Life & Work with Justin Nichols

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Justin Nichols.

Justin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It started when I was working for the local Sheriff’s Office. I was having issues with what was available for patrol uniforms. The comfort was not there. I was hot during the afternoons and cold during the nights.

This was what led to the creation of the Alpha Base Layer. Over a few years, there were many changes and upgrades. This eventually led us to get into the premium coffee game. Which we are pretty much doing exclusively now.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story. Has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
No, not at all. The road has been rough. The ups and downs have been significant and still continue. Friends and business partners have come and gone. Sales go up and down and constantly having to come up with new ways to stay relevant have been tough.

As we have grown and developed, we figured out what is working and what is not. We have rebranded once, and it looks like we will have to make another change here in the future. Your customers determine your success and what your company needs to be. In keeping with this, we have found there are things our customers want and don’t want, so we are working towards these changes while still staying true to who we are.

Business is a constant lesson. If you can’t learn from the lesson, then you’re not going to make much forward progress. Sometimes, the lessons are painful.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Well, the company started based on our base layers/undershirts, which were designed for law enforcement use. I spent a couple of years designing these and bringing them to life. Those who have worn/used our base layers love them! We have not had a single complaint yet.

But we began getting into coffee about a year ago. It started small and has continued to grow. We wanted to provide a coffee label in support of law enforcement with high-quality premium coffee. This led to TEN33 Coffee. Currently, we have four types: light roast, medium roast, dark roast, and specialty. The response has been amazing, and there will most likely be a big move to coffee only.

Our coffee is a small batch roasted with organic beans. Generally speaking, roasting to customers is about two weeks, so it’s extremely fresh. Flavor, quality, and freshness are very important to us. We did not want to just be a general coffee line but wanted to be at the top of this line.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck has a place, but hard work supersedes luck. You can’t get lucky sitting on your couch. I have met many great people selling products at pop-up events or speaking with managers of local stores/businesses. It might be luck that these people walk by your booth or speak with you. But if you had never set up that booth or called that store, you would never have had the opportunity.

You also have to be humble enough to understand who you’re talking to. That old man or young kid might know way more about business than you do. They might be willing to help you or give you advice, which could help you tenfold. If you’re not humble enough to simply have a conversation and use your ears, then luck won’t help you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ten33usa.com
• Instagram: @ten33industries_
• Facebook: TEN33 Coffee