Founder Stories: Laure Lemboumba On Building Golden Made Kafe
In today’s Founder Story we feature Laure Lemboumba founder of Golden Made Kafe.
Read on for lessons he’s learned from launching and growing her business.
1) Please introduce your business and share your role.
My name is Laure Lemboumba, CEO of Golden Made Kafe INTL LLC. Golden Made Kafe is a woman-owned coffee business, located in Southeast Texas, proudly offering ground coffee for households and any type of business. We have been roasting and developing exclusive blends inspired by American, French, and African recipes for more than 5 years.
Thanks to our dedicated and hardworking team of producers and importers from South and Central America, we are proudly supplying unique selections of sustainably grown and rich coffee, stressing on consistency, freshness, and flavors. Then, our products are roasted and packaged in the United States. Our main goal is to meet our customers’ expectations by maintaining the high quality of our coffee beans and providing outstanding service.
We are committed to the five following elements:
- Quality
- Peace of Mind
- Accessibility
- Convenience
- Dedication
When you drink Golden Made Kafe coffee products you will taste “A Drop of Gold” in every cup.
2) What’s your backstory, what kind of challenges did you face, and how did you come up with your business idea?
I am originally from Gabon in Central Africa, my family and I moved to France when I was three years old for business matters. Entrepreneurship has always been a dream of mine since witnessing my Dad’s journey. Therefore, I went to the University of Technology in Roanne, France where I got my degree in Technology in Industrial Logistics, Quality, and Organization. At the end of my program, I was awarded the Young Creator of a National Production Unit in 2007.
Due to my business ambition, I decided to broaden my skills by adding an international market language, English. So, I moved to Houston, Texas (US) to go further into my education. In 2014, I earned my bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management from the University of Houston-Downtown. Consequently, I got into coffee about six years ago when I started working for a coffee manufacturing plant in Houston. At that time, I was not a huge coffee drinker but after seeing what it takes to get a single cup of coffee and how it could make a difference in someone’s day. I knew I wanted to be an actor in that industry. As a result, I launched my own coffee business in March 2019.
3) How did you prepare for, and go about your launch?
For the launch of my brand, my team and I focused on different marketing strategies such as building a social media presence and email marketing list. The main goal is to grow a golden community that we can educate about our products by sharing an immersive cultural experience behind a cup of coffee. We did some specific marketing campaigns, for instance, referral programs, showcase events (coffee tasting), conferences, etc. Our marketing team implemented various promotional plans throughout the year.
This launch took us a lot of time to prepare and find partners to help us get a successful one with potential opportunities.
4) How did you come up with your logo and the visual identity for your brand?
Great question! When you build a project from scratch, you need to get a vision first and a sense of creativity to translate your vision to the real world. Our slogan is “A Drop Of Gold For Everyone”, therefore; I needed a logo with gold and black colors as brand identity. Moreover, I wanted an impressive logo in which anyone can perceive a gift (golden cup) to enrich your day. Golden Made Kafe is more than coffee itself: it is a diversity, an exchange, a wealth that connects people to each other.
5) Since launching, what types of marketing campaigns and designs have worked best to attract and retain customers?
I think when you educate your customers about the benefits and why your products are unique is a great competitive advantage. By teaching them all your products features, your customers will feel part of a community responding to their needs. Then listen to their feedback, continuously improve and innovate your internal process, products, etc. The important key is to find a way to engage your customers through various marketing campaigns and designs.
6) What have been the most influential brands for your business? Whose branding and marketing do you aspire to and why?
This is another great question… I am very impressed by innovative brands in general. I do not have a specific most influential brand for my business. What I can tell is that as an entrepreneur it is essential to stay up to date about the latest news/innovation of your current industry. You need to be proactive in order to survive in this world.
7) What are your favorite marketing platforms/tools?
My favorite marketing platforms/tools are Constant Contact for our email marketing. I think it is easy to use and straightforward.
We have internal marketing tools that we use to evaluate product performance throughout grocery stores. You can get suggestions on how you can improve some parameters.
8) Who or what inspires and motivates you?
I will say my mentor inspires me and motivates me at every step away. Mentorship is another way to get elevation in what you would like to accomplish.
9) What are some lessons you’ve learned along the way that you would share with entrepreneurs hoping to launch or who have just launched?
Before getting started, entrepreneurs should properly conduct some market research about different factors of the industry. Give extra time to identify what is already existing on the market, customers’ needs, and what you will offer to them while being unique. Also, they should understand the meaning of being “unique” in the market. Once they will answer all these questions, that will be a great jump for the rest of the project.
10) What do you believe are the qualities of a good entrepreneur? And what makes a team successful?
To be a good entrepreneur, you have to be a good listener, a go-getter, and self-confident. Things will not be easy, but it’s not impossible. You need to have a strong determination and willingness to learn at every stage.
The secret ingredient to get a successful team is the cohesion, passion, and talent of each individual.