Interview with Purity Coffee Founder & CEO - Andrew Salisbury

“Every night, I read everybody's testimonials without fail, and I've had them since the beginning of the business. That's where the rubber meets the road, where the customer is telling you—this is my experience.” 

Andrew Salisbury transitioned from owning a software company to doing something he really cares deeply about, cultivating and selling pure, organic coffee with real health benefits. Most of us see coffee as an important kickstart our mornings or a quick pick-me-up during the day, but we rarely think about the incredible health benefits it can have. In fact, many of us feel guilty if we drink too much of it. But Andrew and Purity Coffee have a very different story to tell. 

A while back, Andrew’s wife was having real issues with fatigue and he was determined to help her figure out why.  She was a big coffee drinker and he wondered if there was any connection. He tried to convince her to drop the coffee and as any true coffee lover would do, she said a resounding “not without real evidence that this is a problem.”  As he did his research, he found very contradictory stories. Some said coffee was bad for you and some said there were true health benefits. So Andrew got curious, some might say obsessed. He met with, and then collaborated with the Institute of Coffee Studies at Vanderbilt and one of the world’s leading coffee scientists to uncover the secrets of crafting the perfect, health-boosting cup of coffee.

That was the inspiration for Purity Coffee. And as you might imagine, creating a coffee brand around the idea of health was easier said than done. Making a truly healthy coffee involves a ton of complex factors around  sourcing, growing and roasting. The good news is there are very few competitors due to the immense effort and risk, especially for farmers that need to eliminate pesticides. The bad news is, that means the story of healthy coffee really hasn’t been told and there is not only a lot of education to be done, but also a lot of myths to be busted. Andrew is actually hoping for more brands to enter the category to help legitimize it.

All that said, he’s off to an incredible start. Purity Coffee has thousands of glowing testimonials from consumers who truly feel better after switching to it, and impressive online sales. 

In this episode, we discuss Andrew's journey in learning more about coffee, Purity’s production methods, and his approach to slow and steady growth. 

We also explore:

-Starting on DTC to determine if you’re ready for retail

-Raising capital through crowdfunding

-The evolving coffee industry in the face of climate change

This episode is truly special, packed with invaluable insights. Make sure to listen all the way through.