Rediscovering the Magic of Coffee: Exploring Bruvi and Mel Elias' Revolution in Home Brewing
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Coffee is by far one of the most complex beverages we can drink. Wine has approximately two hundred tasting notes, while coffee has something like eight hundred. Coffee comes from so many different cultures, and the process of producing it means that it has touched over one hundred hands before it gets to your cup. I didn't know any of that before I had the privilege to sit down and chat with Mel Elias, the founder of Bruvi.
As consumers, we've forgotten just how special coffee is. Each morning I wake up and I hit the button on my Nespresso machine and it spits out my coffee. I plop some creamer in it, and depending on the day, drink it while I check emails or watch cartoons. Before I met Mel, and before learning about Bruvi, I didn't even realize just how desensitized I'd become to my coffee process. It was like brushing my teeth, or washing my face in the morning, just part of the routine. Not something to romanticize or appreciate to its fullest.
But, listening to Mel talk about coffee is like listening to an expert sommelier talk about wine. It's infectious, and he made me rethink my relationship with at-home coffee. He made me realize that my morning ritual not only sets the tone for the rest of my day, but it's also an integral part of my day. So why shouldn't my coffee be the best quality, taste the best, and be the best for the environment? This is the driving force behind Bruvi as a company. We, as consumers, should not sacrifice quality for convenience. But we do, all the time. So, Bruvi has reinvented every aspect of the at-home brewing experience from the coffee itself, to the brewer and even the pod disposal process, to give you your favorite coffee shop experience, but at home.
Bruvi's coffee is high quality, ethically sourced, and built on lasting relationships with the producers. I had the ability to taste it for myself, and compared to what I was making at home, I couldn't believe the depth of flavor. It honestly tasted like a barista had made it. Also, Bruvi's B-Pods are specifically designed for “guilt free disposal” in landfills. They break down much more rapidly through an organic process that leaves no microplastics behind. And in applicable landfills, B-Pods can also play a role in creating renewable energy, giving the pods a more meaningful use after disposal.
Their brewer is sleek and modern, but the wooden accents give it an organic feel. Bruvi brewers are able to produce seven different beverages from cold brew, to americanos. They also have a myriad of functions, including my personal favorite, the low acid function. The brewer automatically adjusts up to seven brew parameters and hundreds of combinations for the optimal brew. Also, the coffee goes straight into your mug without touching the insides of the brewer so, no flavor cross contamination and no daily rinsing (I didn't even know that cross contamination was a thing before this interview). And if that wasn’t enough, because of the B-pod design and the brewer functionality, you also get up to 40% more coffee than a traditional pod. Oh, and, you can control everything via their app, even schedule your morning brew.
I became a huge fan of Bruvi after sitting down with Mel (and after trying Bruvi for myself). But during our interview, we honestly didn't talk that much about Bruvi as a product, but the conversation gravitated more towards what it’s like being a founder. Mel got his start in corporate and after that door closed neatly, he knew it was the perfect opportunity to do all the things he wanted to, but couldn't do, in corporate. “I was so detached from the product,” he recalls, “I wasn't dealing with the coffee anymore. I wanted to get back into what really matters.” Because he experienced both worlds, I was keen to get his thoughts on startup life.
“You have to be a little bit insane in some way to want to do a startup.”
As we've discussed in previous articles, part of the founder experience is being confronted with challenges and moments that make you wonder why you decided to start your company in the first place. So I asked Mel how he deals with this. His advice is to handle challenges one at a time, and to keep reminding yourself of your mission and purpose. Eventually, you'll develop a sense of resilience. “There are moments when you can, and will want to give up, and it's legitimately right to. You think, 'I won't be able to overcome this one,' and then you do.” By overcoming challenges one at a time, one after another, you become stronger and more resilient.
But Mel also notes that you have to have the right team. Just like it takes over a hundred hands to get the coffee to your cup, it takes a village to run a startup. I think about my entrepreneur big brother, and his incredible co-founder, his great group of friends, and of course his family, who have been there for him every step of the way. We all need someone during the hard times, founders especially. Mel notes how integral his co-founder and his team have been for him. “At each point in the journey, someone is going to need a lift.” In a venture that's as stressful as it is rewarding, no one can do it alone.
But Mel's greatest asset in adjusting from corporate to startup life is that he is focused not on the destination, but on the journey. It sounds cliche, but for Mel it’s been a profound realization (one that I have been working on accepting myself). When he was in corporate Mel used to think, “It's okay, I will suffer as long as we hit our milestones and cash out.” He said that every day was difficult because of that mindset, and when the end goal came, the euphoria lasted about three days and then it was as if it never happened. Mel’s approach now is to enjoy the daily grind. “The journey is what matters, not the destination. My stress levels have come down and my capacity for enjoyment has grown.”
One of my favorite moments during our interview was when he recalled a recent Bruvi team meeting. He was passionately discussing the different types of gas capture systems that impact the coffee pod industry, when he realized about six minutes into his speech, that no one cared. But, he was having so much fun telling the team about what he's been learning, that he carried on anyway. “They'll learn one day that all this is fun and to embrace knowledge. I now feel good about becoming an expert in my area.”
At the end of every interview I do with founders, I always ask if they have any specific routines or practices that keep them grounded, sane, and inspired every day. What fuels their soul so they can fuel their business? Mel's answer was two fold. First, “you have to know yourself and you have to recognize when you're pushing too hard.” Your life has to be balanced. Work, family, and social life all have to be in balance and you have invest in all three aspects. You can't rely on your business for your self-fulfillment.”
I found that last part particularly interesting. We all have a proclivity to define ourselves based off of our achievements, myself included. It’s easy to say, “I am successful because of all these things I’ve built or done.” But I don’t believe that mindset is sustainable. You’ll always be chasing the next goal, or the next milestone, just like Mel said. But there’s beauty in losing yourself in the journey because that’s where the growth lies. This brings me to Mel’s second piece of advice. “Founders have to get lost, just like Don Draper from Mad Men before the Coca Cola ad.” As a founder, and the person who sets the vision, you have to be inspired, and you can't stay inspired if you're stuck in the weeds of your daily life.
I learned a lot from Mel about the mindset of founders and creative people in general. He gave such great advice about embracing the journey and all the little things that come up along the way. Talking with him about founder life felt like enjoying a beautiful cup of coffee. I learned how to enjoy the individual tasting notes of the brew, to find the balance of flavors, and take time to enjoy the ambiance around me. I realized it was all a fantastic metaphor for life. He ended our interview with a call to action for any aspiring founders out there. ”If you have selective amnesia or misplaced idealism (which he says all founders need), use it. Make a difference in the world.”
To check out Bruvi for yourself, head to their website and their Instagram!
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