deepening your expertise and strengthening your competitive position.

The journey from coffee enthusiast to successful roaster never truly ends—there's always more to learn, new coffees to discover, better techniques to master, and deeper relationships to build throughout the supply chain. Embrace this journey with enthusiasm and humility, and your passion for coffee will sustain a thriving business for years to come.