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Encore Presentation from September 2021 -
Luke Schneider is the Founder and CEO of Fire Dept. Coffee. Inspired by the vital role coffee plays in helping firefighters stay alert and energized through long shifts, Luke founded Fire Dept. coffee with the goal of serving firefighters everywhere with great tasting coffee. He is a full-time firefighter, paramedic, and US Navy veteran.
Jason Patton is the Vice President of Fire Dept. Coffee. Like Luke, he is a firefighter and paramedic. He is also the creator and host of Fire Department Chronicles. As a certified National Veteran-Owned Business Association coffee roaster, Fire Dept. Coffee supports heroes in need through the Fire Department Coffee Foundation. They donate 10% of net proceeds to help provide essential resources and assistance to first responders who have been injured on the job mentally or physically, or who are facing other serious health challenges.
How Jason Patton and Luke Schneider met and how they came up with the idea for Fire Dept. Coffee
How being flexible firefighters impacted the launch of Fire Dept. Coffee
Luke explains how he got started with coffee roasting and why he turned it into a business
Why Fire Dept. Coffee's products are sold via e-commerce
Luke and Jason explain how they handled production and fulfillment when they started, where they source their coffee beans, and the different flavors they sell
Was there a business plan for Fire Dept. Coffee at first?
The benefits of proving the validity of products through e-commerce before venturing into retail stores
Fire Dept. Coffee's fulfillment strategies as business expanded
How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the company's sales and business processes
Luke and Jason talk about their target customers, their future plans for the company, their work as firefighters, and their team of fellow firefighters
Luke and Jason's advice for fellow entrepreneurs and their favorite fire department shows
With entrepreneurship, regular folks can discover solutions to the challenges people face every day. However, to be a successful entrepreneur, you don't always need to be business savvy when you start your venture. According to Luke Schneider and Jason Patton from Fire Dept. Coffee, you can learn these skills as you slowly grow your business.
When Luke and Jason went into the coffee roasting business, they had no background in business — so they had to learn as they went. They didn't have a business plan or strategy in place, but they learned how to build an e-commerce business on their own. Within just a few months, they outgrew their first location as demand for their products grew.
In this episode of the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast, Steve Cleere is joined by Luke Schneider, the Founder and CEO of Fire Dept. Coffee, and Jason Patton, the Vice President of Fire Dept. Coffee, to talk about building a roasted coffee business run by firefighters. Luke and Jason explain how the business was started, share their fulfillment strategies, and talk about the benefits of proving the validity of products through e-commerce before jumping into retail. Stay tuned.
Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth.
Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow.
Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands.
Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.
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