It was literally a year ago today that I was sitting in a coffee shop in Santa Barbara, California, with my journal and laptop open. Since I was on the coast, it seemed appropriate to listen to the Beach Fossils on Spotify. I sat there wide-eyed and excited. After selling Loam Coffee three years prior, it was mine again. I just got it back before hopping on a plane to attend a wedding in California. Now what?
While sitting and sipping a fabulous cup of coffee at Dune Coffee Roasters, I began to dream and then plan what I would do with Loam Coffee. While I had sold Loam previously, I was still involved in a small way from afar. But now, everything was on me … branding and marketing, and eventually sourcing green beans, roasting, etc. But I knew I had my work cut out for me.
The coffee world has changed a lot since I started Loam in 2015, and it changed even more in the three years I was out of ownership. Since then, even more coffee roasters have come onto the scene. The world of roasting keeps getting better. You can now find exceptional coffee almost everywhere you go.
Sitting there with my pen and journal, I kept thinking about what makes Loam unique or different. Are we different or the same as anyone else? Just this morning, I ran out of coffee at home. I had been drinking a variety of coffees from Loam I roasted this past week. I realized my stash was empty, but I still needed more coffee. I did what everyone else does … I went and bought a bag.
Luckily, we live a couple of blocks from Whole Foods. They always have a great variety of coffee from local roasters. I picked up a bag of Rwandan coffee from Trailhead Coffee Roasters. It is fantastic (I’m drinking it as I type this). Since there is excellent coffee all around, what makes Loam Coffee unique? These are the questions I’ve been thinking about over the past year.
My work over the last twelve months has focused on rebuilding and rebranding. Before I took over, we had lost a good amount of sales and social media followers. Just because I stepped back in doesn’t mean that sales would spike, nor should they. I had a lot of building to do. That’s what branding is all about. One of my favorite definitions of branding is “how someone feels about your company.” That gets back to what makes us different or unique.
With innumerable other options for coffee, why should anyone choose us? Why should you? Most often, we buy from brands that align with our values. Not only that, but these brands represent who we are. That ranges from clothing to bike brands to components to helmets and gear and so much more. As a result, when someone sees us riding an Esker, Yeti, or Specialized, it does convey a bit of who we are and what we represent, along with our clothing, helmets, etc.
You don’t simply want coffee, but a brand that aligns with who you are … mountain biker, gravel rider, bikepacker. That’s who we are. We also self-identify as a social enterprise, meaning we care about two bottom lines. Profitability is important for us. Why? So we can turn around and fund social good. I share more about that HERE.
I will continue leading Loam Coffee Roasters in sourcing and selling high-quality beans and apparel, telling stories, and sharing stoke. I couldn’t be more grateful for how this past year has gone. We now have so much momentum. It is exciting and humbling.
Thanks to everyone who’s been journeying with Loam Coffee, whether you hopped on board nearly nine years ago or last month. Thank you. There is no Loam Coffee without you.
