More Than Coffee: What a Student Learned Through Real Ownership

In this episode, I sit down with Alex Duncan, one of the student leaders behind the launch of the Spartan Café at Greater Atlanta Christian School (GAC). This year marked the very first student-run business at GAC, and Alex, along with a team of seniors, stepped into the challenge of building something real from the ground up.We talk about what it actually felt like to run a business on campus—learning to communicate effectively, work as a team, serve customers, navigate unexpected challenges, and make decisions that had real consequences. Along the way, Alex shares how stepping into real responsibility shaped his confidence, developed his leadership, and changed the way he thinks about work, growth, and ownership.At the center of the conversation is the idea of ownership—what it looks like, how it grows through experience, and why it prepares students not just for business, but for life. This episode offers an inside look at what happens when students are trusted with real responsibility and supported through the process of building something meaningful.If you’re curious about student-run businesses, real-world learning, or how entrepreneurship forms students in powerful ways, this episode is for you.