Hey crew, this is Sean, founder and owner of Loam Coffee Roasters. Yesterday, I posted the question on social media, “What makes Loam unique?” I’m excited to share a bit more about this brand and, more importantly, why this matters to you.
As I’ve been documenting since reacquiring Loam a little over a year ago, I’ve committed to being more transparent with you. Before I had previously sold Loam four years ago, there were a lot of parts of the Loam brand that I wasn’t upfront about. No, I’m not talking about shady business practices or anything scandalous. Instead, I wasn’t transparent and often found myself hiding behind the brand.
It’s odd to admit this now, but much of it involved insecurity and imposter syndrome, which many of us internally wrestle with. As a result, I feel like, at times, I gave off the impression that Loam was something it maybe wasn’t.
Over the past 12-14 months, I’ve been constantly tweaking things behind the scenes and, ultimately, like renovating the house, tearing everything down to the skeletal framework of the house. There’s no drywall, just the studs remaining. In the process, I revamped where and how I do roasting and at what scale. I’ve cleared out our catalog of beans and brought in all new kinds, shifting to naturally-processed coffees with brighter and more fruity profiles.
Another part that I’m also changing is being more upfront with our mission. Before I sold Loam, I didn’t share much about my intentions for this brand to lean more into its social enterprise identity. What is a social enterprise? “A social enterprise is a business with social objectives. Maximizing profits is not the primary goal of a social enterprise as is with a traditional business.”
Now, I’m more upfront with this. Yes, I want Loam to continue to grow in profitability. That is essential. Businesses cannot exist without profit. However, that is not the end game. Ultimately, my dream for Loam is to build community among outdoor adventurers through roasting and selling coffee, hosting and catering events, and creating space to come together. We will leverage our assets and relationships within the outdoor adventure community to increase the economic opportunities and income of people in declining communities through setting up cafes, building trails, and cycling infrastructure, and incubating new businesses.
As a result, I’ve been house-hunting in southern Arizona with the intent to set up part of Loam in a small mining community experiencing economic and population decline. No, not to swoop in and save the day. Instead, to love, serve, and help create opportunities. My timeline continues to adjust as I juggle a lot with life in Portland. The long-term plan would be to go back and forth between both places. There’s still much to sort through.
It’s a bit scary sharing this, which I have done previously. Why? Because it puts me on the hook to make it happen. I am held accountable for my words. Sometimes, it can be easier not to be transparent.
So, what makes Loam Coffee Roasters unique? Sure, I could talk about our branding and marketing, our focus on natural coffees, and more. However, there are other similar brands out there with the same focus. As I shared yesterday, I applaud that. We’re family and in this together, not competitors.
This brand's differentiation comes down to its focus as a social enterprise and its slow march to making these dreams a reality.
I am humbled and appreciative of all of you who’ve been on this adventure with me, whether you hopped on in 2015 when I first launched Loam or those who joined in 2024. Your support of our coffee and products is key to making our social objectives a reality. Thank you.
