Roast! West Coast
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S6:E13 - John Pierson, Servant Coffee Roasters
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S6:E13 - John Pierson, Servant Coffee Roasters

You have to serve customers first and foremost.

S6:EP13

Guest: John Pierson, Founder at Servant Coffee Roasters
From: Denver, CO
Instagram: @servantcoffee
Website:
www.servantcoffee.com


That’s kind of the evolution of Servant coffee and where we got the name, was that we always felt like we need  that daily reminder to serve other people first before ourselves.

John Pierson, Servant Coffee

Nothing ever goes as planned, at least not exactly as planned. During the interview with John, I kept thinking about the adjustments he made—some minute, some huge—that brought him to the precipice of entrepreneurship.

I’m not sure that it matters if the adjustments are made due to conscious, well-thought-out choice or adapting to the pebbles and boulders spread out before him.

There is an equilibrium between all those decisions, actions, and reactions that had to be maintained for his life path to lead him to the decision point where he made a choicechose to leap from a career in the energy industry. Another series of pushing and pulling guided him into roasting. Yet another put himself on the line and take on the responsibility of business ownership.

Then the pandemic hit. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned.

Another push-pull ensues. For Servant Coffee being a young roaster—still small and nimble—made it easier to pivot. Their original customer’s needs were changing with Covid, so Servant had to change course. They identified new potential customers to add through grocery markets and kept moving forward. Another boulder avoided.

FROM THE SHOW

  • I could write 10,000 words on the value of travel, but that seems unnecessary in a world where there are photos. A visit to a coffee farm in Colombia was instrumental in John’s path to opening Servant Coffee. Now, sending the team on origin trips is an important component of connecting with the producers of the coffee they roast. John’s wife, Sarah Pierson, is a travel-based entrepreneur who operates Purposeful Wanderings, a purpose-based travel agency. Check out www.purposefulwanderings.com.

    The photos below are from Servant Coffee’s 2021 origin trip to the Gihanga Coffee Project in Rwanda.

    Overlooking a lush green valley leading into low green hills bathed in the orange glow of sunset.
    Photo credit: ©@servantcoffee on Facebook.
    Photo credit: ©@servantcoffee on Facebook.
  • The photo over John’s shoulder during our video chat was of the iconic Christ the Redeemer stature atop Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca National Park overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro. That photo was much, much better than this one I was able to source.

While it is obviously not the same, Servant’s logo does include some similar features including the icon on top of a mountain peak.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

  • R!WC Industry partner Mostra Coffee was recently featured in Locale Magazine as the place to go for coffee in Bankers Hill. “Whether you’re opting for a classic Americano or their signature Campfire Latte, there’s no better way to start your day in Bankers Hill.” Click to read the article.

  • Wallethub.com released their annual Best Coffee Cities in America list including 4 West coast locales in the Top 5, including San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Honolulu.* More on this list in the next newsletter.
    *I’m not arguing about Honolulu not part of the West Coast. It’s literally our furthest west coast!

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Roast! West Coast
R!WC Archive
The Original Show! The Roast! West Coast podcast introduces you to the premier coffee roasters, coffee experts and coffee innovators on the West Coast. Author, entrepreneur, and host Ryan Woldt interviews guests to bring you their origin stories, thoughts on the community of coffee, and coffee education.