We were lucky to catch up with Matt Heltzel recently and have shared our conversation below.
Matt, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
I grew up with what psychologists sometimes refer to as “internalized shame.” Unlike guilt, which says “I did something bad,” the messaging I internalized was “I am bad.”
I battled with that for the first 25 years of life, until I discovered Brene Brown’s ted talks about shame and vulnerability. Through her ted talks and a few years of therapy, I began to build a sense of self-esteem and confidence in myself. Mostly, I discovered that “I wasn’t bad,” but in fact I had lots to give the world. That transformation ultimately led me to starting Moxie.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Moxie Coffee Co is a company I started in 2021 where we roast specialty coffees and serve them in our cafe. Although we’re a ‘modern’ and ‘minimal’ brand, we take a lot of pride in serving our guests with warmth and authenticity. I’m really focused on creating an experience around coffee that’s rare and uncommon in the world. I want to help people discover a new way of thinking about coffee.
We’re hoping to open a second shop later in 2025 and launch a subscription service with an online community and digital content to compliment it.
We’re also launching a bakery inside of our current shop in the beginning of 2025.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I learned how to have empathy and kindness with myself, which translated to me having infinitely more patience and kindness with others. It changed everything for me and has certainly made me a better boss, husband, father, etc…
Earlier in my career in coffee, I spent time building the “hard skills.” Steaming milk, brewing coffee, tasting espresso, etc… But over time, I learned the “soft skills” were as important if not more important. Being able to relate with people, build trust and friendships, etc… has been the most valuable skill I’ve focused on.
I also take a lot of pride in that I owned a marketing/advertising consulting company for 4 years before opening Moxie. Throughout my 20’s I geeked out over coffee, but I also spent countless hours learning ecommerce, finance, business, marketing, and sales. The game of business intrigues me just as much as the game of coffee.
For anyone who’s a boss/ceo/founder of a company, I can’t stress enough the value of building a company culture around empathy and kindness.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
I’m constantly struggling to figure out how to find graphic designers/illustrators who are talented but affordable. I’ve even considered a business partnership with them if they were the right fit, in order to get us more merch, marketing collateral, etc… That process has been brutal and I’m just barely scratching the surface of figuring it out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://moxiecoffeeco.com
- Instagram: @moxiecoffeeco
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattheltzel/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
