What happens when two coffee obsessives decide to build something they're genuinely proud of — with no money, no investors, and nothing but a handshake?

In this episode, I sit down with Andrew Bassett, co-founder of Little Victories Coffee Roasters in Ottawa, Ontario. Andrew started LVC at 20 years old after a formative year working in Melbourne's world-class cafe scene. Ten years later, the company has three flagship cafes, a thriving e-commerce program doing over half a million dollars a year, and a spot on the top 100 cafes list worldwide.

What we cover:

✅ Building Little Victories from scratch with a credit card, a storage unit, and 30-day payment terms
✅ The Melbourne influence — how Australian cafe culture shaped Andrew's vision for Ottawa
✅ The first sale story and the wholesale clients who said yes before LVC had even roasted a single bean
✅ The "Is it coffee and is it cool?" framework that guides every business decision
✅ The COVID pivot — losing $1.5M in wholesale overnight and rebuilding through e-commerce
✅ Building the shipping container cafe during lockdown to stay connected with the community
✅ The reusable bucket program — sustainable, cost-effective, and unchanged for 10 years
✅ How remembering names and orders built more community than any marketing budget ever could
✅ Andrew's philosophy on removing ego from specialty coffee and meeting every customer where they are

Connect with Andrew & Little Victories Coffee:

• 🌐 lvcoffee.ca
• 📸 Instagram: @littlevictoriescoffee

Talking Purpose is hosted by me, Katie Boothby-Kung. New episodes every week at talkingpurpose.ca

Learn more about starting and scaling a for-purpose business at www.talkingpurpose.ca

Start your business today on the best e-commerce platform in the world on Shopify

What if the most powerful marketing tool available to you as a founder is just being yourself?

In this episode, I sit down with Caroline Ndiangui — founder of ITSO Coffee and 2024 North American RT Foundation Award winner — to unpack how she built a specialty coffee brand rooted in ethical sourcing, women's empowerment, and radical transparency. Born and raised on a coffee farm in Kenya, Caroline launched ITSO Coffee to bridge the gap between Kenyan women farmers and North American consumers — with no middlemen, no shortcuts, and no paid ads.

What we cover:
✅ Growing up harvesting coffee in Kenya — and how that shaped the ITSO Coffee mission
✅ Sourcing directly from the Kipkelion Women in Coffee Cooperative and what fair trade looks like on the ground
✅ Micro-loans, health insurance, and youth empowerment programs embedded in the cooperative model
✅ QR code traceability that connects customers to the exact farmer who grew their beans
✅ Pivoting from imported roasted beans to local green bean roasting in Burlington, Ontario
✅ How organic social and in-person events built a loyal customer base with zero ad spend
✅ Why showing up authentically — unscripted, unpolished, and real — is the most powerful brand strategy a small business founder can use
✅ The Rootree Foundation Award win and what third-party recognition does for brand credibility
Connect with Caroline & ITSO Coffee:

🌐 itsocoffee.com
📸 Instagram: @itso_coffee
📘 Facebook: Itso Coffee
📧 info@itsocoffee.com

Talking Purpose is hosted by me, Katie Boothby-Kung. New episodes every week at talkingpurpose.ca

Learn more about starting and scaling a for-purpose business at www.talkingpurpose.ca

Start your business today on the best e-commerce platform in the world on Shopify

What if everything you know about e-commerce marketing is the opposite of what actually works?

In this episode, I sit down with Angela D. Clark — former VP of Digital at Patagonia and founder of Eclipse Advisory Group — to unpack the marketing philosophy behind one of the most purpose-driven brands on the planet. No paid Instagram ads. No discount codes. No chasing trends. Just a deeply intentional approach to brand building that puts environmental mission first and lets the retail engine follow.

What we cover:

✅ Why Patagonia's leadership starts with environmental impact — and retail comes second
✅ How earned media replaces paid advertising and frees up budget for higher-impact channels
✅ Why Angela chose Pinterest over Meta — and what product brands are missing on that platform
✅ The no-discount policy and how Patagonia converts abandoned carts without promo codes
✅ Building customer lifetime value through repair, resale, and brand storytelling
✅ The balance between retention and acquisition — and why retention was Angela's biggest opportunity
✅ A candid take on Zara's upmarket repositioning and what it means for sustainable retail

Connect with Angela:

• 💼 linkedin.com/in/angclrk/
• 🌐 Patagonia: linkedin.com/company/patagonia_2/

Talking Purpose is hosted by me, Katie Boothby-Kung. New episodes every week at talkingpurpose.ca

Learn more about starting and scaling a for-purpose business at www.talkingpurpose.ca

Start your business today on the best e-commerce platform in the world on Shopify