Work hard and be nice to people. That’s CEO of Super Coffee, Jimmy DeCicco’s simple, yet effective, business motto. Jimmy and his two brothers were looking to optimize their coffee by adding protein, coconut oil and monk fruit. Their post-practice pick-me-up eventually became their hit product Super Coffee, which has grown from a dorm room brew to hitting the shelves in Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, and beyond. We’re talking all about how Jimmy and his team have scaled their startup idea and the major lessons that he’s learned along the way.
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Episode Timeline & Discussion Questions:
( 2:49 ) Welcome back to Earn Your Happy.
( 3:57 ) Lori introduces Jimmy DeCicco.
( 5:25 ) Lori asks Jimmy about where the idea for Super Coffee came from.
( 6:51 ) Lori asks Jimmy, “What were the first steps of okay, we want to create this product. What does that even look like? Was it Google? Was it asking friends? What was it?”
( 8:17 ) Lori asks about how Jimmy brought the product out into the market.
( 9:53 ) Lori asks Jimmy, “What was the power of having your people around you, your brothers around you, to kind of throw you back in the game?”
( 11:12 ) Lori gives a special thanks to her sponsor, Brooklinen.
( 13:01 ) Lori asks Jimmy, “What do you think was the most important thing that people should know if they’re raising money?”
( 14:31 ) Lori and Jimmy discuss selling your vision.
( 16:07 ) Lori asks Jimmy about who his customer base is and if there were any surprises about that.
( 17:19 ) Lori asks Jimmy, “What are some of your biggest lessons?”
( 18:36 ) Lori and Jimmy talk about examples of things they thought would skyrocket their business, but didn’t pan out that way.
( 20:01 ) Lori asks Jimmy to share what’s coming up in 2022 for Super Coffee.
( 21:11 ) Lori thanks her sponsor, Prose.
( 23:02 ) Jimmy talks about his favorite part of being a CEO.
( 24:14 ) Lori asks Jimmy where his confidence comes from.
( 25:09 ) Jimmy and Lori discuss recognizing when it’s time to get uncomfortable and grow.
( 26:17 ) Jimmy talks about how playing sports has helped prepare him for business.
( 27:39 ) Lori asks Jimmy “What would you say still makes you nervous?”
( 28:41 ) Lori asks Jimmy, “What are some things that you would tell people if they want to be able to scale their business?”
( 29:54 ) Lori and Jimmy talk about having to have tough conversations.
( 31:37 ) Lori asks Jimmy about hiring and how he built his team.
( 36:50 ) Lori asks Jimmy, “What do you think are the most important traits of a leader?”
( 37:41 ) Lori asks Jimmy, “What were two to three beliefs that you had to unlearn and let go of that were maybe instilled in you growing up, whether that’s your family, or teachers or the outside world, in order to become the person that you are now?”
( 40:00 ) Lori asks Jimmy to share how we can find and support Super Coffee.
( 41:00 ) Lori asks listeners to tag @drinksupercoffee on Instagram and let Jimmy know what one of your biggest takeaways was. If you try Super Coffee, let him know what you think about it.
Guest Bio:
Jimmy DeCicco is the oldest brother and Chief Executive Officer at Kitu Life Inc., makers of Super Coffee.
Jimmy is a former collegiate athlete who left a job on Wall Street six years ago to start a company with his brothers, beginning out of the youngest brother’s dorm room.
Since then he’s raised hundreds of millions from celebrity investors including Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Baron Davis, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Aaron Rodgers and more and helped Super Coffee achieve their current $400 million valuation. Yet, he still admittedly suffers from imposter syndrome.
Jimmy and his brothers place a strong emphasis on corporate culture and Super Coffee was recently honored as one of Inc’s Best Workplaces for the second consecutive year. They firmly believe in spreading positive energy and the mantra Work Hard Be Nice to People. In addition to being hard at work themselves growing the business, Jimmy and his brothers wake up at the crack of dawn each day to get in their own workouts, living the healthy and positive energy lifestyle Super Coffee promotes.
