We recently connected with Matt Zions and have shared our conversation below.
Matt, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I lost someone close to me 5 years ago. I started this company to honor their memory.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I really had a tough time telling this story, but this process has made it a little easier.
A little over 4 years ago I lost my fiancée to Cancer after a 17-day battle. I spent 2 years not doing anything to honor her memory. I heard someone say that you die 2 times. Once when you pass away and once when people forget about you. I don’t know what it was about that saying but it motivated me to create something that would honor her. So I decided to find a product that I could use my reach in the Bourbon community to generate an income stream to donate to a cancer fund/society in her name. Bourbon drinkers and coffee drinkers overlap at a very high percentage, it seemed a natural fit. Next was to hire multiple Bio-Chemists to create an infusion process to make a product that the community loved and not some subpar barrel-aged coffee. We found the perfect specialty-grade bean from Brazil and the result was Bourbon Chocolate Chip. During this time I had to find a cancer charity worthy of her name. I was quite disappointed to find out that most of these charities did not impress. I thought that if I was going to honor her name I should find a charity where the money actually went to good work.
Enter the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. I didn’t seek out a pediatric cancer foundation but 90% of the money goes to research. I was so impressed with them. I couldn’t wait to make my 1st donation. But we still had to make coffee and we did. On December 25th 2022 we launched Bourbon Chocolate Chip Coffee. We are already in roughly 30 stores in the Southeast and sell online at MonkeyCultCoffee.com. We also have a merchandise line that has been in demand and we now released more flavors, Toasted Coconut Rum, Golden Honey Agave, and Cigar Blend (Amaretto & Cognac flavor infused). Make no mistake, these are artisanal creations, real high-quality coffee for the serious coffee drinker. And the best part every time someone buys a bag we get to make a donation to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. #JoinTheCult.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
It’s a big learning curve bringing a product to market. you make a lot of mistakes but if you work hard you will find a lot of new opportunities
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We are in the process of collaborating with some breweries and distilleries. I don’t want to say too much right now but there are some exciting combinations that look like they might be on the horizon. We do business with many different types of stores Liquor stores are our most natural fit.
Contact Info:
- Website: MonkeyCultCoffee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MonkeyCultCoffeeCo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083050524460
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoffeeCultLife
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCygoW4SRudalJZOcB_pAAmg
