Podcast: Driven to give – Melissa Brown’s leap of faith into the coffee business
For Melissa Brown, founder and owner of Well-Bean Coffee in Wake Forest, North Carolina, it’s really all about giving back. On a visit to Nicaragua in 2012, she came up with what seemed like a simple idea – import coffee and sell it in states to help finance the needs of her family’s nonprofit.
It was an uphill climb (a nightmare, at times) that required hard work and the willingness to take extreme risks – something many operators and small businesspeople can certainly relate to. When everything about her plan seemed destined for failure, Brown found a way to persevere. Ultimately, her story is about faith, philanthropy, effort and a little luck, which always helps.
For any entrepreneur, Brown's story is a great listen, an inspiration that may cause some to consider the value of giving back to a cause that truly means something to you.