Sharing stories and adventures about all things coffee, stories, and stoke
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Reflections
Marketing is very interesting. On a daily basis we're bombarded with images, sound bites, videos, and appeals all trying to woo us over to buy something, watch something, listen to something, try something, taste something, and experience something. You can't even watch a 15 second Youtube clip without an annoying forced-upon-us 23 second ad. We're simply accustomed to it. We might even think that we're immune to it ... but we're not.
This past year has found me reading a lot more books on epic and perilous journeys than normal. This ranges from the first Americans to establish a permanent outpost and colony on the west coast (in Astoria, Oregon) in the early 19th century to the unimaginable journey of the 16th century Spaniard Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca who wondered across the American Southwest after he escaped capture (multiple times). There is something that draws me deeply into these stories of painful struggle, sheer willpower to combat inclement weather and circumstances, daily battles with starvation, lostness, and so much more. I often wonder, as I sit in the comfort of my living room in front of the crazy fire, what compels these intrepid souls to leave comfort behind and attempt the impossible?
Let's admit it ... there's nothing better than a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning on a cold wintery day, right? The fire is crackling, your fuzzy slippers feel oh so comfortable, your dog is sprawled out on the floor in front of the fire too intoxicated by the heat to even look up at as you walk by, and with coffee in hand you make your way over to the window. Yep, still cold and drizzly. No bother because the smell of the Guatemalan coffee your brewed is wafting up your nostrils.
There are radically different theories or approaches when it comes to brewing coffee. Heck, these completely diverse ways of thinking reflect a deeper philosophical approach to life. Not to try to play armchair psychologist here, but how you brew your coffee reflects much about who you really are. So what are those approaches? Let's tease this out, because it also reflects what kind of mountain biker you are too (doh!). Ready?
In Portland we have a magical wonderland called the "bargain basement" at Next Adventure. It is a whole treasure trove of used outdoor adventure goods. Your city has them too. Need new snowboard boots for the season? How about dropping $40 on a pair of last year's rentals? Did you blow out your MTB shoes? There's a pair of Five Ten Kestrel shoes (barely used) for $55. Need base layers for winter riding? Covered. Goggles? Yep. Mountaineering boots? Plenty.
Sometimes I forget we're in the coffee industry. In my mind we're in the bike industry. Odd admission. What I mean is this. When I started Loam Coffee I was mentally coming from the vantage point of a mountain biker, former mountain biking guide, and immersed in the mountain biking culture. As a result, I viewed ourselves from the very beginning like a bike or component company ... a RaceFace, Pivot, Maxxis, Shimano, etc.
