A Coffee Commitment: The Mallett Family of Coastal Coffee Roasters

“Life is too short to drink bad coffee.”

To learn more about Coastal Coffee Roasters, please visit their. To learn more about Coastal Coffee Roasters, please visit their. 

Jacki Mallett, wife of Brad Mallett, echoes this saying often, and with good reason. She and husband Brad own and operate Coastal Coffee Roasters, a Summerville, S.C. organic coffee company that emphasizes sustainability and fair trade practices.

Before venturing into entrepreneurship, Brad was an operations manager for Verizon in the northeast, but the corporate atmosphere was unhealthy, and the weather in the region wasn’t the greatest, so the family decided it was time for a change.

He and his wife approached a roaster in New York and spent a few days learning the craft of coffee bean roasting hands on.

With that knowledge, they took the skill a step further and modified the process to their specifications. Coastal Coffee Roasters was born.

So, how did they find Guidant Financial?

Brad read an article about using a 401(k) to self-invest. He investigated and researched extensively (at the recommendation of Guidant), then decided to use their services. He cites the “no pressure approach” as what helped them decide to take the risk.

His advice for those who may be apprehensive about starting their own business is this:

“Over capitalize by a large percentage. The government seems to be embedded very deep in regulations. We have very expensive codes to work with—Energy Code, Seismic Code, International Building Code, etc. You become frustrated when you see the guy next door able to operate under different rules because he was open earlier.”

Of course, there are great benefits to owning a business as well. Brad says, “After more than 20 years in customer service it feels AWESOME to be doing something that truly puts a smile on people’s faces. When we see our children enjoying the same results, we know it is the right way forward.”

Up next for Coastal Coffee Roasters are additional building renovations and a continued commitment to providing the freshest coffee around.

In his spare time, Brad likes spending time with his family. He says his motto is “Everything happens for a reason…We just have to figure the reason out.”

A clever philosophy for sure!