In this episode, Jackie from Virgo Rising Coffee shares her journey in the coffee industry, her mission to build an eco-friendly and vegan-friendly business, the challenges of starting a coffee business, innovative coffee trends, collaboration with local bakeries, and plans for expansion and collaboration with a coffee roaster. The conversation covers the challenges of outdoor events, business flexibility, overcoming overwhelm, social media marketing, engaging content, the power of social media for business growth, diverse social media content, promoting small businesses, unique drink creations, customer engagement, coffee preferences, and closing thoughts with event information.

Takeaways

• Passion for eco-friendly and vegan-friendly coffee business
• Challenges and lessons in starting a coffee business Flexibility is key for outdoor events
• Engaging social media content drives customer engagement and business growth

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Virgo Rising Coffee and Jackie's mission

01:10 - The origin of the name Virgo Rising and branding inspiration

02:21 - Eco-friendly practices: compostable cups, vegan ingredients, and local sourcing

03:42 - Customer reactions to vegan and non-dairy milk options

04:56 - Jackie's journey from Starbucks to coffee entrepreneur

06:53 - Farmers markets, private events, and future storefront plans

08:49 - Business setup: costs, regulations, and lessons learned

11:02 - Collaborating with local roasters and sharing spaces to reduce costs

12:16 - Menu innovation: house-made syrups, seasonal drinks, and trending trends

13:42 - Creativity inspired by local bakeries and bakery collaborations

19:53 - Customer favorites: vegan custard drinks and Midnight Chant

23:03 - Coffee preferences and tasting black coffee notes

24:43 - Future expansion ideas and ongoing goals for Virgo Rising

25:02 - Funding hurdles and small business loans

26:49 - The flexibility of mobile and event-based coffee service

28:43 - Using social media for marketing and community engagement

36:26 - Jackie's tips for new coffee entrepreneurs and staying inspired

Resources & Links:

Sun and Moon Coffee Roasting

• Virgo Rising Coffee Website
• Nostalgia Bakery
• Flower Bender Bakery Troy
• Brutus Roasting
• Social Media: Virgo Rising Coffee on Instagram
• YouTube Channel - Virgo Rising Coffee

Connect with Jackie:

• Instagram
• YouTube
• Website

Tune in next time for more stories and insights from coffee industry pioneers!