Episode 135: Jim and Crystal Whitmarsh of Trail Creek Coffee Roasters

This week on the podcast we sit down with husband and wife team of Crystal and Jim Whitmarsh, owners of Trail Creek Coffee Roasters. Trail Creek Coffee Roasters is a small business that started out of a garage and has recently transitioned into a shared commercial space in downtown Kasson. The business aims to provide small batch specialty coffee roasts and has a passion for connection, community, and global impact.

On the podcast today, we chat about:
• The value Jim and Crystal found in working with the local organization Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA).
• How the pair took advantage of Minnesota’s Cottage Food Exemption act to sell their product for several years and build up a customer base before pursuing a commercial space.
• How the pair was set up on a blind date over 15 years ago during college and spent much of their early relationship in a coffee shop, which fueled their dreams to one day own their own coffee business.
• How Jim taught himself to roast coffee with online videos and a vintage popcorn machine.
• The transition to being “all in” in the business.
• The need to budget more time and money than expected when building out commercial space.
• The value of growing a business in a sustainable manner.
• How they’re dealing with fear of failure.

Links from the podcast today:
Trail Creek Coffee Roasters
Website: https://www.trailcreekcoffeeroasters.com/
Facebook: @trailcreekcoffee
Instagram: @trailcreekcoffeeroasters

Investors and Innovators Forum
Website: https://web.cvent.com/event/43b7a103-156f-4fc9-b9c9-4038d10e17fe/summary

Odd News by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/

This week on the podcast we sit down with husband and wife team of Crystal and Jim Whitmarsh, owners of Trail Creek Coffee Roasters. Trail Creek Coffee Roasters is a small business that started out of a garage and has recently transitioned into a shared commercial space in downtown Kasson. The business aims to provide small batch specialty coffee roasts and has a passion for connection, community, and global impact.

On the podcast today, we chat about:

·       The value Jim and Crystal found in working with the local organization Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA).

·       How the pair took advantage of Minnesota’s Cottage Food Exemption act to sell their product for several years and build up a customer base before pursuing a commercial space.

·       How the pair was set up on a blind date over 15 years ago during college and spent much of their early relationship in a coffee shop, which fueled their dreams to one day own their own coffee business.

·       How Jim taught himself to roast coffee with online videos and a vintage popcorn machine.

·       The transition to being “all in” in the business.

·       The need to budget more time and money than expected when building out commercial space.

·       The value of growing a business in a sustainable manner.

·       How they’re dealing with fear of failure.

Links from the podcast today:

Trail Creek Coffee Roasters

Website: https://www.trailcreekcoffeeroasters.com/

Facebook: @trailcreekcoffee

Instagram: @trailcreekcoffeeroasters

Investors and Innovators Forum

Website: https://web.cvent.com/event/43b7a103-156f-4fc9-b9c9-4038d10e17fe/summary

Odd News by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/