I am so excited for this month's Founder Friday! Today we are talking with someone who has not only taken a passion and turned it into a thriving business that serves her community and culture with excellence, but has done so in the face of cultural challenges that, as a woman in Saudi Arabia, forced her to be creative in this pursuit. We are talking with the founder of Hjeen Coffee, in Saudi Arabia, Sarah Alakeel!

Sarah has been trained in and worked as a manager and founder of tech and e-commerce businesses before she discovered coffee and started her blog www.hjeen.com in 2016. The passion that she developed for coffee mixed with her business savvy came together to created what Hjeen is now, a growing and bustling roastery and wholesale business as well as with two cafes.

Sarah has been making waves in coffee for a while now and in our conversation with Sarah we will get to hear her story and how she has grown this business and the lessons she has learned along the path.

We cover:

First taste of great coffee
Beginning in the business of coffee
Breaking cultural barriers as a woman
Accommodating tradition while introducing new ways
Establishing a system to serve a variety of tastes
Knowing what trends and tools are right for your customers
Enjoying the journey
Challenges of ownership
Hiring the right employees for your culture
Embracing the management roles of ownership

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364 Founder Friday! w/ Sarah Alakeel of Hjeen Coffee, Saudi Arabia