We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Melissa Green a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Melissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
Starting a business was a risky move, but we were determined to make it work. We knew that we could keep our overhead low by operating primarily online, but we still had a lot to learn about running a business.
In our first year, we focused on building our community with military spouses. We did this by attending vending events, selling coffee, and connecting with people on a personal level. Our efforts paid off, and we quickly built a strong following.
Our success with Southern, Sweet & Sassy®️ Coffee gave us the confidence to launch a second brand, Rise Above Coffee®️, aimed at the LGBTQ+ community. This was a calculated risk, but we knew that there was a big market for this type of coffee. We also wanted to use our platform to support a cause that we believe in.
We’ve had our share of challenges along the way. We’ve been self-funded since the beginning, and it’s been tough to raise outside capital. We also faced a setback when the founder was unexpectedly laid off during the Military Influencer Conference. This forced her to take some time off from work, which put a strain on our finances.
Despite the challenges, we’ve made a lot of progress. We’re now in a good financial position, and we’re planning to launch a mobile coffee trailer in the latter half of 2024. We’re excited about the future, and we’re grateful for the support of our community.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Coffee That Inspires Change!
My name is Melissa Green. I am the Founder & CEO of Grounds4Cause. We take pride in providing delicious coffee, but also in being a coffee company that gives back to the LGBTQ+ and Military Family communities.
As a USN Veteran and Military Spouse, I understand the importance of #community and #connection. I believe that something as simple as sharing a cup of coffee can bring people together and create an opportunity for empathy and understanding.
In January 2021, Southern, Sweet & Sassy®️ Coffee with focus on supporting the military family community. The overwhelming response and support we received inspired me to take it a step further and create a brand that supports the LGBTQ+ community as well.
In January 2022, I founded Rise Above Coffee®️, a company fully dedicated to raising awareness and generating support for LGBTQ+ causes. Both S3 Coffee Co and Rise Above Coffee®️ are built around our #coffeeforacause initiative. Each year, we carefully choose 12 LGBTQ+ and military family-focused nonprofits to spotlight. Each month, we feature one nonprofit from each community and donate a percentage of our monthly sales directly to their cause.
At Grounds4Cause, we strive to be a brand where everyone feels safe, welcomed, and loved for who they are. We offer more than just a great cup of coffee, we provide community and support. We want to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all.
We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.
I sell my products on my own website using Shopify. I chose to do this for a few reasons. First, I wanted to have complete control over my brand and my customer experience. I wanted to be able to customize my website to my liking and offer the kind of customer service that I would want to receive as a shopper.
Second, I wanted to build my own customer list. When you sell on a marketplace like Amazon or Etsy, you’re essentially renting space on someone else’s platform. This means that you don’t have access to your own customer data, which can make it difficult to market to your customers and grow your business.
Third, I wanted to avoid the high fees that marketplaces charge. Amazon and Etsy both take a percentage of each sale, which can eat into your profits. With Shopify, you only have to pay a monthly fee and a transaction fee, which is much more affordable.
Of course, there are also some pros and cons to selling on your own website. One of the biggest pros is that you have complete control over your brand and your customer experience. You can also build your own customer list and avoid the high fees that marketplaces charge.
However, there are also some challenges to selling on your own website. You need to be prepared to invest in marketing and customer service. You also need to make sure that your website is secure and that it’s optimized for search engines.
Overall, I’m happy with my decision to sell on my own website using Shopify. It’s given me the freedom to build my own brand and grow my business in the way that I want.
Here are some additional pros and cons of selling on your own website or using a marketplace:
Selling on your own website
Pros:
Complete control over your brand and your customer experience
Build your own customer list
Avoid high marketplace fees
Cons:
Requires more investment in marketing and customer service
Need to make sure your website is secure and optimized for search engines
Using a marketplace
Pros:
Get access to a large audience of potential customers
Marketplaces handle the marketing and customer service for you
Lower fees than selling on your own website
Cons:
Less control over your brand and your customer experience
Marketplaces take a percentage of each sale
You’re competing with other sellers on the marketplace
The best choice for you will depend on your specific business and your goals. If you’re just starting out and you don’t have a lot of money to invest, a marketplace may be a good option. But if you’re serious about building your own brand and growing your business, selling on your own website is the way to go.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I first started building Southern, Sweet & Sassy®️ Coffee, and Rise Above Coffee®️, I wanted to merge them both on one website. I called it Badass Coffee Causes, and it worked well for a year. I didn’t think much of it, since it wasn’t my brand per se, but more of a marketing platform to promote both lines of coffee that support nonprofits through our sales.
Eventually, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii contacted a lawyer who sent us a cease and desist letter. We didn’t have the money to fight it, so we decided to change the name of our website to Grounds4Cause. It makes more sense, rolls off the tongue better, and is more easily understood than the previous name.
It was a pain to have to change all of our business cards, brochures, and other marketing materials, but we’re small enough that we were able to handle it. We’re still a small company, but we’re growing, and we’re excited about the future.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://grounds4cause.com
- Instagram: @s3coffeeco & @riseabovecoffee
- Facebook: @s3coffeeco & @riseabovecoffee
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southern-sweet-sassy/ | https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/rise-above-coffee | https://www.linkedin.com/company/grounds4cause
- Other: Spouse-ly https://spouse-ly.com/store/grounds4cause Retail Therapy AZ https://retailtherapyaz.com/