Poked the Bear!

Well, some time has passed, and I poked the bear. I pulled the trigger and started my own coffee company and am working with two separate roasters. And going right out the gate we have so much to offer including some teas! It's tremendous! Let me share with you just a taste of what we're serving, and then you can check it out for yourself! 

Of course, it's all available online. Not just in a shop. Let's start with grinds. We offer 4. Espresso, Standard, Coarse, and of course Whole Bean. And just in case you're wondering, yes we have kcups as well! With that said we have several packaging options as well. The standard 12 oz that you've come to expect from me over the years is there. Then there are options from 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb, and even 12 lb! There's an option for absolutely everyone! 

Now of course, I know you're wondering, how many types. In the past I've only had 4 choices which has always left people wanting more. Those choices were Medium Roast, Dark Roast, Espresso Blend, or Decaf. Well, I'm proud to announce that I now have more than 40 options from one end to the other! Single Origin, Blends, Flavored, Organic, and even some sample packs for those who want to try an assortment without breaking the bank! And as I said there is even a section dedicated to Tea! 

There's a lot! And the goal is to keep adding! Now, with that said, there's more! Right now, shipping is 100% FREE anywhere in the US. That includes military facilities. AND if you subscribe, yes subscriptions are available, there's also a discount that applies automatically based on how frequently you set it for deliver your caffeine! So, you'll save even more! 

I encourage you all to check it out. Also, when you're on the site, if you subscribe to get emails here's my promise. You won't get a ton of email from me. As a matter of fact, in the past couple of months it's been up and running, the only emails anyone has gotten are their order receipts and tracking info! However, subscribing to email or following the company's social media are the ONLY ways to get discount codes that will save you even more money! So look me up on IG and FB at Waking Bear Coffee. And head over to the website to check it out! 

WakingBearCoffee.com is ready for your caffeine needs! 

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. 

Coffee and Warm Drinks

This is going to get me in trouble with some, oh well! I'll keep it short.

I love coffee, I really can't stand Starbucks. Every once in a while I'll go back just to make sure it hasn't improved. Today I when and got a Carmel Macchiato, venti, hot. It's horrible! I always feel that the beans are over cooked or something! I over pay every time! Bucks is just convenient garbage, much like McDonalds. Except their fries, who doesn't love their fries right?

But then there's this wonderful place down the road. My Circle K. Cheap, hot, and delicious! If I really want to splurge, I'll go to Dunkin Donuts. Yup, that place! My fiancée is all about her Starbucks, but these days it's a much more open door. She even said that Dunkin is better! Can you believe it! I was on cloud 9 because I knew she meant it! We'll go to the store and buy better coffee for home.

But now there's a little more of a bit in the air. So I've been warming up a different drink a little more often. First there's the Apple Cider, sometime with a little Irish Whiskey, sometime not. But then there's the grand daddy of winter awesomeness! Hot Cocoa! And I especially love my with broken up candy cane!

Now, sometimes I go into teenager mode. And even I was a bit skeptical when I did this. I made some with Eggnog. It's the one time I'll say skip the candy cane. When done with just the plain cocoa though.... mmm! I'm going to have to get more eggnog at the store today. It really is awesome though. An holiday treat dancing into my mouth, and down my throat. Not for the light of heart. Give it a try. I dare you!