Exit 11 Coffee with Angela Garland: Balancing entrepreneurial vision with practical business ownership skills

Show NotesAngela and her husband Scott started a co-working space in 2015 and added a specialty coffee shop in 2016.In 2018, they opened their first drive-thru coffee stand, which ended up being more successful than the co-working coffee shop.They bootstrapped the business in the early days, keeping their corporate jobs and living conservatively for the first 18 months.They tested their business idea by offering samples, leasing a property, and using savings to mitigate risks.Over time, they expanded into roasting their own coffee beans and making their own syrups to improve efficiency and quality.Exit 11 has grown to 8 drive-thru coffee locations and a co-working center, with plans to potentially franchise the model in the future.Lessons LearnedUnderstand your product and industry, even if it's not your passion - Angela wasn't a coffee connoisseur, but she and her husband loved coffee and were willing to learn.Carefully manage finances and risks when starting a business - they kept their corporate jobs and lived conservatively in the early days to bootstrap the business.Leverage your complementary skills and personality types - Angela and her husband balanced each other out in terms of being analytical vs. people-focused.Focus on efficiency, quality, and customer service as you scale - they invested in their own coffee roasting and syrup-making to improve their offerings.Be willing to adapt and pivot as needed - they shifted from a co-working coffee shop to a more successful drive-thru model. Exit 11 CoffeeFacebookInstagramLinkedIn   Connect with the HostMatthew ShippBe a GuestLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewshipp/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewjshipp/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emberisolutionsEmberi Solutions: https://emberisolutions.com/Buy me a coffee ☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/mattshipp