As I mentioned in my last blog post, I built another side business during Covid.
It was born of necessity, when my local coffee shop closed permanently during the pandemic of 2020. I was a regular there to the extent where most days (if there was a line ahead of me) the baristas would ask if I was having my usual and they would already have my drink ready by the time I got to the front of the line.
Either my partner or I, or both of us would be there daily. When the world closed down at first I sacrificed going out for coffee and tried every option for coffee at home, just short of buying an actual espresso machine because I knew they were expensive, messy and overkill on energy use for a single shot of espresso.
Then the world started opening back up and we were so happy to return to our local Coffee Bean coffee shop just to hear the landlord had raised the rent and they were being forced to close that location.
Right around the same time I got a randomly miraculous email from my favorite coffee brand, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, offering wholesale discounts on their specialty products for small businesses working from home. I had just started using a Keurig that I didn’t really love, but I figured a wholesale deal on pods could be a good option for our small business “home office”.
That’s when I stumbled on of the world’s best kept secrets…. The compostable paper pod. They don’t even offer these in the Coffee Bean store or anywhere online, but they are Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf brand coffee, package in 100% compostable “soft pods” so I was so excited to try them.
I thought I was ordering compostable k-cup style pods for my Keurig machine, but when the order arrived it was a bunch of strange little puck shaped teabags that did not work in my machine. I was first of all disappointed and then mostly confused, wondering “What ARE these things?” so I called my sales rep.
She explained they are not compatible with the Keurig or Nespresso machines, but they actually sell various brewers for these pods. Most of them are big fancy touchscreen machines with all kinds of bells and whistles, but they had one very simple machine that turned out to be incredibly affordable. The BevBar brewers are commercial grade pressurized brewers made to perform like an espresso maker for luxury hotels to use for in-room brewers and upscale offices use in their break rooms.
I ordered a machine immediately and it was truly love at first sip.
This was the summer of 2020 when I had my first frothy delicious espresso roast coffee brewed in my BevBar machine with a Coffee Bean Espresso Roast paper pod.
I was astounded to experience such incredible barista quality coffee, for such a reasonable price. My partner, friends and family all agreed it was incredibly good and I slowly began selling the machines and pod kits to friends and family by request because they were only available through my wholesale account.
I embraced my love for these products and hired a graphic designer friend to help me brand my new company and together we built a proper e-commerce website. my new business was fully developed online and I launched the full website fiftyskies.com by spring of 2021.
As I have continued to share these products with friends near and far, I have built a loyal base of return customers with many word of mouth referrals. I even got some sales from my organic social media and google traffic being directed to my online coffee shop. I have barely stepped a toe in a coffee shop since then and I pay less than $1 for what used to be $4 and now is up to $6 or $9 at many places.
Now, as I sit here in 2022, I’m staying busy with my online business and local pickup orders. I’m so grateful to have this small business. I can personally remain frugal on my coffee budget during this time of inflation and uncertainty without compromising on quality. I can also share this amazing product with others and change their lives for the better.
I am proud to offer such a great product that I believe in (and use daily) to offer better options for delicious coffee that is convenient, healthy, eco-friendly AND affordable.
Seriously. This coffee and tea system is better than anything I have found and I can’t wait to share it with you. Check out the website fiftyskies.com and use discount code HELLO10 for 10% off.
So… What does any of this coffee business have to do with me as an artist?
Well… here’s a list:.
#1 Coffee is life and I believe somewhere close to 90% or more of my waking life is fueled by caffeine, my studio time and general creativity included.
#2 Life requires money, and having a quality product I love to share is a great way to support my lifestyle as an artist. I don’t count on my artwork to feed me, I feed my art career and use it as my personal therapy. Side hustles allow me the financial freedom to create what I want, when how and why I want to. It allows my art to be a meaningful process rather than a mass produced product.
#3 Having a connection to other people is always a good thing, it’s important to get out of my bubble. My office, my studio, my home…. I love it here, but I can lose days or even weeks at a time to the bubble life and coffee is great product to use to connect with others. I love meeting up for a coffee talk or tea time visit with friends. I also love to share my coffee and tea with new people at live events, and it’s so rewarding when other people love it as much as I do. The ultimate compliment for me is when other people want to bring Fifty Skies into their own morning routine and make the decision to join my FS tribe.
#4 I have realized the importance of our morning routine and truly believe the good life begins with great mornings so I take pride in sharing what I consider the best morning secret ever. Start your day on a good note with Fifty Skies for a no stress, no mess morning, and the good vibes will flow.
#5 I named the business Fifty Skies after a statement I came up with on a drawing as a kid… I drew a picture and wrote in the clouds “I Love You Fifty Skies”. It became a personal motto throughout my and I still use it regularly with my closest friends and family.
Fifty Skies basically means “I love you infinity” and I sincerely hope you love our coffee and tea as much as we do. So please don’t be shy, click the link below and give us a try.
www.fiftyskies.com
P.S. Our products always come with a satisfaction guarantee so you have nothing to lose… I also offer free demos to my local folks in/near Huntington Beach, CA so you can contact me directly to schedule a coffee tasting or email me questions at info@fiftyskies.com for details.