Wanderlust Coffee is easily Atlanta’s best cold brew. It’s super refreshing and very easy to drink. I’m actually drinking some as I write this and it’s keeping my creative energy flowing. I talked with Alden the creator of this awesome beverage to get a little bit of background on the idea. Alden wanted to expand the coffee culture in Atlanta. He had traveled to other areas like Chicago and thought we could use more coffee love here in the south. The main focus for Wanderlust as of now is the cold brew black coffee, but he is thinking of adding some more options in the near future.
Find out more about Alden & Wanderlust Coffee in the Interview below.
1) What motivates you to wake up in the morning?
I have wanted to get into the coffee industry for years, so I really enjoy what I do, and to finally realize some of my objectives culminating from years of contemplation and planning is pretty exciting. We’ve only been selling for about 8 months, so every day provides new opportunities and challenges, and the whole experience is a lot of fun.
2) What has been the most challenging part of creating your business so far?
3) What is the most rewarding part of your business and what is something you loath doing?
I love selling coffee at events. It provides a great opportunity to meet people, make new connections, and talk to people that share a love of quality coffee. On the flip side, preparing for the events, setting up, and breaking down are…less enjoyable; these inefficiencies are something we’re working on improving for 2015, especially as we look to start getting out more.
4) Who are 2 people that inspire you and why?
I follow Seth Godin’s blog, and would recommend it to any small business owner. He always seems to be right on point at all the right times. I’m also constantly inspired and motivated by my entrepreneurial friends; it is hugely beneficial to have a network of people that you can go to for advice/guidance/general motivation that share similar goals and experiences.
5) What is your one piece of advice for readers who want to get started on their own project / business?
Plan adequately, and go for it. It’s so easy to paralyze yourself worrying about all of the ways in which you could fail, and it takes work to get out of your comfort zone. Do the work and take the risk.
6) Shameless plug – what makes your brand great?
I spent a lot of time before launching finding a brew that I was happy enough with to sell, and I think the result is a great cold brew, using only organic and fair trade coffee. We’ve got a lot of exciting things in the works for 2015, including sourcing our coffee more locally, and a couple new products, so I’m looking forward to our coffee only improving from here.
Follow Wanderlust Coffee Co. on Facebook – Instagram & Twitter: @WanderlustATL
Face to Face ATL is a bi-weekly blog series of interviews with local small business owners and project founders. Find out where the ideas started and what motivates these empowering individuals. If you know someone that would be a good fit for this blog please email Joy@Joyelan.com