About
About Me
Quick note: This page got longer than I planned (ups, typical me!). Feel free to read as much or as little as interests you. Like good coffee, some like it short and strong, others prefer to take their time!
Writing about yourself is strange, no? Like taking selfies in public – a bit awkward, but sometimes necessary!
First, you should know: I’m that guy who cannot leave good things alone. Always trying crazy coffee ideas that make my friends say “Valerian, why you don’t just open normal roasting company like everyone else?” But you know what? Some of these weird experiments turned into pretty cool businesses that helped many people start their own coffee roasting dreams. And the failed ones? Well, they make great stories over a freshly roasted cup of coffee!
So, if you’re looking for ordinary coffee roasting advice, maybe I’m not your guy. But if you want to learn about coffee business in new ways, or just enjoy stories about someone who turns coffee roasting industry upside down (sometimes successfully!), then stick around. Let me tell you how coffee changed my life – and maybe can change yours too.
Stalk me
My Coffee Story
Kosovo, 1999. There I was, working as young diplomat, thinking I knew everything about coffee because I was drinking fancy European blends. (Spoiler alert: I knew nothing!)
Then one American colleague challenged me with interesting bet. She said coffee from her home country could be better than any European coffee I was drinking. Of course I laughed! Better coffee than European blends? Impossible!
But then she brought back this Starbucks single-origin Sumatra beans. And boom! My coffee world exploded. Wait – coffee can be traced to exact places? And roasting is not just about making beans super dark? This was completely new world for me.
The best part of this story? That colleague with good coffee taste? Well… now she is my wife and mother of our two kids. I guess you could say good coffee leads to good life decisions!
What Happened Next
After that first cup, coffee became my passion. I co-founded CoffeeCourses.com with Willem Boot – the first online platform for coffee education. Then with Peter Ondrejka, I started Green Plantation, bringing specialty coffee to Slovakia. Later, I created Unleashed Coffee with William Murad, where we did something different: we made the coffee farmer both CEO and 50% owner.
Now I teach at Boot Coffee Campus, helping others learn about coffee. It’s like a small university, but more fun and with better drinks.
My Style (Warning: Uncomfortably Simple!)
Here is something funny about me as trainer – I hate overcomplicating things. You know these coffee experts who make everything sound like quantum physics? That’s not me!
I believe in 80-20 rule: focus on 20% of things that bring 80% of results. Coffee is complex, yes, but your success in it? That often comes down to simple things done well. Like my wife says about my cooking: “How you make it look so easy?” (Secret: I just hide all complicated parts!)
When I coach coffee businesses, we focus on four things that really matter:
- Finding your weird but unique idea (normal is boring, remember?)
- Showing up consistently (boring but works!)
- Building smart habits and systems (because motivation is not reliable)
- Making things efficient (so you can actually enjoy your coffee life)
But here is something most trainers don’t talk about: the end goal. Everybody talks about how to start coffee business. I like to ask: “Why are you building it? What’s your exit plan?” Maybe you want to sell it one day? Or create perfect work-life balance? Or maybe something completely different?
No pressure if you don’t know yet! But thinking about the end helps you build better beginning. Like planning bike route – knowing where you want to finish helps you choose right path, no?
Whether you want to start a coffee business, improve your roasting, or just make better coffee at home, I am here to help. No coffee question is too simple – I also started as a beginner who didn’t know the difference between light and dark roast!
Welcome to CoffeeIs.Me – where coffee is serious business, but we don’t have to be too serious about it.
What's Cooking at Coffee Is Me?
Here you will find all kinds of coffee goodness:
- Deep-dive coffee blogs (written in human language, I promise!)
- Podcasts where we talk real coffee business
- Coffee consultancy for your roasting dreams
- Personal coaching to level up your coffee game
But wait… there’s more! Because normal is boring, in 2025 I’m launching some crazy-fun projects. How about coffee treasure hunt for cyclists? Yes, really! And few other surprising services I’m cooking up. People say I have too many ideas – they are probably right. But isn’t that what makes life interesting?
Life Beyond Coffee
When I’m not obsessing about perfect roast curves, you can find me on my road bike, probably somewhere in middle of nowhere. I’m not winning any races (yet!), but I love the journey. My bike is eating my retirement savings, but hey – who needs retirement when you have good coffee and open road?
My dream vacation? Cycling through Europe on EuroVelo routes, stopping at every historic small town, exploring old castles, and eating my absolute favorite food: sourdough baguette with French butter and heirloom tomatoes. When you burn 5000 calories cycling, you can eat all the bread you want!
Little known fact: I also roast cacao and make bean-to-bar chocolate. Yes, I have thing for roasting beans of all kinds. My wife says I need new hobby that doesn’t involve expensive equipment and temperature curves! 🤣
Need help?
Let’s Build Your Coffee Dream Together
Whether you’re starting your coffee journey or growing your business, I’m here to guide you with expert advice, proven strategies, and a passion for your success. Let’s create something extraordinary—reach out today!