Episode 358: Justin Gordon interviews Jacob Jaber, Co-Founder, former CEO, and current Board Member of Philz Coffee, the company that grew from one neighborhood shop in San Francisco into a beloved national brand known for its personalized blends and people-first approach. Jacob helped scale Philz to over 70 locations across the country, raising venture funding while staying true to its community-driven roots. He’s now the Founder of Humble Lion, where he invests in and supports the next generation of brick-and-mortar businesses built with heart.

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This episode is brought to you by Rho. With Rho, founders get:

• A single pane of glass they can use to run and scale their business from Day 1: Bank account, corporate cards to start running – and expense management, bill pay automation, and accounting to help you move fast as you scale.
• Rho is trusted by thousands of companies ranging from two-person YC companies to brands like Perplexity, Cal.com, Splitwise and more.
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Show Notes:

00:00 What’s coming in the episode…

1:14 Introduction

2:32 The story behind Philz Coffee

7:13 What made Philz stand out?

11:05 Expanding Philz

18:01 Hiring for the new locations

24:19 Challenges of expanding

29:00 Raising capital

36:09 The keys to scaling Philz

40:02 Long-lasting brands

42:57 Starting Humble Lion

51:17 What to look for in a brick-and-mortar

54:29 Contact Jacob Jaber

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Connect with Justin: 

• Twitter: https://x.com/justingordon212
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/

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What Justin is working on: 

• Just Go Grind Newsletter: https://www.justgogrind.com/subscribe
• Running (Strava): https://www.strava.com/athletes/52394979
• Hiring: https://partnerslink.athyna.com/pod
• Scouting: https://headline.com/