We were lucky to catch up with Jocelyn Cosley recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jocelyn, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I have always loved coffee and was a barista when I was in college. My dad has been in the coffee industry for over 25 years so I have been around coffee the majority of my life. In 2014 I got an incredible opportunity to go to Nicaragua with my dad and stay on a coffee farm. The family that hosted us were incredible and I instantly felt a connection with them. We worked with a nonprofit organization called Seeds for Progress who improves access to high-quality education, a basic human right that contributes to social development and sustainable economic growth by creating opportunities to advance the quality of life for students, teachers and their families in rural coffee communities. This whole experience was incredibly life changing and gave me a brand new perspective on coffee. After that trip I definitely wanted to do more in the coffee industry but I wasn’t sure what that was until life changed for me when I had my kid. In 2020 when Covid-19 hit I was in the restaurant industry. When everything shut down I didn’t have a job for a few months. My dad works for a green coffee importer and with a lot of time on our hands we thought together we could blend and roast a coffee for family and friends. We named the roast after my grandpa and ended up donating some to hospitals. I thoroughly enjoyed doing this and decided I wanted to fully learn how to roast. When restaurants re-opened I went back for a short time, but eventually decided I had found a passion in roasting and wanted to do it full time as my own coffee brand/business.
It has always been a priority for me to make sure that I tell the stories of the farmers where the coffee comes from. There is so much that goes into getting that coffee to the cup you’re drinking in the morning. That can get so lost in translation and I hope to convey the labor and love that is put into coffee at every step.
The coffee farmers are really the inspiration for me. I had the chance to speak over zoom with a women’s’ co-op in Rwanda and something they said will always stick with me. When asked what they want their customers to know, they told me “short of coming to see me and visit me, if they can express how back breakingly hard (emotionally, physically, psychologically) work it is to grow coffee. Because it is only then can they appreciate the toil of this incredible product and how it gets to them.” They also said secondary to growing the best coffee in the world, their dream is to make it known that the farmer is a force to be reckoned with. They want to be farmers that are recognized, acknowledged and seen.
I am dedicated to roasting ridiculously good coffee that is socially conscious and community impactful. I am committed to supporting women coffee farmers and making coffee a sustainable and equitable industry for all. My hope is for people to enjoy my coffee and the amount of heart that goes into each step from plant to mug.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I answered a lot of this in the previous question in terms of how I got started and a bit about me.
There are a few things I am proud of when it comes to my business. Starting the business was incredibly daunting and scary and I am really proud of myself for taking the leap and giving it a shot. I also know I was incredibly lucky and privileged to have the support I did and still do. Imposter syndrome is something I deal with quite often and I know I am not alone in that. Being my own confidence booster can be really hard. I have to remind myself of the bigger picture at times. I started my own business at the beginning of Covid-19. I am continuously learning about coffee which is never ending. I constantly have to put myself out there which is very outside my comfort zone. I had to learn more about selling, website construction and maintenance, marketing, finance, business taxes and more.
I am most proud of sticking to my core values and making sure that is a huge part of my brand/business. I think my business is somewhat of a reflection of who I am. Being community oriented and socially conscious are a huge priority to me and I feel I have shown that through my business.
I decided from the beginning part of my business would be to give back to communities. As part of supporting the community, Jocelyn Coffee Roasting donates a portion of proceeds each month to organizations supporting BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ communities. A different organization is chosen each month and announced on social media. My hope is one day this world can be a safe place for all communities of people.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I worked in the restaurant industry for about 15 years and something that has always been ingrained in me is “the customer is always right.” While I understand the intent behind this mentality in having good customer service, I think the impact can be people taking advantage and mistreating service people. Having boundaries is always a good thing. I want to create a good product that people love and I want to create great relationships with customers while also protecting myself and sticking to my values.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source for new clients for me has been markets. I started doing makers markets and farmers markets a couple years ago and continue to do them when I can. I have been able to get recurring customers through these markets while also networking with people who may be interested in wholesale. Markets have been a great way for me to meet people in the community and build relationships with other small business owners.
Contact Info:
- Website: jcoffeeroasting.com
- Instagram: @jcoffeeroasting
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jcoffeeroasting
Image Credits
Casey Cosley