Valor Coffee Podcast

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep161

Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way!

Your coffee shop can survive a lot, but these three mistakes will straight-up bury you if you make them early. In this episode of the Valor Coffee Podcast, we’re back together in our new brew lab to break down the big one-way decisions: picking the wrong location, spending your budget in the wrong places, and hiring a manager too soon.

We’ve been building Valor for 10 years (coffee cart → two cafés + wholesale), and we’re sharing the stuff we wish someone had drilled into us before we signed leases and bought gear. If you’re starting a café (or trying to stabilize one), this is the kind of episode that can save you months of pain and a lot of money. Subscribe, drop your “third point” in the comments, and go watch our new 3-hour “How to Start a Coffee Shop” masterclass.

This week's episode is brought to you by our friends at Odeko: Use our code VALOR10 for 10% off your first supply order! Hit the link below to sign up now:n https://portal.odeko.com/signup

*If you purchase something through one of our links, we may be entitled to a share of the sale*

Buy Valor Coffee: ⁠⁠https://valor.coffee/shop?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep161

Watch on Youtube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/valorcoffee16⁠⁠

Want to become a Wholesale Partner? Email us at [email protected] to set up an account!

Want to send us coffee? Have a question you want to answer on the show? Send us an email to [email protected]

Want to get your business in front of more people? We partnered with Local Eyes Growth to grow our business through SEO and the results have been incredible. Local Eyes is offering a FREE backlink ($300 value) to Valor Coffee Podcast listeners who partner through our exclusive link.

Visit ⁠⁠https://localeyesgrowth.com/valor⁠⁠ to get the ball rolling!

Follow the Valor Coffee Podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valorcoffeepod⁠⁠

Follow Valor on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valor.coffee⁠⁠

Subscribe to Riley's YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Riley:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Ross: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rosswalters⁠⁠

Follow Ethan's Parody Account:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/ethanrivers777

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep160

Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way!

Back to back episodes? Happy Holidays. This final episode of the year is coming at you from our new HQ and looking back on a big 2025 for Valor. We talk about scaling the roastery, surviving Black Friday/Cyber Monday, why coffee prices stayed high, and what tariffs and origin trips actually changed for us.

This week's episode is brought to you by our friends at Odeko: Use our code VALOR10 for 10% off your first supply order! Hit the link below to sign up now:n https://portal.odeko.com/signup

*If you purchase something through one of our links, we may be entitled to a share of the sale*

Buy Valor Coffee: ⁠⁠https://valor.coffee/shop?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep160

Watch on Youtube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/valorcoffee16⁠⁠

Want to become a Wholesale Partner? Email us at [email protected] to set up an account!

Want to send us coffee? Have a question you want to answer on the show? Send us an email to [email protected]

Want to get your business in front of more people? We partnered with Local Eyes Growth to grow our business through SEO and the results have been incredible. Local Eyes is offering a FREE backlink ($300 value) to Valor Coffee Podcast listeners who partner through our exclusive link.

Visit ⁠⁠https://localeyesgrowth.com/valor⁠⁠ to get the ball rolling!

Follow the Valor Coffee Podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valorcoffeepod⁠⁠

Follow Valor on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valor.coffee⁠⁠

Subscribe to Riley's YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Riley:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Ross: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rosswalters⁠⁠

Follow Ethan's Parody Account:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/ethanrivers777

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep159

Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way!

The podcast is BACK. This episode was recorded on a 7-hour drive through the mountains of Colombia with Valor, Lucas Cuadros (Unblended), and Trevor Clark (Black & White Coffee Roasters). We break down coffee as an ingredient vs coffee as a product, why origin relationships and storytelling matter, how roasters grow e-commerce as café margins tighten, and what it looks like when producers level up into specialty. If you’re a roaster, café owner, or coffee nerd who cares about where coffee’s heading next, you clicked on the right pod.

This week's episode is brought to you by our friends at Odeko: Use our code VALOR10 for 10% off your first supply order! Hit the link below to sign up now:n https://portal.odeko.com/signup

*If you purchase something through one of our links, we may be entitled to a share of the sale*

Buy Valor Coffee: ⁠⁠https://valor.coffee/shop?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep159

Watch on Youtube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/valorcoffee16⁠⁠

Want to become a Wholesale Partner? Email us at [email protected] to set up an account!

Want to send us coffee? Have a question you want to answer on the show? Send us an email to [email protected]

Want to get your business in front of more people? We partnered with Local Eyes Growth to grow our business through SEO and the results have been incredible. Local Eyes is offering a FREE backlink ($300 value) to Valor Coffee Podcast listeners who partner through our exclusive link.

Visit ⁠⁠https://localeyesgrowth.com/valor⁠⁠ to get the ball rolling!

Follow the Valor Coffee Podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valorcoffeepod⁠⁠

Follow Valor on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valor.coffee⁠⁠

Subscribe to Riley's YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Riley:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Ross: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rosswalters⁠⁠

Follow Ethan's Parody Account:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/ethanrivers777

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep158

Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way!

Third-wave coffee and drive-thrus don’t usually mix, so we rolled across Atlanta to see how our friends at Sequel Coffee Co. are pulling it off! We hit the lane, grabbed a few drinks (and snackies), and talked through what actually makes a specialty drive-thru work: clear signage, friendly face-to-face ordering, and a bar flow that keeps things moving without killing quality. Then we pop inside to chat vibe, team culture, and the little ops choices that make busy mornings feel smooth! If you’ve ever thought, “Could we do a drive-thru?” this episode is the fun, no fluff look at how it can actually click.

This week's episode is brought to you by our friends at Odeko: Use our code VALOR10 for 10% off your first supply order! Hit the link below to sign up now:n https://portal.odeko.com/signup

*If you purchase something through one of our links, we may be entitled to a share of the sale*

Buy Valor Coffee: ⁠⁠https://valor.coffee/shop?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep158

Watch on Youtube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/valorcoffee16⁠⁠

Want to become a Wholesale Partner? Email us at [email protected] to set up an account!

Want to send us coffee? Have a question you want to answer on the show? Send us an email to [email protected]

Want to get your business in front of more people? We partnered with Local Eyes Growth to grow our business through SEO and the results have been incredible. Local Eyes is offering a FREE backlink ($300 value) to Valor Coffee Podcast listeners who partner through our exclusive link.

Visit ⁠⁠https://localeyesgrowth.com/valor⁠⁠ to get the ball rolling!

Follow the Valor Coffee Podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valorcoffeepod⁠⁠

Follow Valor on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valor.coffee⁠⁠

Subscribe to Riley's YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Riley:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Ross: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rosswalters⁠⁠

Follow Ethan's Parody Account:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/ethanrivers777

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep157

Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way!

Join us behind the scenes of Valor Coffee's 2025 Nashville owners retreat where we get honest about our biggest weaknesses as leaders and debate whether you can actually build a lifelong career in coffee. We dive into everything from marketing lessons learned the hard way to our Mount Rushmore of favorite Valor coffees, plus why we believe in giving away business knowledge for free. This candid walk-and-talk covers servant leadership, work-life balance with kids, and building company culture rooted in trust. Expect some real talk about the messy realities of growing a coffee business together!

This week's episode is brought to you by our friends at Odeko: Use our code VALOR10 for 10% off your first supply order! Hit the link below to sign up now:n https://portal.odeko.com/signup

*If you purchase something through one of our links, we may be entitled to a share of the sale*

Buy Valor Coffee: ⁠⁠https://valor.coffee/shop?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep157

Watch on Youtube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/valorcoffee16⁠⁠

Want to become a Wholesale Partner? Email us at [email protected] to set up an account!

Want to send us coffee? Have a question you want to answer on the show? Send us an email to [email protected]

Want to get your business in front of more people? We partnered with Local Eyes Growth to grow our business through SEO and the results have been incredible. Local Eyes is offering a FREE backlink ($300 value) to Valor Coffee Podcast listeners who partner through our exclusive link.

Visit ⁠⁠https://localeyesgrowth.com/valor⁠⁠ to get the ball rolling!

Follow the Valor Coffee Podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valorcoffeepod⁠⁠

Follow Valor on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valor.coffee⁠⁠

Subscribe to Riley's YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Riley:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Ross: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rosswalters⁠⁠

Follow Ethan's Parody Account:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/ethanrivers777

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep156

Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way!

Time to spill the beans on our labor costs from the first five months of 2025 – we're showing you the actual numbers from both Valor locations because transparency is fun! We break down why paying baristas more money actually makes everyone happier (shocking, we know), the difference between making-coffee labor vs doing-paperwork labor, and how we keep our labor around 25-27% without going broke. Maybe you're dreaming of opening a coffee shop or just curious about what it really costs to make your morning latte. Regardless, grab some popcorn because we're diving into spreadsheets and it's surprisingly entertaining.

This week's episode is brought to you by our friends at Odeko: Use our code VALOR10 for 10% off your first supply order! Hit the link below to sign up now:n https://portal.odeko.com/signup

*If you purchase something through one of our links, we may be entitled to a share of the sale*

Buy Valor Coffee: ⁠⁠https://valor.coffee/shop?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep156

Watch on Youtube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/valorcoffee16⁠⁠

Want to become a Wholesale Partner? Email us at [email protected] to set up an account!

Want to send us coffee? Have a question you want to answer on the show? Send us an email to [email protected]

Want to get your business in front of more people? We partnered with Local Eyes Growth to grow our business through SEO and the results have been incredible. Local Eyes is offering a FREE backlink ($300 value) to Valor Coffee Podcast listeners who partner through our exclusive link.

Visit ⁠⁠https://localeyesgrowth.com/valor⁠⁠ to get the ball rolling!

Follow the Valor Coffee Podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valorcoffeepod⁠⁠

Follow Valor on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valor.coffee⁠⁠

Subscribe to Riley's YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Riley:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Ross: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rosswalters⁠⁠

Follow Ethan's Parody Account:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/ethanrivers777

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep155

Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way!

Most coffee shops struggle to grow, but we share how we went from $87 pop-up days to cafés on track for $1M each. We talk about the simple things that actually get people through the door—like guest experience, location, and staying consistent—plus plenty of laughs and stories from along the way. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to keep a coffee shop alive (and thriving), this one’s for you.

This week's episode is brought to you by our friends at Odeko: Use our code VALOR10 for 10% off your first supply order! Hit the link below to sign up now:n https://portal.odeko.com/signup

*If you purchase something through one of our links, we may be entitled to a share of the sale*

Buy Valor Coffee: ⁠⁠https://valor.coffee/shop?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep155

Watch on Youtube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/valorcoffee16⁠⁠

Want to become a Wholesale Partner? Email us at [email protected] to set up an account!

Want to send us coffee? Have a question you want to answer on the show? Send us an email to [email protected]

Want to get your business in front of more people? We partnered with Local Eyes Growth to grow our business through SEO and the results have been incredible. Local Eyes is offering a FREE backlink ($300 value) to Valor Coffee Podcast listeners who partner through our exclusive link.

Visit ⁠⁠https://localeyesgrowth.com/valor⁠⁠ to get the ball rolling!

Follow the Valor Coffee Podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valorcoffeepod⁠⁠

Follow Valor on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valor.coffee⁠⁠

Subscribe to Riley's YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Riley:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Ross: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rosswalters⁠⁠

Follow Ethan's Parody Account:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/ethanrivers777

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep154

Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way!

In this week's episode, the boys take a little detour to Starbucks before hitting the studio. They try out a lineup of Starbucks drinks (mostly recommended by their wives), share what they genuinely enjoy about the coffee giant, and dive into why the specialty coffee world often has a love-hate relationship with them. Join us for a unconventional taste test and some honest coffee talk from a specialty coffee perspective.

This week's episode is brought to you by our friends at Odeko: Use our code VALOR10 for 10% off your first supply order! Hit the link below to sign up now!https://portal.odeko.com/signup

*If you purchase something through one of our links, we may be entitled to a share of the sale*

Buy Valor Coffee: ⁠⁠https://valor.coffee/shop?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep154

Watch on Youtube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/valorcoffee16⁠⁠

Want to become a Wholesale Partner? Email us at [email protected] to set up an account!

Want to send us coffee? Have a question you want to answer on the show? Send us an email to [email protected]

Want to get your business in front of more people? We partnered with Local Eyes Growth to grow our business through SEO and the results have been incredible. Local Eyes is offering a FREE backlink ($300 value) to Valor Coffee Podcast listeners who partner through our exclusive link.

Visit ⁠⁠https://localeyesgrowth.com/valor⁠⁠ to get the ball rolling!

Follow the Valor Coffee Podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valorcoffeepod⁠⁠

Follow Valor on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valor.coffee⁠⁠

Subscribe to Riley's YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Riley:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Ross: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rosswalters⁠⁠

Follow Ethan's Parody Account:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/ethanrivers777

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep153

Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way!

Ethan and Ross answer the age old café question: Why is there always a line out the door at your coffee shop? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? In this episode, we break down what a long line really means for your business, how it could be hurting your bottom line, and smart strategies to speed things up without sacrificing quality. Whether you're a café owner, barista, or just love coffee culture, this one's for you.

*If you purchase something through one of our links, we may be entitled to a share of the sale*

Buy Valor Coffee: ⁠⁠https://valor.coffee/shop?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep153

Watch on Youtube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/valorcoffee16⁠⁠

Want to become a Wholesale Partner? Email us at [email protected] to set up an account!

Want to send us coffee? Have a question you want to answer on the show? Send us an email to [email protected]

Want to get your business in front of more people? We partnered with Local Eyes Growth to grow our business through SEO and the results have been incredible. Local Eyes is offering a FREE backlink ($300 value) to Valor Coffee Podcast listeners who partner through our exclusive link.

Visit ⁠⁠https://localeyesgrowth.com/valor⁠⁠ to get the ball rolling!

Follow the Valor Coffee Podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valorcoffeepod⁠⁠

Follow Valor on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valor.coffee⁠⁠

Subscribe to Riley's YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Riley:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Ross: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rosswalters⁠⁠

Follow Ethan's Parody Account:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/ethanrivers777

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep152

Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way!

We had the pleasure of welcoming our longtime friend and mentor, Roy Keely, to the podcast this week. Roy played a pivotal role in helping us launch our first café through a private loan and has remained a key voice in our story over the past seven years. In this convo, we dive deep into the lessons Roy has taught us: about coffee, business, investing, time management, and how to not go broke starting a café. Roy has a knack for challenging conventional wisdom in the most encouraging way possible, and this episode is packed with insights for anyone thinking about starting a coffee shop (or already in the trenches). Also, we finally addressed the early cold brew controversy... you won, Roy.

*If you purchase something through one of our links, we may be entitled to a share of the sale*

Buy Valor Coffee: ⁠⁠https://valor.coffee/shop?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep152

Watch on Youtube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/valorcoffee16⁠⁠

Want to become a Wholesale Partner? Email us at [email protected] to set up an account!

Want to send us coffee? Have a question you want to answer on the show? Send us an email to [email protected]

Want to get your business in front of more people? We partnered with Local Eyes Growth to grow our business through SEO and the results have been incredible. Local Eyes is offering a FREE backlink ($300 value) to Valor Coffee Podcast listeners who partner through our exclusive link.

Visit ⁠⁠https://localeyesgrowth.com/valor⁠⁠ to get the ball rolling!

Follow the Valor Coffee Podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valorcoffeepod⁠⁠

Follow Valor on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valor.coffee⁠⁠

Subscribe to Riley's YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Riley:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rileywestbrook⁠⁠

Follow Ross: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rosswalters⁠⁠

Follow Ethan's Parody Account:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/ethanrivers777

00:00:03 Mics are hot and kankers are cranking

00:00:55 Meet Roy

00:05:16 Helping Fund Our First Cafe

00:17:13 How do you decide to spend your time?

00:29:06 Filling the Gaps

00:36:34 Practical wisdom from friend of the pod: Jay Z

00:46:19 Winning and Losing: A Spectrum