His first goal was being able to cover his mortgage

Evan Hafer spent twenty years in the Army, fifteen of them in special forces, and started roasting coffee on deployment in Iraq. He funded Black Rifle Coffee by selling his military kit, did $1.37 million in his first year, and took no paycheck for two. He tells Elizabeth Gore why his first goal was covering a mortgage, how he hired a finance officer once he admitted he could not read a profit and loss statement, and what Malcolm Gladwell told him about the ten percent who will dislike him no matter what. Featuring Evan Hafer, Founder and Executive Chairman, Black Rifle Coffee Company Elizabeth Gore, Co-Founder and President, Hello Alice Presented by Block Advisors, built by H&R Block. Timestamps 0:00 Tax break: new SBA money for veteran-owned businesses 2:10 The cracked Denny's mug he carried on every deployment 4:39 The shadow box, and selling his kit to fund the company 6:30 What he actually carried overseas, and Triple R 8:40 Growing up in a logging family in northern Idaho 10:38 What his childhood smelled like 13:31 The mission came before the monetization 14:56 $1.37 million in year one, and no paycheck 15:34 Step one was being able to cover the mortgage 16:20 Why the Stanford basement story fits almost nobody 18:27 When interest rates hit 6 percent, business got real 19:39 He hired a finance person once he admitted he could not read a P and L 21:10 A $10,000 check in year one, before he paid himself 22:18 What a publicly traded benefit corp lets him do 23:50 People will try to exploit your goodwill 25:58 The New York Times interview with 83 inaccuracies 27:50 Malcolm Gladwell and the rule of 10 percent 29:11 Why courage is a learned behavior 31:20 The book he rereads every other year 32:25 Building the largest coffee subscription in America 34:40 Going where the customer told him to go 35:38 Operation Debt of Gratitude 38:19 The dirty unicorn: inventory bigger than distribution 39:16 Patient profitable growth 42:36 His small business shout-outs 44:30 Eise