A List of Questions I Get ALLLLL The Time.

Over the past 2.5, almost 3 years, I've had a lot of people ask questions. The topics vary over time considering what I'm posting about, how much they already know about me, or if they want to try to sell me something.

So, I figured since I haven't run a newsletter in quite some time, let's hit up all the questions here and discuss.

Let's call this, Q&A #1.

Hold on to your britches.

Why did you choose coffee?

I chose coffee for two main reasons: First, I wanted to choose something other than alcohol. You might not be aware of this, but the military has an alcohol problem. So does the veteran community. So, I wanted to do something that I thought was healthier.

Also- as part of the first reason - everything you do in the corporate world is tied to coffee. Coffee breaks, interviews, meetings, and conferences all have coffee surrounding them.

The second reason is because I identified a gap in the market. While there is a big fish out there that is truly the largest veteran-founded coffee company, there isn't another one directly competing with them. And - I wanted to build that around the idea of support and the support side of the military, instead of Special Operations. Crazy, right?

Are you stupid? Don't you know coffee is a saturated market?

It sure is. Oh wait - it's not. Not really. If you know anything about coffee, you know that the market segment in the United States ALONE is huge. We are talking billions of dollars. But, I already know what you're going to say next. You're going to say that the world doesn't NEED another "military-themed" coffee company.

Let me ask you this? Why was Liquid Death so successful? It's just water, right? Do we really NEED another water company?

The coffee market is huge. I believe that there are customers out there who align with the values of Aerial Resupply Coffee and want another choice in the same room as the largest veteran-found company out there. So that's why I'm here.

Where do you source your coffee beans from?

Aerial Resupply sources its coffee from a variety of coffee-producing companies. Most notably, Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, and Tanzania. While not all of these coffees are available as roasts, these are the origins of any of your favorite roasts or blends from Aerial Resupply Coffee.

Now - how does it arrive from these countries to the roastery in Charlottesville, VA? I purchase all of my coffee through several importers that focus on sustainable aspects of the entire coffee buying experience. From the ethical treatment of farm works to the cleanliness and chemical-free nature of all of the coffee, the suppliers I work with prioritize only sourcing from these reputable farms.

How did you build your website?

A hope and a dream. Actually, I learned how to do it on YouTube. Facts.

It's not really that hard when you think about it. And there are plenty of free website builders out there that will help you get started. Or you can always hire someone on Fiverr (or dare I say, LinkedIn) who will build out your website.

But you can do it in about a day if you have the drive. And that costs you nothing but the platform fee.

Oh - and research domain names before you settle in on a name for your company. Thank me later.

Where did you learn how to roast coffee?

Again - Youtube and a small bullet roaster that I bought second-hand off of the Facebook marketplace. You'd be surprised what you can do with motivation and time. It's a lot like Andy in Shawshank Redemption. If you have the time and the patience, you can learn anything.

I just chose to roast coffee.

Do you roast your own coffee?

Every single coffee bean or cherry is roasted in the Aerial Resupply Coffee roaster here in Charlottesville, VA. So, yes, I roast my own coffee. It's fun.

There are too many of you "military coffee companies". How do you think you'll be successful?

How many do you know of, right now? Don't cheat and google it. How many can you think of?

If it's more than 5, give yourself a pat on the back. But let me then ask you this: How many beer companies can you name? Or BBQ? Or anything, really?

It's a lot less than you think. And it's even fewer when you realize how many actually move forward and grow.

As to how I'm going to be successful? Well, I'm here after 3 years and growing. Aerial Resupply Coffee is already sold in places that I would have only dreamed about 3 years ago. So, I'd say whatever I'm doing is the right answer.

How did you do this all on your own?

I'm a sucker for punishment. Actually, I don't think any of this is particularly hard. I do think it's a lot of work that people simply either don't understand or don't want to take the time to understand it.

The reality is that you can build a business simply by putting up a lemonade stand. But if you want that stand to be larger than you and a pot of lemonade, where are you going to source it from? That's a start.

How are you going to sell it? How are you going to transact? Those are questions you need to know the answer to.

Did you win the lottery or something? Where did you get the money to do this?

I bootstrapped this starting with $500. My philosophy was that I wanted to see if it was even a worthwhile Idea before I put any real effort into it. And what has grown from $500 is what you see today. You don't need $$ to get started. You need initiative and determination.

$$ can help you get there faster, but it won't teach you the things you might need to know.

Do you even like coffee?

I didn't at first. 14 years ago, I hated it. You and I can thank the Army for making me even drink it in the first place. Too many field rotations with no caffeine made me yearn for something. So, I did what any respectable Soldier would do, I choked down Army coffee.

Was it gross? Yes. Did it work? Also yes. But I did it.

What does your wife think about The Hammer?

Her latest words: "No comment"

If that doesn't sum it up, I don't know what does.

Closing words

Look, I know for a fact that I am delinquent in this newsletter. I'm sorry about that. If you have any questions you'd like for me to answer that I didn't answer here, send them to me via DM or to my email at info@aerialresupplycoffee.com

And, I would be remiss if I didn't ask you to do the following:

1. Subscribe to this newsletter
2. Subscribe to my Youtube (please)
3. Subscribe to the Aerial Resupply Coffee newsletter
4. Laugh.

Life is too short not to laugh.

Thank you for all that you do and stay caffeinated.

Mike