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Learn how to become a coffee entrepreneur from the absolute best!
Laila Ghambari is a US Barista Champion, owner of Guilder Coffee Company, and runs her own coffee consulting business. She joins us to discuss the myriad of ways in which someone can step into coffee business ownership… there’s more options than just opening a cafe! Plus, she shares what it’s really like being a CEO and a mum at the same time.
00:00 – Why “cool cafés” often lose money
00:21 – Meet LAILA GHAMBARI! (Barista Champion → business owner)
02:18 – The reality of owning a café (not what you think)
05:20 – Buy vs build: the smartest way to start
10:52 – The lowest-risk way to test a coffee business
12:10 – Are you actually ready to own a café?
16:52 – The mindset shift: barista → owner
18:25 – Why business skills matter more than coffee skills
21:02 – Early mistakes & learning profitability fast
24:17 – The truth about hype vs profitable cafés
27:50 – Building networks & learning from others
31:41 – Funding your café (loans, family, partnerships)
35:13 – Why you should avoid giving away ownership
43:36 – Motherhood, leadership & running a business
55:52 – Final advice: just start (and figure it out)
Fantastic conversation, thank-you so much for joining the show Laila.
If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!
