We were lucky to catch up with Jeff Dodd recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jeff, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I’ve always had a love for movies. As a kid, I wanted to be a director, but as I grew up, I decided I didn’t want to move to Hollywood and be away from my family. I was also introduced to coffee at a young age (my grandmother used to make it for me with about 75% milk and sugar and 25% coffee). I’ve always dreamed of founding my own business and decided to create something that married two of my passions in life – film and coffee. I pictured a clapperboard with a cup of coffee as our logo. My vision is for our coffee to be simple, yet bold with a focus on the coffee bean above all else. Pair a cup with your favorite movie, and you are in for a thrilling experience.

Jeff, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve been working in the corporate world since I was sixteen. The skills I’ve learned have been invaluable. Customer service, time management, and cost analysis are just a few of the things that I have conquered over the years. In addition to my day job, I decided I wanted to be my own boss and learn the ins and outs of owning a business. I drafted a business plan, crunched the numbers, and found a local farmers market to showcase my coffee. My main focus was perfecting drip coffee. I wanted to utilize a local coffee roaster to bring freshly roasted, ground, and brewed coffee to those in need of a cup. I had a lot of folks asking me if they could buy a package of coffee which motivated me so I recently began roasting and packaging my own. I am most proud of the fact that I was able to pivot into coffee roasting. Although this was not part of my initial vision, I saw the need for freshly roasted coffee and decided to learn and master this skill.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My business partner is my wife Kelly Gonzales-Dodd who is also an entrepreneur. Kelly and I met in the summer of 2022. We clicked immediately, were engaged the following summer, married a year later, and just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. One of the first things I remember Kelly telling me was that she was a renaissance woman. This hit me pretty hard as my late grandmother used to call me a renaissance man. Kelly and her family educated me on how to start a business, research trends, and stay competitive in the marketplace. I always do my best to prepare as much as possible whenever it comes to making any crucial business decisions.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

The beauty of coffee is that the profit margin can be substantial if you play your cards right. I did a ton of research before starting my business. This included following other mobile coffee business owners on YouTube, purchasing an e-book with details on equipment, cost, pricing, and strategy. I also attended a coffee school and earned a certificate in barista training. I researched events and local farmers markets to find the right place for me to serve the community. I saved enough money to open a business checking account and business credit card to help establish my business’s credit. I am still in phase 1 of my business. As I gain more capital, I plan to reinvest in my business and enter phase 2. Stay tuned!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.finalcutcoffee.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finalcutcoffeenj/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FinalCutCoffee
• Twitter: https://x.com/finalcutcoffee