Coffee in the hole

Time for a big announcement. But first, some preface. 

For years now, I've been a huge proponent of Scars & Stripes Coffee. I joined the company just months after it went live. The mission being a huge part of the why. A Veteran owned and run company, to help Veterans reintegrate into their communities. Also, to build a business. If you go to the website at the time of this writing, you'll find the SSC still says, "We empower Veterans to build their own business using our e-commerce platform and through direct-to-consumer sales via events." As all of us in the company have recently learned, the company is no longer Veteran owned. And as an email sent out by the CEO informed us this week, the company will soon no longer be Veteran owned. 

The company to this point has been built on a military structure, and ranking system that's familiar to all Veterans. An easy platform for any Vet to build from. As our now sole CEO stated in his most recent email, we've been, "building a company that looks much like the military." That was the goal. Veterans have been struggling and hurting. So, we put them in a structured environment that's familiar to them and help them build out and back into their communities. Veterans holding each other accountable and teaching each other along the way. It's been successful for many of us. Then he continues on to state, "why would the company look just like the military." As a statement, not a question. You can imagine, seeing that statement was a direct attack on the vision we've had from the start. And it hurt. The company's vision and direction is changing, and no longer going to be focused on helping Veterans. A very unfortunate turn. 

This brings me back to the, "build their own business" part. For years now, many have known that a personal goal of mine has been to start my own coffee business. To no longer be the middleman or an affiliate, but to build something where I can support my family and be my own boss, with a product I believe in beyond my other ventures. 

With that said, Burton's Scars & Stripes is now going to transition towards that dream. Over the next few weeks my FB page will transition over to my own brand. My own company. I have two coffee roasters that will be taking care of my coffee as orders come in. So, it will still be roasted to ship. Freshness guaranteed still. And as I've been asked so many times, when will I get flavored coffee. Well, that is happening now too. Several flavors are ready to go, including seasonal favorites. For the time being it will be coffee only. In the future the plan is to bring in mugs, tumblers, stickers, apparel and such. Small steps forward, and building. Will SSC continue to be on the menu? I honestly don't know. Probably not. But for now, it is. 

So please continue to support and empower me by getting your coffee at: www.ss.coffee/rominger 

And keep an eye out for more announcements and the transition on my FB page: 

www.facebook.com/scarsandstripesROMINGER 

We're going to poke the bear, and help it wake up! You'll see very soon. 

Road to Becoming a Caffeine Dealer

 Road to Becoming a Caffeine Dealer

    So much to cover, I'm not even sure where to start. A little over 2 years ago I had something unique popup in my feed. A Veteran based coffee company called Scars & Stripes Coffee. Over and over this ad would show. So I finally looked into it, just to find out if it's legit or not. Plus, who doesn't love coffee? It's the second most consumed product on the planet after water right! Turns out it's a legit company. Here's a coffee company made for Veterans...take my money at least once! I ordered a bag, had it shipped out to me, and what do I find? A coffee that straight up lived up to it's hype about the product. Like many, the coffee itself is what I cared about at the start. I mean, if the coffee is garbage, bye-bye. 

    At this point I'm interested in the company. The coffee is solid, so what's the Veteran empowerment part all about? I aim my browser to their site and away we go! So it says, ONLY Veterans can sell their product. And they have a vetting process. Admittedly I was hesitant because they ask for a copy of your DD-214. Any that's ever held one will tell you there's a plethora of vital info there. Date of birth, social security number, full name, a summary of your service and awards. In the wrong hands some serious damage can be done! But I took a leap of faith and bam! I was a team member. I'd worked with MLM's in the past, so I kept my guard up. Turns out this wasn't an MLM at all. They didn't even require you to make a monthly quota, or spend anything right away to get started. Instead they sent me a ton of paperwork. Literally the foundation of how to start my own company with their backing. Sounds weird right? 

    The beginning. I fired up a facebook page dedicated to only my coffee. And in my posts I'd guide people to the company website. All they had to do was plug in my last name at checkout and I earned a commission. This worked even better than I thought! I even worked my way up the chain being promoted to Squad Leader! I was on a roll! Then COVID happened. Right when I was thinking about working events and getting out with it, the pandemic shut down everything. So ecommerce became my friend for a while. Then my state finally started to open back up. I made a small investment in myself. about $500. I told myself if this doesn't work, then I'm done. Within my first two outings, not only did I earn it back with interest, but I found myself selling out of certain products! I took my commission, and dumped it all back in to my venture. My next promise to myself was that I was going to earn that $500 initial investment back, and make sure that my SSC business was self sustaining. And it happened. 

    Now I'm not rich by any stretch of the imagination. Nor will I be doing this. But I've found I have a lot of fun going out to events, connecting with people, and hearing their stories of service or the stories of their loved ones who served or are currently serving. It's helped me bring down more barriers that I put up in my own life and get back out into my community. Last year I even made it out to Oklahoma for the annual sales meeting and had a blast running a 5k mud run. There's nothing like the bond of fellow Veterans though. That's really the best part. 

2021 was a great year for coffee. 2022 is going to be even better!

PS: If you want to try it for yourself you can. Head over to www.ss.coffee/Rominger and give it a go. 

Meaning of Memorial Day

Memorial Day. It's an annual holiday which honors those whose paid the ultimate price for our country, and the many freedoms we have. Originally it was to honor the deceased troops of the Civil War, but quickly spread to honor all of the fallen. Unlike Veterans Day, it is only to honor the dead. Something that many people have forgotten, or take for granted and instead look towards family gatherings, an extra day off of work, and BBQ's. But many others still recognize it as well. And it truly holds a different meaning for the average civilian when compared to service members, and their families.

As of this morning, many people started enjoying parades, stalking up for various festivities, cleaning up the boat, and then some. For many of these people, Memorial Day doesn't hold much meaning. It's not a shot at them, but they just don't know anything else because they've never been directly impacted by this day of remembrance. They might know on an academic level what it represents, but beyond that there is nothing. 

Then you have those who have been touched in some way. Perhaps it's by a friend lost, or hurt in service. Possibly a veteran they met while volunteering at a retirement home, or helped at a shelter. Whatever the circumstance, they know that this is a day that represents a bigger picture than they realize. They go out to homes, and churches to help those veterans to pay their respects to fallen comrades. They go out to graveyards, clean them up, place flags, and possibly help others find the markers of the fallen warriors they're looking for. And yet others even go beyond that and do what they can to ensure that none of the graves are disturbed or vandalized.

You have the families of our warriors. They spend countless hours wondering if their fathers, sons, mothers, daughters, uncles, cousins, husbands, and wives are alright. They worry about them even when out training. They worry when they are out at their daily jobs. Then they worry when they are deployed. Seeing and hearing the news of an accident, ambush, or attack and wondering if their loved one will be next, while seeing their neighbor get the news that someone will not be coming home to them ever again. To the Memorial Day represents their lost loved ones, lost friends, and their loved ones family away from home.

Ultimately you have service members. The men and women who raised their hand, swore an oath, and signed a blank check up to and including their very life. Memorial Day has a special meaning. We remember those who came before us. We remember those we called brother and sister, who have been called for duty by our Commander-in-Chief in the sky. For some it's a hard day, because to a point we feel that we are having it crammed down our throats that we've lost a part of our family. For others it's a good reminder that we have life to live for them and to make it count. We reflect on our fights, as much as we do our accomplishments. While some of us will let our eyeballs sweat, others will drown their sorrow in something else. But ultimately, we remember. We remember because for us Memorial Day isn't a holiday. It isn't a news report. It isn't a parade, or a BBQ. It's a face, a voice, a friend, a family member, a part of ourselves.

To those who have fallen, thank you. You are not forgotten. Semper Fidelis.