Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Carter.
Hi Zachary, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In 2019, My wife and I got the opportunity to try fresh home roasted coffee for the first time from a friend. I didn’t know what to expect because I honestly never liked black coffee. It’s safe to say that my first reaction after trying it was shock. I was shocked that I have never knew that coffee could taste like this. I was shocked that nobody I knew in my community has ever really had fresh roasted coffee. (Besides my friend who roasted this for me.) I was also shocked that there was only one roaster in town but they roasted for and was owned by the local casino. At this time I was already involved in a couple small local businesses in Roseburg and I immediately saw that my community needed this. It needed fresh roasted coffee. This is when my research and saving money began. The first thing I found was that in our area there wasn’t a single coffee brand at any store that had “roasted on” dates on their bags. This realization only proved that we needed a local roaster more than ever. I truly wanted for others to experience what I got to experience and that the fact that there wasn’t even a single option in our area surprised me. I now really saw the gaping hole in this market. Fresh, transparent, and honest coffee was rare. Knowing that I had a sound business plan and a target audience, this is where I pumped the brakes. I have been around businesses enough to know that if the only reason you do what you do is for money, it will fail sooner or later. I knew that our business needed a purpose and goals beyond coffee. I’ll be honest, it took a few years after starting the company for me to begin to realize what that purpose was. It took years of learning lots of things the hard way, that I am not as much in the coffee roasting business as I am in the public relations business. What I mean is that I have learned that this company’s purpose is for relationship.
I want people to have a good day and I believe that it only takes one encounter to change that. My goal is to be present in peoples lives. I want people to know that you don’t have to sell your soul to make a buck. But you will have to sacrifice your insecurity. In doing this you will find yourself in a process of learning who you really are.
This process is what has got me to where I am today. I have great relationships with so many people and I am blown away that so many people now enjoy coffee with me and others.
This is Carter’s Coffee. A family first company that is here to be relational not just transactional.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Looking back I would say that yes it has been a smooth road. But knowing what it felt like in the process and current processes, it feels hard.
The biggest struggles have mostly been me. My limiting beliefs and perspectives. I had to change my thought process around growth so much and let go of so much self made expectations.
Other than that, trying to figure out the beast of huge retail stores has been a struggle. lol.
As you know, we’re big fans of Carter’s Coffee. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Carter’s Coffee is a local artisan coffee roasting company of Roseburg OR. We specialize in fresh coffee and prove it by providing “roasted on” dates on all of our bags and products. We are known for being extremely family/ community focused and according to our customers we are the best coffee they have ever had.
We are most proud of knowing that people don’t just like us and support us because we are local, they like us and support us because of who we are and that they actually love our coffee.
One of the biggest things I would want people to know about Carter’s Coffee is that we aren’t just another coffee company. We have vision for our community and are actively proving that businesses can be relational first.
As for our products and offerings, we offer whole bean and ground coffee in various sizes up to 5lb bags, wholesale and retail. We also bottle and sell cold brew in many stores and cafes in Oregon.
What makes you happy?
I definitely feel happy when I hear that people deeply enjoy and appreciate my product and what I do.
I have also learned that my happiness can’t just come from my occupation. It has to mainly come from learning who I am and what my purpose is from my heavenly father. Without this, business, money, and success would never be enough.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://carterscoffee.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carterscoffeeor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carterscoffeeor
