(David Adkins of ArrowCoffee)

Q: Why did you start Arrow Coffee?

A: I think for me, personally, I’ve always had the spark. Even just from the time I was young. It’s always been about meeting needs, even when I was a little kid, wanting something or wanting to save up money to go out and buy something. That along with me meeting the needs of the people around me, like mowing lawns for little old ladies. There is this desire to find something that isn’t being done and to do it.

Q: How do you define your culture?

A: That is absolutely crucial to everything. Success comes when you are able to pass your vision beyond just yourself but to your employees and to your customer base; when people buy into what you’re selling. For me, it was important to create a culture where my employees enjoy what they’re doing and enjoy serving. For us it was seeking out knowledgeable and skilled people.

Early on, I think with our initial employee base, which was like four people, we had over 25 years of combined coffee experience. People who I had seen in the coffee business who had performed well, who had great relationships with their customers, and who advanced in their workplaces, we brought them over here with the vision of serving better coffee, serving ethnically sourced coffee, and serving the community. The culture that we have created includes a pursuit of learning, growth, and a pursuit of sustainability.

Q: You talk about sustainability, how do you guys focus on sustainability?

A: With coffee, you’re talking more about people, that’s first and foremost where we focus. So, sustainability of the farms and economic growth in the regions where the coffee is actually being produced has been a big thing for us. Seeking out ethic roasters. Roasters who are going and building relationships directly with farmers around the world and who are helping improve processes on their farms and their businesses.
Also, just trying to be careful with the equipment that we are using and doing what we can with the small space that we have. Seeking to being aware. Aware of where our products are coming from.

Q: How is Arrow aware? And how do they give back to the community or seek to be responsible?

A: A big reason why I started this coffee shop is that coffee houses and coffee has always been central to community. A big way that we give back is to be here in the community and serve customers. There are plenty of other ways we give back. We do dorm room programs, we’ve donated coffee to YoungLife and a bunch of other community organizations. But our favorite way is to be here every day, from 7am to 9pm serving people. That’s the best way to give back."

Q: What are three attributes of your own person that you believe have benefited most as an entrepreneur?

A: Being tenacious and relentless. That’s one. I’m one of those guys that gets an idea in my head, and I keep going with it. Not being afraid to fail. Even in this process, we have failed so many times and so many ways. Learning to gleam awareness and educate ourselves in that failure. I didn’t finish my degree, I was a entrepreneurship major. I decided this is the way that I was going to gleam an education and to grow as an individual. And it’s been going in with that mindset that has helped me go into this. You know, small failures are not defeats... That was two. For me, personally, its really believing in what I’m doing. I’m not chasing a paycheck, of course that’s part of it. For me it’s easy to do what I’m doing because I love it and I believe in it with my whole heart."

Q: How many of these characteristics came naturally?

A: Most of it, I believe comes naturally. I think that people who are not naturally entrepreneurs can be entrepreneurs. But for me, it's just a trait that I have, I’m always creating, starting, and initiating. I would say that there are learned skill sets within that which help you succeed.

Q: To what do you attribute your own success—personally and as an entrepreneur?

A: I attribute my success to God. My faith--that He’s providing for me. I give credit to Him for everything. Beyond that, it’s being blessed with great employees and great support from family and friends behind me and the community of Manhattan.

Q: What makes you happy?

A: Serving others makes me happy.

Q: What’s your greatest fear?

A: "My greatest fear...

(There was a long pause here.)

...is losing myself in this whole process. The constant shift, you have to focus and manage so many different things and sometimes you forget to manage yourself. I actively work on taking time away from the business, having a hobby is huge. It’s been helpful to remember that there are things in life outside of this 500 square foot building. That helps me retain my perspective.