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#37 Over a Dozen Conversions Because of This Coffee Shop | Mallory Root (Roots Brew Shop)
Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
Hey y’all — welcome back to another episode of the Catholic Founders podcast! Today’s episode will not disappoint.
News / Updates:
* Ellen Twomey is teaching the CF Guild how to scale on October 28th. Upgrade to attend.
* Fides is offering Catholic Founders Readers/Listeners 15% discount on all upcoming events through the end of the year — just use code: CATHOLICGUILD2025 at checkout. (He has some incredible speakers lined up).
* We’re hosting a Catholic Founders meetup in Chicago this 4th of November. Email us if you’re interested in attending — we need your input to finalize details.
* There is a Catholic entrepreneur gathering in San Francisco on November 20th (tentatively) — Stay tuned for more details.
Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today
Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory.
Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining.
With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time.
Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month.
In Today’s Issue:
* Intro to the Guest and Topic
* Core Takeaway
* Episode References
* Select Quotes
* Key Moments
First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.
Today’s Topic & Guest:
* Mallory Root | Roots Brew Shop & The Cottage on Turner
* Following God’s lead, Mallory Root moved to Grand Rapids to open Roots Brew Shop, a coffeehouse built on faith, community, and authentic human connection. Guided by her faith in God, she embraced the challenges of entrepreneurship as an act of stewardship, trusting that her role was to build with God. Since opening in 2016, Roots has become a warm, welcoming space where strangers become friends and people encounter Christ through everyday conversation and genuine hospitality.
Hire Talent That Actually Shares Your Mission with Verso Jobs.
Verso Jobs has built a gamified, data-driven job platform to help you hire people who actually share your mission and values.
Their team understands your needs, goes out to qualified candidates, tests them through the gamified application. Then presents you with candidates who truly share your mission.
If you’re a Catholic or conservative organization looking to cut through the fog, reach out to Verso Jobs to help you today.
Whether you’re hiring for your startup, school, parish, or nonprofit — Verso makes it easy to find mission-aligned talent ready to build the Kingdom.
Visit versojobs.com or book a demo to get started — To the heights. ⛰️
Core Lesson:
We need to make the transactional relational.
Mallory’s whole approach to business can be summed up in one line.
And honestly, I love that.
It’s the heartbeat of what makes her business, Roots Brew Shop, special. Every customer interaction, every cup of coffee, every conversation is a chance to actually see the person in front of you. Mallory’s not running a shop just to sell coffee, but instead she’s building relationships, restoring what’s been lost in a world that moves too fast and connects too little. It has become a place that invites people back to God through their experience and eventually brings dozens of conversions.
In the same way, we are invited to design our products and experiences to have something special. Where the simple moments and typical transactions are transformed into encounters with Christ.
God Bless & Happy Building!
~Silas Mähner
Launch Your Podcast — Build Trust With Customers
Trying to bring in more leads? Launching a podcast might be the best move you haven’t made yet.
Saint Kolbe Studios helps Catholic entrepreneurs launch professional, mission-aligned podcasts that build trust and increase leads.
Their team walks with you every step of the way, from strategy and recording to branding and editing, so you can launch your podcast in under 90 days.
Get 20% off all services for the rest of 2025 because you listen to Catholic Founders. Just mention Catholic Founders when you reach out.
158 million people listen to podcasts every month, and that’s just in the US! Your ideal customer may already be listening to a competitor’s podcast.
Visit saintkolbestudios.com to get started.
Key Episode References:
* Roots Brew Shop
* Rerum Novarum in 2025: Applying it to Your Business
* Mother Cabrini
* Servant of God, Father Walter Cizek
Select Quotes:
“Our mission is to make the transactional relational.”
“If I have a relationship with the Lord, everything should exude from that.”
“We should be fully integrated in all the things we do.”
“Beauty disarms. When people walk into Roots, they encounter goodness and truth through beauty.”
“All that we own is for the common good, and we are stewards of that.”
“If we are not building one another in virtue and we’re not building in virtue, what is the purpose of our labor?”
“Hold it all loosely, and something that is good to foster is that spirit of detachment (detachment that it isn’t mine). Steward what God gives you today, and be ready to let it go tomorrow.”
“If you’re serious about leadership, you have to be rightly ordered, and that means making time for God.”
Key Moments: (outline)
* 02:46 Introduction
* 04:27 Faith as a Rubric for Business
* Mallory discusses how her faith permeates every aspect of running her coffee shop, serving as the guiding principle for all decisions
* 10:01 Subtle Evangelization Through Business
* Learn about Roots Brew Shop’s unique approach to evangelization
* 13:24 Underutilized Methods of Evangelization
* The importance of responding to the dignity of the human person and the dignity of work, especially when interacting with diverse guests, including those experiencing homelessness.
* 15:19 Training Staff in Virtue and Dignity
* Discover how Roots Brew Shop trains its employees through monthly sessions on the dignity of the human person and the dignity of work
* 19:08 Low Employee Turnover and Formation
* Mallory shares how their focus on building relationships and investing in employee formation leads to remarkably low turnover
* 25:23 Maintaining a Spirit of Detachment and Stewardship:
* Mallory views her business as a gift from God to be stewarded
* 30:57 Engaging and Serving the Community
* Mallory discusses how Roots Brew Shop interacts with its community
* 35:18 The Impact of Daily Mass for Entrepreneurs
* The spiritual benefits and the importance of prioritizing one’s relationship with God.
* 38:41 Spiritual Growth Through Entrepreneurship
* Mallory reflects on how her entrepreneurial journey has deepened her trust in God, taught her to say “yes” more readily, and provided numerous opportunities to love her neighbor with compassion.
* 43:09 Mallory’s Founding Journey
* Mallory recounts her path from an art major to a coffee shop owner, including her discernment process, the influence of her family, and the two-year journey to opening Roots Brew Shop
* 49:48 Conclusion
*
Hire Catholic Overseas Talent
In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses.
Often they’re treated as second class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss.
So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon).
With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward.
How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days.
To get started reach out to [email protected] with what you’re looking for and we’ll get started.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe
View all episodes
By Silas MähnerListen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
Hey y’all — welcome back to another episode of the Catholic Founders podcast! Today’s episode will not disappoint.
News / Updates:
* Ellen Twomey is teaching the CF Guild how to scale on October 28th. Upgrade to attend.
* Fides is offering Catholic Founders Readers/Listeners 15% discount on all upcoming events through the end of the year — just use code: CATHOLICGUILD2025 at checkout. (He has some incredible speakers lined up).
* We’re hosting a Catholic Founders meetup in Chicago this 4th of November. Email us if you’re interested in attending — we need your input to finalize details.
* There is a Catholic entrepreneur gathering in San Francisco on November 20th (tentatively) — Stay tuned for more details.
Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today
Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory.
Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining.
With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time.
Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month.
In Today’s Issue:
* Intro to the Guest and Topic
* Core Takeaway
* Episode References
* Select Quotes
* Key Moments
First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.
Today’s Topic & Guest:
* Mallory Root | Roots Brew Shop & The Cottage on Turner
* Following God’s lead, Mallory Root moved to Grand Rapids to open Roots Brew Shop, a coffeehouse built on faith, community, and authentic human connection. Guided by her faith in God, she embraced the challenges of entrepreneurship as an act of stewardship, trusting that her role was to build with God. Since opening in 2016, Roots has become a warm, welcoming space where strangers become friends and people encounter Christ through everyday conversation and genuine hospitality.
Hire Talent That Actually Shares Your Mission with Verso Jobs.
Verso Jobs has built a gamified, data-driven job platform to help you hire people who actually share your mission and values.
Their team understands your needs, goes out to qualified candidates, tests them through the gamified application. Then presents you with candidates who truly share your mission.
If you’re a Catholic or conservative organization looking to cut through the fog, reach out to Verso Jobs to help you today.
Whether you’re hiring for your startup, school, parish, or nonprofit — Verso makes it easy to find mission-aligned talent ready to build the Kingdom.
Visit versojobs.com or book a demo to get started — To the heights. ⛰️
Core Lesson:
We need to make the transactional relational.
Mallory’s whole approach to business can be summed up in one line.
And honestly, I love that.
It’s the heartbeat of what makes her business, Roots Brew Shop, special. Every customer interaction, every cup of coffee, every conversation is a chance to actually see the person in front of you. Mallory’s not running a shop just to sell coffee, but instead she’s building relationships, restoring what’s been lost in a world that moves too fast and connects too little. It has become a place that invites people back to God through their experience and eventually brings dozens of conversions.
In the same way, we are invited to design our products and experiences to have something special. Where the simple moments and typical transactions are transformed into encounters with Christ.
God Bless & Happy Building!
~Silas Mähner
Launch Your Podcast — Build Trust With Customers
Trying to bring in more leads? Launching a podcast might be the best move you haven’t made yet.
Saint Kolbe Studios helps Catholic entrepreneurs launch professional, mission-aligned podcasts that build trust and increase leads.
Their team walks with you every step of the way, from strategy and recording to branding and editing, so you can launch your podcast in under 90 days.
Get 20% off all services for the rest of 2025 because you listen to Catholic Founders. Just mention Catholic Founders when you reach out.
158 million people listen to podcasts every month, and that’s just in the US! Your ideal customer may already be listening to a competitor’s podcast.
Visit saintkolbestudios.com to get started.
Key Episode References:
* Roots Brew Shop
* Rerum Novarum in 2025: Applying it to Your Business
* Mother Cabrini
* Servant of God, Father Walter Cizek
Select Quotes:
“Our mission is to make the transactional relational.”
“If I have a relationship with the Lord, everything should exude from that.”
“We should be fully integrated in all the things we do.”
“Beauty disarms. When people walk into Roots, they encounter goodness and truth through beauty.”
“All that we own is for the common good, and we are stewards of that.”
“If we are not building one another in virtue and we’re not building in virtue, what is the purpose of our labor?”
“Hold it all loosely, and something that is good to foster is that spirit of detachment (detachment that it isn’t mine). Steward what God gives you today, and be ready to let it go tomorrow.”
“If you’re serious about leadership, you have to be rightly ordered, and that means making time for God.”
Key Moments: (outline)
* 02:46 Introduction
* 04:27 Faith as a Rubric for Business
* Mallory discusses how her faith permeates every aspect of running her coffee shop, serving as the guiding principle for all decisions
* 10:01 Subtle Evangelization Through Business
* Learn about Roots Brew Shop’s unique approach to evangelization
* 13:24 Underutilized Methods of Evangelization
* The importance of responding to the dignity of the human person and the dignity of work, especially when interacting with diverse guests, including those experiencing homelessness.
* 15:19 Training Staff in Virtue and Dignity
* Discover how Roots Brew Shop trains its employees through monthly sessions on the dignity of the human person and the dignity of work
* 19:08 Low Employee Turnover and Formation
* Mallory shares how their focus on building relationships and investing in employee formation leads to remarkably low turnover
* 25:23 Maintaining a Spirit of Detachment and Stewardship:
* Mallory views her business as a gift from God to be stewarded
* 30:57 Engaging and Serving the Community
* Mallory discusses how Roots Brew Shop interacts with its community
* 35:18 The Impact of Daily Mass for Entrepreneurs
* The spiritual benefits and the importance of prioritizing one’s relationship with God.
* 38:41 Spiritual Growth Through Entrepreneurship
* Mallory reflects on how her entrepreneurial journey has deepened her trust in God, taught her to say “yes” more readily, and provided numerous opportunities to love her neighbor with compassion.
* 43:09 Mallory’s Founding Journey
* Mallory recounts her path from an art major to a coffee shop owner, including her discernment process, the influence of her family, and the two-year journey to opening Roots Brew Shop
* 49:48 Conclusion
*
Hire Catholic Overseas Talent
In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses.
Often they’re treated as second class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss.
So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon).
With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward.
How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days.
To get started reach out to [email protected] with what you’re looking for and we’ll get started.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe