In this episode, we sit down with Tyler DellaRatta, owner of Morning Mugs Coffee in Baltimore, to break down what it really means to build a business people care about.

Tyler shares how opening a coffee shop during the height of COVID forced him to start small, stay scrappy, and focus on experience over perfection. From the now-famous color guessing game to building a "cult-like" community, this conversation dives into why vibe often matters more than product, and why being a little naive can actually be a competitive advantage.

We talk about customer experience, social media that actually works, the parallels between Morning Mugs and the Savannah Bananas, and the hard shift from doing everything yourself to building systems and trusting a team. There’s also plenty of real talk about money, burnout, scaling, and knowing when to step back into the weeds.