Today we’d like to introduce you to Kris Carlson
Hi Kris, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In a past life, I was a music and art major that dreamt of fostering a space for community and creativity- a common vision that many coffee shop owners aspire to. After school I worked at a jazz club called Take Five Coffee Bar, the perfect collage of coffee, music, art, community, and cocktails. Sadly the venue shut down, but like every ending, this was the catalyst to the beginning of a new direction.
The winds of change adjusted my sails to Revocup Coffee Roasters, where both my personal and professional life were profoundly transformed. Founded by an Ethiopian family, their business also has a non-profit that gives back to coffee producers and their communities. Learning where, and more importantly, who coffee came from, broadened my perspectives and planted a seed within me. A budding desire grew to learn about the global trading system in order to advocate its evolution towards equity and make exploitation extinct.
After five years at Revocup, an organic segue approached. Exploring new aspects of the industry became crucial for developing versatility. I volunteered for various events, applied to scholarships pursuing industry education, competed as a coffee roaster, and accepted diverse roles that expanded my experiential knowledge. My entry into the green coffee world was with Mighty Peace Coffee, a women and minority led social impact importer that focuses on the people and coffee of Democratic Republic of Congo- supporting positive, impactful, sustainable change.
Over the last decade, these seasons of life have led me to Anthem Coffee Imports. Here I continue to deepen my understanding of the complexities and intricacies of the coffee industry, seeing with increasing clarity our interconnectedness and interdependence. The message I aim to share in the words and actions of my work is, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
“Everyone is handed adversity in life. No one’s journey is easy. It’s how they handle it that makes people unique.”
Previously I described the impact Revocup had on me professionally, steering the course of my career. However it is essential that I speak on Revocup’s powerful personal expression of humanity. Six months after starting as a barista, my mother passed away by suicide.
My first steps of recovery were successful only because I was instantly surrounded by an overwhelming abundance of love from the Revocup community. After two weeks off work, I came back to countless cards, flowers, food, monetary donations, and hugs. TG, the matriarch of Revocup, took me in as her own. Ethiopian songs and food became the lullabies and soul-nourishing sustenance that brought me moments of comfort and peace as I embarked on the journey of grief. Forever I am grateful to the Revocup and the community that nurtured me.
After years of continued healing, the time came for me to venture out of the metaphorical nest. In order to advance from a minimum wage barista to eventually entering the green coffee sector, I had to carve my own path. In coffee, there are rarely clear and concise trails already forged for others to simply follow. It was necessary for me to remain curious, teachable, patient, adamant, and open. Although I am not unique in this struggle, I share because hearing other people’s stories has encouraged me along the way and it is my hope to pay it forward in sharing mine.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Anthem Coffee Imports sources quality coffees from around the world through trusted networks and relationships with producers and exporters that trace back as far as four decades. Our team expertly manages each phase of the coffee purchasing process and strives to offer a flexible list of coffee origins to our clients.
For over 30 years, the Hanson Brothers have helped roasters across the country source great coffees that fulfill their cup quality and consistency needs. Their story starts in the 1970s with their Uncle Vaughn, the head buyer for Folgers. His career in coffee offered them precious insight into how to source and buy coffee in markets and countries around the world. They have proudly borne his torch across the decades, adapting and growing into the second and third wave coffee revolutions.
Our quality, sourcing, and logistics teams are expert navigators of each phase of the importing process, from loading the truck at the farm to leaving port at origin to cupping through the offer, pre-ship, and arrival sample process, we’ve worked through lots of different scenarios. We are constantly on the lookout for innovative processing methods and recognize all the qualities of a coffee, even those that others might reject. We look forward to helping our clients cross into and define what fourth wave coffee might look like. Searching for a certain cup profile or a specific origin? Ask us, we probably know where to look.
How do you think about luck?
“Good luck is when hard work meets opportunity.” is one of many quotes that fuels my efforts. Luck, or opportunity, is also attributed to being in the right place at the right time. Of course to increase this likelihood, you must be present. “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” Admittedly, cognitive dissonance resides within me. Fate is a reality I accept as I am constantly reminded of the countless things I have no control over in life. Simultaneously, my response is to focus on controlling myself to the best of my ability and so to speak, “creating my own luck”.
Similarly in my mind, bad luck is an illusion, and beyond its facade reveals one of two things:
1. Rejection, which is in reality, redirection to the more relevant next step in your process.
2. The root of a negative belief that requires removal. For every “yes” I’ve received, there were first a multitude of “no”s. I used to hold a very binary belief, equating “yes” as success and “no” as failure. My views have shifted to symbiotic definitions. Now failure to me is not a lack of success, but a lack of effort. In order to succeed, you must fail, and in order to fail, you must try. For me, success is the courage to continue.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coffeekris_kc/
