All things coffee and parenthood with Alice, Co-Founder of RISE
Our coverage of bada** parents continues. Meet Alice, Co-Founder of RISE Coffee Box. We sat down with Alice to chat about launching a business, balancing founder life with motherhood, and, of course, her favourite coffee tips.
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Set the scene, what led to you to start RISE?
My partner Ben and I were sat outside our flat looking at all of the deliveries coming and going on the street (during lockdown) and thought, wouldn't it be amazing to have a delicious coffee, like the one you get at a good cafe, come to your house. We took a look online and found a plethora of coffee brands but none of them stood out to us and some were a little pretentious! So we came up with the idea for RISE, a multi-roaster discovery club that delivers speciality coffee direct to your door, so you can enjoy delicious coffee at home!
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You recently became a mum, what's one piece of useful advice you received?
The best piece of advice is trust your gut - always! You'll be bombarded with information but ultimately you know best. Also, "everything is a phase" is a helpful piece of advice I heard - it's true, the minute you start worrying about one thing they change and develop and there is something else to worry/think about!
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You're juggling founderhood with parenting, what's something you've learned about yourself so far?
I do need some sort of routine! I am usually pretty good at rolling with the punches and changing between work/life quickly but it's hard when the days blur into one and the work pile is mounting. I have really enjoyed scheduling in some classes (like yoga) to keep me sane and add structure to my week, as well as working set hours when I can (like once a week when my Mother in Law has the baby a few hours!)
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Recent binge watch, film, podcast etc you've enjoyed lately?
The Motherkind podcast by Zoe Blaskey is awesome - there are so many amazing episodes such as ones on boundary setting (very much needed when you have a newborn!) and on coping with mum guilt.
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Your top tip for anyone out there that wants to bring an idea of theirs to life?
Just start - start somewhere, launch a thing (even if it's just a Linkedin post or a Whatsapp group) and better still, find a Co-Founder. Before I met Ben I was always launching businesses but never had the pressure of a Co-Founder to follow through and bounce ideas off. Having a Co-Founder really gives you that extra drive and ambition to make your idea a success.
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Coffee and parenting go hand in hand for many, what's something you've learned about that industry that blew your mind?
One of the causes dear to our hearts is child labour on coffee farms. When we first started out we knew there were all sorts of sustainability issues in coffee but did not understand the prevalence of this issue globally. That's why we give back 1% of all of our revenue to coffee farming communities, and pay for children to go to school in coffee farming areas.
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Caffeine is a great pick-me-up but it can also keep us up - do you have any advice for parents who want to enjoy their brew but need those precious hours of sleep to remain intact?
My golden rule is one a day - as much as I miss having a couple of coffees a day the last thing you need is that "wired" feeling when you go to bed at night and have to get to sleep quickly! The thing is with coffee is that it affects everyone differently, so again, trust your gut on this one as you know yourself better than anyone! Ben can have 5 coffees and still drift off to sleep in a second, lucky him! Definitely avoid cheap instant coffee though, that stuff is like rocket fuel.
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What's your favourite way to enjoy coffee?
A drip style coffee is much more mellow and enjoyable. Always black.
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What are you leaning on to get through the newborn days or eat, sleep, poop repeat?
Eating lots of yummy food with absolutely zero judgement! I seem to be getting through pastries and donuts like nobody's business, but need those extra calories for the endless "bobbing" (if you know, you know).
