This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sahra Nguyen, the 36-year-old founder and CEO of, about the marketing strategies that have helped grow her business. Insider has verified her business' revenue with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Like many small businesses, we simply didn't have the money to spend. So we relied on growing our audience more organically for as long as we could. Even though we eventually layered in ad spend, I think this diversified marketing mix has really benefited us by allowing us to meet different types of customers where they are and creating multiple touchpoints to ultimately inspire a prospective customer to buy.
On social media, I can share ideas for ways to enjoy our beans and insights into how to use our specialty-coffee equipment. I can show behind-the-scenes shots of the Vietnamese coffee farmers we work with directly and explain why Vietnamese coffee is so special. I can dig into my journey as a Vietnamese American founder and discuss the change I want to see in the industry.
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