We were lucky to catch up with Timothy Shockley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Timothy , thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Dream Muscle Coffee was a great idea at best… I love to tell folks, a great idea inspired from creative intuition; that’s what most entrepreneurs and creatives don’t really understand; sometimes you have to let the creative ideas develop and that was the case with Dream Muscle Coffee, it came to me.

This particular business idea was generated from a good friendship I had in college.

This friend owned a local coffee shop and needed to store some beans and equipment in my gym space. He disappeared. He left me with equipment and 300 pounds of coffee beans. He never came back to pick up his stuff up.

Now, let me tell you, I had a pallet of coffee beans sitting in the middle of my gym, I couldn’t move it – 300 pounds of beans!

I’m like what am I’m supposed to do with this stuff?

It all started one cold morning in 2016 at 5am as I was heading to my gym. I had two cups in my hand and one cup holder in my truck. I had a cup of protein and a cup of coffee. It was the most overwhelming feeling, trying to drive with two coffee cups in my hand. How many of you can relate?

However, this particular morning an idea overwhelmed my mind, this was the idea, “Why don’t you combine protein and coffee together in one cup?” It was an idea I had exaggerated in my mind as a source of inspiration. I was so inspired by the idea that I had contemplated canceling my clients at my gym for the day so I could begin researching the concept. Every chance I had I was researching the idea of coffee and protein; and the obsession continued for weeks and months.

After multiple attempts, I stumbled upon a recipe that changed my life. Except, I didn’t know what I had done; I knew the taste was good and the ingredients were clean and natural. So I had to retrace my steps so I could write down the measurements and ingredients to repeat the process. I recounted my steps; fine- tuned the measurements and the rest was history.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into the coffee industry through a friend and it’s been one of the best experiences. I’ve enjoyed every moment of my journey in the coffee industry and I’m excited to evolve with this brand. As a former athlete, I knew what it took to be successful and to compete. I found that same passion and drive in coffee. I’m appreciative for every moment and I give thanks daily for this incredible gift. I love coffee and enjoy coffee. I love touring new coffee shops and learning about new drink concepts. It really lights my fire and I’m most proud of my commitment to build the brand in a way that doesn’t compromise my values of health and taste. Not knowing everything, not knowing the standards at the beginning, and not knowing coffee etiquette led to doing what felt and tasted good. This drink is like a treasure found on that journey of wellness and taste.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Yes, I’ve made a lot of pivots in business throughout my journey. The biggest pivot was making the transition from a brick-and-mortar coffee business to an online brand. In this transition, I realized that this company’s greatest asset was Protein Coffee (Ready to Drink). Focusing on this particular beverage allowed me to give more attention to detail and focus on brand awareness and efficiency.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients for me has been people who’ve never had coffee, those who are not regular coffee drinkers, and the traditional sipper. The functional aspect of the drink appeals to athletes, stay-at-home moms-really so many to mention. Word-of-mouth has been huge with the product. People know what they like. When they like something, that news travels fast. Organic reach has been tremendous.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: timothyshockleyjr