Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Quincy Henry, co-founder and CEO of Campfire Coffee, located in Tacoma, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We're the only open flame wood fire coffee roaster in the country. We're veteran, woman and minority owned and our big mission is to inspire people - especially families from underrepresented backgrounds - into the outdoors.

We're lucky to have customers all over the world as we have a coffee shop in Downtown Tacoma, an online store, and our coffee is available through retailers around the US.

Tell us about yourself

We got started out of necessity. We got into coffee with literally no experience in the industry but with a passion for our mission. We're big outdoorsy people, and we love having our coffee on camping trips. So when I was unexpectedly let go from my marketing agency job in 2018 and Whitni was injured at her job just a couple of months later, we set out to create a company that was wholly and entirely reflective of who we are, who we want to be and the impact we'd want to have in our community. Even though we are a unique roaster, we really don't dive into the science-y technical aspects of 3rd wave coffee roasters. It's the art of coffee, coffee roasting, and making outdoor recreation cool that really drives us each day. It's so fun getting to do something we enjoy.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Being that we started right at the start of the pandemic (March 2020), I think our biggest accomplishment is staying alive and thriving. Everything that has happened to us and because of us since then doesn't happen if not for having a truly amazing community base that supports us.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Time and tasks. I'm at the point in my career, and Campfire is at the point of its growth where I need to focus on leadership 100% of the time, and Campfire needs that. But oftentimes, as the owner, you're roped into tasks that fall into the "this needs to be done right now" category as opposed to doing the work that will help set the company up for long-term success. But that's also the fun part of it. My entire life, I've been a jack of all trades, master of none, and owning a business, you have no choice but to be a jack of all trades. The trade-off there is that you become really good at a lot of things but maybe not great at the one thing you need to be great at.

For example, I love being behind the bar firing up lattes. I'd like to think I'm pretty good at it, but at the same time, we have fantastic baristas that are just as good if not better than I, and my time really should be spent charting a path forward for the entire organization. I'd like to think I'm a pretty solid coffee roaster as well, but instead of being the one firing the drums, I should spend time sourcing outstanding coffee, sourcing the best woods I can find, and making sure that we're a sustainable roasting operation.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. It's always true, but it's never been any more true than this current moment in time that history is made by those not afraid to break the rules. The pandemic has unleashed opportunities for innovation that we haven't seen before, so seize this moment and be great.
  2. Understand that the utility of your existence as a business goes beyond showing up and making money. We're also in a moment in our history where humanity needs more empathy, compassion, and altruism. Businesses are nothing without people. No matter where you turn, that's the true engine behind any business so take care of your people. Take care of your community. They will take care of you.
  3. This is really a 2-fer. Don't confuse business management with entrepreneurship, and don't make an ally an enemy because you can't see the war from the battlefield.

What all that ultimately means is this, there is a lot of information about how to run a business but what is hardly ever mentioned is that this information is USUALLY conceived with the idea that your concept or business is in a more mature state beyond the startup phase. Even MBA programs, for all their worth, are training individuals to be just that - business administrators. That information is valuable and useful, but an entrepreneur has to have the ability to see what others do not. Entrepreneurs have to have the ability to turn conventional wisdom on its head and ask why not? They have to be able to lead with that vision and bring in people who can get on board with that vision and put in the groundwork to make it happen. Which leads me to the ally/enemy part of all this. As a business owner, you fight a number of battles. Internal battles within your own teams and infrastructure, external battles with the general public or competitors. But the trick is understanding the value everyone, and every situation can bring your organization in moving closer to its mission/vision. If you're married to a vision and belief in it, you'll notice that people or things that may normally be seen as an enemy as actually an ally in the long run.

A great example of this is back when Microsoft made its OS available for Mac users. I remembered years ago; I worked at a restaurant that used to cater at Microsoft quite a bit, and one of the groups we often catered for was the Mac group. It was a massive team, and on first blush, I was immensely surprised that these two companies that essentially were competitors found a way to work together. But after a few casual conversations with members of the Mac team at Microsoft over plates of BBQ (I worked at a BBQ joint), I understood how much sense it made that they actually worked together. They were able to separate the war from the battlefield, and these would-be enemies were immense allies to each other's programs.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Always be in a state of learning. Stay curious about everything. As someone who became an "expert" through Ph.D. studies, I can say confidently that the real value of learning isn't to become an expert at anything, and the real expertise is in continuing to learn.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.welovecampfire.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welovecampfire
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/welovecampfire
Twitter: https://twitter.com/welovecampfire
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quincyhenry/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.