9. Quitting His Job to Go All-In on Coffee Catering with Colin (Howdy Coffee)

In this episode, we sit down with Colin from Howdy Coffee to break down how he scaled from 5 weekend gigs to over 250 events per year—and quit his full-time job to go all-in on coffee catering. Colin shares the real story of how he found his first cart on Craigslist for $200, pulled it with a Subaru, and built a business that now supports a team of 6, three carts, and a growing list of corporate clients. We unpack the exact pricing strategy that helped him double his revenue, the systems he uses to manage multiple events a day, and how FlashQuotes helped him stop missing leads and start booking faster. Whether you're just starting out or scaling your mobile service business, Colin’s journey is packed with tactical insights you can apply today. ➡️ Join our Mobile Catering Accelerator: https://www.skool.com/mobile-catering-accelerator/about 📸 Instagram: @FlashquotesHQ 🐦 Twitter: @FlashquotesHQ — ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Intro to Colin and Howdy Coffee 01:15 The $200 Craigslist Cart That Started It All 04:55 From 5 Events to 50+ in One Year 06:25 The Exact Moment He Quit His Job 09:15 Scaling from 1 Cart to 3 (and Hiring 6 Staff) 11:29 How FlashQuotes Changed His Booking Process 14:30 His Hourly Pricing Model Explained 16:43 How He Handles Forgotten Equipment (and What to Do) 24:13 His Vision for 2025 and Beyond 25:10 The Challenges of Hiring and Staffing — 🔑 Key Points • The low-barrier way Colin launched his biz with just $200 • Why he switched from manual quoting to automated instant pricing • How to think about hourly pricing (instead of per guest) • What to include on every booking form to avoid client mishaps • Why his dream of owning a café is dead—and what replaced it • Tips for barista training, event prep, and scaling your team — 🎧 Want more stories like this? Subscribe and follow @FlashquotesHQ for new episodes every Friday. Got questions about starting or scaling your cart? Drop them in the comments.