The Life Of An Entrepreneur

We recently caught up with owner Matt Argo to ask him about running a small business and balancing work and life. Earlier this year Access Ventures made an equity investment into Good Folks Coffee Company, a wholesale coffee roaster based in Louisville, Kentucky. Good Folks’ ships coffee to cafes, grocery stores, offices, restaurants and homes throughout the United States. They value relationships with people and put a great deal of care into selecting and roasting their coffees. They love roasting great coffee for Good Folks.

Why Start A Coffee Company?

“I grew up in Arkansas and spent 8 years in the Army National Guard after high school. I did a good amount of international travel during that time in the military (one tour in Iraq) as well as with my wife in Africa a few times. We spent 5 months in Tanzania before we moved to Louisville. During my time in the military and throughout our travels, we developed a love for coffee. We loved the social aspect as well as the economic impact it has in producing countries. I knew I wanted to start a business after my military contract was complete, and I loved to travel and work with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Coffee seemed to be a perfect fit.”

What Do You Love About It?

“I love that people enjoy the coffee we are roasting. The fact that people spend their hard earned money on our products is a big compliment and a great responsibility. After almost 6 years, I am continually learning about the coffee industry, business in general, and the people around me. Constant changes in the industry and business keep me interested in what I am doing and challenge me to work hard. I’m rarely isolated in my job, so I love that. I love the relationships that we’ve developed over the years, and I’m excited about new people that we will come in contact with in the years to come.”

What Is The Most Challenging Thing About Being A Small Business Owner?

“Timing. Everything comes down to knowing when to pull the trigger and when to pull back on the reins. Hesitation on either of these decisions can kill deals, waste money, or waste time. I’d say there’s a long list of other challenges that could be listed equally important, but I’ll stick with timing for now.”

What Advice Would You Give To Someone Wanting To Start Their Own Business?

“Dive in before you know everything. Say no more than yes. Take risks, fail quickly, change the plan, then start over. I’d also encourage anyone to not let that advice to be there only business model! More important than starting the business, making sure your family is on board with what your are doing has to be at the top of your list. Having support from my wife has helped me in countless tough times and also given me the freedom to do what needs to be done to make things work.”

What Does Your Daily Routine Look Like?

“I have 5 key areas that I focus on for our business… I won’t tell you what those areas are, but they get prioritized and loaded on my calendar. I will pivot if something more important comes up, but more than likely I’m focused on doing what my calendar tells me to do. I focus better early in the morning and late at night when no one else is around. So I try to save certain projects for when my family is asleep. I consume insane amounts of coffee so it works out…. for now anyway.

We have 3 scheduled cuppings every week at 10 am on Tuesday, Wednesday, & Friday. I attend those unless I am sick, traveling, or with a customer. Knowing our coffee is important to me and helps me communicate with our customers about what we are doing. Regardless of my schedule, I’m communicating with our team everyday about coffees, roast levels, flavor profiles, cup scores, etc. We obsess over the details of how we want the coffee to taste and what is right for our customers.”

What Does A Healthy Work-Life Balance Look Like For You?

“As a business owner, it’s easy to keep pushing and never come to a stopping point. Luckily, my wife is pretty good about telling me when to stick a fork in it after a long day or long series of days/weeks. I enjoy what I do so much, but knowing when to turn it off is most certainly the key to longevity and creativity. I spend a ton of time with my wife and our 2 kids. If I travel, I take them when it’s feasible. My son is 3 and he spends time with me at the office a good amount. He also knows how to scoop beans in the roastery and get them ready for production. He claims that our sample roaster belongs to him, but that’s another story. I feel a lot of responsibility to show him, and my daughter when she gets a little older, what I do and how our business works. In a nutshell, involving my family in the business as well as taking time to just enjoy each other’s company away from the business are important to me.”