Meet David Hulett, Esq. | CEO and Co-Founder of Borderless Beans Trading Company

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful David Hulett a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi David, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

As a child, my father owned his own landscaping business. We would often spend summers working with him as he beautified the houses of his clients. He would always say, “People don’t pay you to do a job. They pay you to do a job well.” When we weren’t working on the yards of others, we were up early every Saturday tending to our own house’s front and back yard. Though I didn’t particularly enjoy those hot Texas days being taken away from in front of my Saturday morning cartoons to instead swat away mosquitoes outside in the sweltering sun, I have now come to appreciate the value of a hard day of labor. It feels good knowing that your own toil can lead to a tremendously rewarding result. After each project, we would step back and marvel at our work with pride. I still carry that sense of pride in my work to this day.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I currently work in private practice as a civil litigation attorney in Downtown Los Angeles. I have been practicing law for two years now. I attended law school at Howard University, an HBCU in Washington, DC. There, I completed the dual JD and MBA program. My goal in moving to LA is to become an entertainment attorney and help creatives and entrepreneurs of color establish and protect their intellectual property rights.

In conjunction with my law practice, I also run a wholesale coffee distribution business, called Borderless Beans Trading Company. At Borderless Beans, we strive to provide the highest quality Arabica coffee, sourced from East Africa, to our individual and enterprise clients. I got into the coffee business after a study abroad trip to Cape Town, South Africa while in law school. I wanted to present to the world, the wonders of African coffee, something that can often go overlooked and under-appreciated. Currently we work with a local roaster and co-packer to source the finest quality specialty grade coffee from the African continent and deliver this freshly roasted coffee to our customer’s doorsteps. We operate online and also host pop-up events. We’ll be doing tastings at Cruzitas on January 25th and at Roosevelt Lofts on February 1st. Stop by and say hello!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

An innate skill I have that can always be developed is interpersonal communication. For an entrepreneur, this skill is paramount. You not only have to sell your products, but yourself as well. Being able to convey a message to a stranger will help your business grow. It’s something I work on continuously and have developed further by participating in pitch competitions. Another skill to have is good business acumen. It’s not enough to just have a good idea, but you also have to be able to capitalize on it effectively. I would round these out with my legal knowledge. Law and business go hand in hand, so it is beneficial for me to have a solid understanding of both.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

My mother is a retired educator. I think one of the greatest things she has done, and continues to do for me, is to instill in me a thirst for knowledge. I’ve been able to travel the world and explore different places and ideas because I’ve always had a yearning to learn more. Having a mom that encouraged my brother and I to read books, ask questions, and do research has been so helpful on my journey in life. Because of this, I consider myself a lifelong learner.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Empathy Unlocked: Understanding how to Develop Emotional Intelligence

“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus

Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Boosting Productivity Through Self-Care

When you have a never-ending to-do list it can feel irresponsible to engage in self-care,