Contracts, Communication & Reclaiming Your Agency with Modest Coffee

Jenni Trilik and Marcus Contaldo, Founders of Modest Coffee shared their costly experience with a national distributor on their blog that caught the eye of the good food industry, its supporters, and many more.  In response to their story, more than 4,000 individuals answered the call to purchase and/or donate a case of coffee to keep the business alive.     In this episode, Jenni and Marcus join Sarah to share their story as well as the lessons learned and how Modest Coffee is moving forward.     Listen in as they discuss:    How Jenni and Marcus got into the coffee business, and the original vision for Modest Coffee Why they decided to work with a broker and national distributor The common misunderstanding/miscommunication that had Modest producing more coffee than they could handle The details of the industry standard distributor contract they signed, and how it nearly cost them their business  How a viral moment kept their business alive How this experience is shaping the future of their business    Jenni and Marcus’s story, like the stories of many founders, reminds us that we have agency over our own businesses, we can build a business on our own terms, and we can create change in the food industry.   Connect with Modest Coffee Website: www.modest.coffee Instagram: @modestcoffee LinkedIn: Modest Coffee   In addition to running a coffee roasting operation, Jenni and Marcus, along with their co-worker and friend, Stephanie, host an amusing and educational podcast called No Bad Reviews: A Coffee Podcast that explores topics in business, history, and culture using coffee as inspiration.   Website: No Bad Reviews: A Coffee Podcast   Continue the Conversation & The Good Food Revolution Join us in The Good Food CFO Community to be a part of the conversation with Jenni & Marcus during a Fireside Chat on February 28th.  Got a question or idea for the show? Email us at [email protected] Instagram: @TheGoodFoodCFO   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com