Coffe’ Summers is a rising journalist and media enthusiast from Joliet, IL, whose goal in life is to wake up every morning doing what she loves and helping others do the same. She has an affinity for the arts, and creativity has always helped her move through the world with love and confidence. It drove her to pursue an artistic avenue, but she didn’t know where to start exactly. She did know that whatever it would be, it would be centered in media and entertainment.
Over the years, she discovered her passion for media and entertainment through publications such as VIBE, SOURCE, and XXL. She fell in love with their creative expression and representation and filled dozens of boxes by collecting ever issue to pour over their pages. She wanted to be part of it. There always seemed to be something in the way of her finding her place at an established company, however, so she decided to make her own way. She doesn’t believe in giving up and has learned to trust the process in all of its messy glory.
Her self-motivation and drive paid off, and now Coffe’ runs her own publication called Coffea. Coffea focuses on the lifestyles of growing entrepreneurs, which can be found at coffeamag.com. Her desire to explore connections through art brings a lot of new talent to the forefront, where she gives a platform to those that may have been lost in a saturated market. She also has interviewed and covered stories on industry leaders such as Robin Kelly, Luxury Law, Lisa Price, Chrishon Lampley, and TJ Jackson. She remains dedicated to increasing platforms for creatives and plays an active role in all aspects of the magazine. From directing to publishing, Coffe continues to push towards creating timeless pieces globally.
Coffe’ can be heard on her weekly podcast, No Sugar No Cream. Along with treasured guests, she shares stories on life, love, lessons learned, and lots of laughter. Her podcast can be heard on 11 different outlets.
Please tell us a little bit about your company – what is Coffea all about?
Coffea is dedicated to introducing amazing people to the world. Coffea Magazine is a lifestyle magazine for growing entrepreneurs. We are committed to engage you on your journey and give helpful tips that will lead you down the road of success. Coffea has managed to interview some that have now reached their goals and then some. We love to hear your hunger beforehand and understand the passion that motivated you to begin in the first place. We encourage the interaction of creative minds. Let’s brainstorm together and congratulate each other.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
Coffe’ Summers relaunched Coffea magazine in 2018. She hoped to give those highlighted their much earned fifteen minutes of fame. Most times those recognized are mainstreamed and we tend to constantly see the same people on every cover. With Coffea she wanted to catch those before the fame and before the main stage in hopes and helping them get their feet in the door.
What are your plans, how do you plan to grow this company?
At first the concept of a magazine seemed simple. I imagined using flyers, events, and soliciting to for potential accounts to ensure shelf placement for each issue of the magazine. However, with the chain in technology, the average newsstand looks different.
Coffea now plans to expand by offering our readers a little more, support. We believe by being interactive with helping them grow their businesses and dreams will help us succeed. Coffea has also started a series called Coffea Interviewed. This has morphed our original image of a hard copy magazine to a more televised information station. We are now celebrating entrepreneurs digitally.
What were the top mistakes you made starting your business and what did you learn from it?
There were many mistakes when I first started. The top mistakes were building beyond my budget, not creating a solid team, and not researching my target audience. The list is short but unfortunately created a huge delay in the growth of my company.
I learned that research is everything. You may immediately get excited when you have an idea to start a company. The brand becomes your baby and you will do anything , at first , to try to succeed instantly. Unfortunately, life and reality takes control and taints what once was something you saw no flaws in. Stay focused on the end goal. Push through and remember your why.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
I found the best way to separate myself is to be myself. I became more confident with my brand and realized that an order to create a niche, I had to focus on a need or what’s missing in magazines that I previously admired. The answer became clear. The entrepreneur with potential. Sure, sometimes business owners were lucky they received an inside article about their accomplishments, but what about the cover. I love what I do and can’t wait to create a larger platform to support others.
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
Everyday I read and I meditate. I try to center myself to evaluate the previous day. I either try to read more information about what the nation is doing as a whole in business, as well as, self-help /self-care books. I am a strong believer in positive energy and the power of manifestation. My energy determines my day and my growth.
What are three books or courses you recommend for new entrepreneurs?
Three books recommended are The Subtle Art of Not Giving AF by Mark Manson, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, and Accounting for Dummies by John A . Tracy. Of course there are books may want to read that are related to your industry, but think of business as self-care. Without laying the proper foundation of confidence and money management, things may fall apart before they get started.
If you only had $100 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t spend it. Sounds crazy huh? The idea of going for broke is ridiculous. There are so many free resources and opportunities that spending any money at first seems absurd. However, I would use that as my branding strategy. I would look to barter services and continue you tell myself your business has a $100, how can you make it $200.
How can we get in touch with you?
To learn more about Coffea magazine, visit our website www.coffeamag.com and follow us on social media @coffeamag on all platforms.
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