And, because of the press, a lot more people know who we are.”Ĭlean cut, soft spoken, and wry, Brown seems a far cry from the bearded, tattooed, bellowing Viking persona that DWC fosters. “Because I think we handled things well with our customers, our numbers didn’t fluctuate at all we came out ahead,” Brown said, remarking that DWC has since added a step to its process to prevent the problem. Smug journalists snorted at the irony of “Death Wish” delivering on its rhetorical promise, but the company’s transparency and determination to do the right thing made DWC come up smelling like a coffee-scented rose. “There were never any illnesses reported,” said Brown. That could have been the brand’s death blow, but the team proactively publicized the danger, recalled the product, and issued refunds. Take last September, when DWC discovered that the process for its Nitro Cold Brew could allow botulism toxin to grow in the cans. But Brown is quite aware that his fortune can go south in an instant. You would think that Brown’s story would pretty much fit anyone’s definition of “success.” This is a guy who quit his secure government job to buy a coffee shop, went broke, had the blockbuster idea of making “the world’s strongest coffee,” and skyrocketed to national marketplace dominance with a free Super Bowl commercial full of salty Vikings. “Sometimes friends and family will ask, ‘How does it feel to be so successful?’” said Mike Brown G’07, 37-year-old founder and CEO of super-caffeinated Death Wish Coffee (DWC). “And I’m like, ‘I just lost my car a few years ago. Alumnus Mike Brown G'07 shares his experience and insights into developing his business, building his brand, and learning valuable lessons every step of the way. It's all in a day's work for the world's strongest coffee.
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