S4:EP5
Guest: Jeremy Hicks, Goose Bear Coffee Curiosities
From: Carlsbad, California
Instagram: @goosebearcoffee
Website: https://www.goosebearcoffee.com/
Jeremy Hicks was wearing a cool jacket when he popped up on the screen for our interview. I don’t know why I remember that so clearly, but not the rest of the scene. I recall thinking, That looks like a nice room, but I can’t picture it now.
Jeremy and I were connecting over video chat from only a few miles apart. Covid has this sort of thing—connecting with colleagues, clients, interviewees, family, and friends—virtually feels relatively normal. Wearing masks, spacing tables six feet or more apart, working behind a glass partition, eliminating inside dining, and creating online sales opportunities are ways entrepreneurs, hospitality entrepreneurs, in particular, have adapted over the past two years. All of those things feel normal now.
Some entrepreneurs, like Jeremy and his wife Melissa, started their business during the pandemic. The coronavirus is the lens through which every one of their business decisions will be viewed. Not just now, but forever. They’ll always remember what this moment was like even if—and dear god, I hope this is true—the pandemic ends. That lens will always be a filter over their decisions.
I find that infinitely fascinating.
Learning about how and why entrepreneurs make the decisions they make is one of my favorite things about this show, and it was during my interview with Jeremy that I realized, somehow for the first time, that we were both living through a massive transition in how entrepreneurs will see the world. In 2019, most enterprising coffee roasters saw a fairly straight path towards the goal.
Covid dropped a boulder on that path, creating a fork. Then it dropped another. Then another, and another until there were so many forks and so many possibilities that I think we’re going to be entering a period of unique innovation when it comes to entrepreneurship. I’m pretty excited about it. The innovation. Not the Covid.
Where it takes Goose Bear Coffee Curiosities, I don’t know, but I’m, ahem, curious to find out.
I really like this logo. I couldn’t tell you why exactly, but it looks like something I would buy if I saw it on a hat. Goose and Bear are the nicknames of Jeremy and Melissa’s kids. Mash up the two and come away with a mythical creature that just looks like it might have stories to tell, stories that I want to hear.
Good branding can make a company stand out. I don’t believe it can make a bad product good, but it can enhance the experiences and the feelings we associate with one we like. It works the other way with bad branding.
Good branding can be enough for us to give a product a chance. I buy wine based primarily on the label and if it is red. I’ll buy that wine again if I enjoy it. With coffee, I have more of a foundation of knowledge. Good branding might make me pick it up off the shelf or pop into a shop, but I’ll need more information to commit.
If I really examine my theory, I think at its core is the idea that if a company cares about their branding, they’ll probably care about their product too.
I spent this week taking a break from podcasts. Not entirely, mind you, but during my morning coffee brewing sessions. Talking about Jeremy’s time in Nashville and his ties to live music inspired me to seek out some live music that could filter through my own life.
See what I did there? Filter…like coffee filter.
R!WC’s Live for Coffee Making playlist is now on Spotify if you want to listen along with me. Assuming it is somewhere between 7:01 and 7:30 AM, we may be brewing coffee and jamming out together.
FROM THE SHOW
Kwik Trip is going coffee cup-less because apparently their coffee cups were snagged by another convenience store. Bring your mug or no coffee for you.
The coffee cup shortage is real. I recently talked to a San Diego-based roaster who ordered $11,000 worth of custom-branded takeaway cups (paid upfront) only to be told they still aren’t ready or available even months later. The bigger accounts got priority on the limited supply. Read the Kwik Trip article from Madison.com here.
When you’re reading about supply chain issues and seeing the big brand names there, think about how much more difficult it may be for the local business trying to compete without the same purchasing power.
And if you want to help a cafe or roaster out, bring your own mug!I bought the Natural Javanica from goosebearcoffee.com this week, and the story I mentioned on the show about the beans can be found there…err…here, at this link.
I wonder if this is my actual bag of coffee…It was roasted the same day.
ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Steady State is hiring. “No experience necessary, just a good ‘tude.”
I’ll be at Camp Coffee Company THIS Saturday. Come tell me how much you love coffee and/or the podcast! Or why you don’t. Either way makes for good content.
The R!WC Industry Partners are awesome. Click these links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.
Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company
LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS
APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER
Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.
Roast! - Jeremy Hicks, Goose Bear Coffee Curiosities