Today on the Growing with Purpose podcast, Paul Spiegelman interviews Larry Jones, President and CEO of Pot O' Gold Coffee Service. Larry was just seventeen-years-old when he had the idea to get into the office coffee supply business with his family. As a high schooler with no driver's license, Larry would walk on foot to sales meetings, carrying with him a coffee machine in a bag.
After graduating, Larry continued helping his family run the business until he decided to try another path: crab fishing. For 12 years, Larry spent most of his time crab fishing in Alaska, saving up money to help grow the business. Through hard work and perseverance, Larry and his family have built a generational family business that is both the largest Independent Office Coffee Service (OCS) Operator in Washington and the largest Independent Operator/purchaser of the Starbucks I-Cup brewer in the nation.
On today's episode, Larry shares behind-the-scenes stories of building their company from the ground up, and the important lessons on trust, relationships, and growth he's learned along the way. Tune into Larry's story here.
Show Notes
[3:17] A Seventeen-Year-Old Entrepreneur Walking to Sales Meetings
[5:50] 12 Years of Crab Fishing on 16 Different Boats
[10:40] A Black Sheep in a Catholic Family with Nine Siblings
[15:50] A Tough Business Decision: Letting His Brother Go
[21:06] The Risks & Rewards of Running a Family Business
[27:17] Planning an Exit Strategy with Family in Mind
[30:28] The Most Important Characteristic of a Leader: Be a Team Player
Selected Links from the Episode
Book that Influenced Larry's Leadership Style:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Looking for more episodes of the Growing with Purpose Podcast? Tune in!