A couple of months ago Brian, Ryan and scrapped our regular weekly meeting agenda and focused on a recap the past year instead. We talked about the highs of starting a new company, launching a new product and winning the SCAA best new product award. We talked about the lows of lack of sleep due to late nights coding, annoying electrical interference issues and challenges of making sales while holding down day jobs. We also acknowledged the fact that we have yet to draw a paycheck for all of our efforts. All the money we make goes right back into the company in the form of rack space, accounting services, payment gateway and graphic design. And the grand daddy of all expenses, the SCAA show, this year in Houston, Texas — airfare, hotel, meals, booth space, electricity, insurance, furniture (yes we even have to rent the furniture for the booth,) t-shirts and other swag. Why do we do it? Sure we’re a little crazy, but it really comes down to working on an idea that we all believe in. For us it is a labor of love to build a software system at will satisfy the needs of the coffee industry. We know that in the right hands, RoastLog can help roasters make their coffee taste better and that’s pretty cool.
If you’ve been following us on Twitter you know about our latest project, a little promo video we made for the SCAA 60 Second Buzz Challenge. Prior to delving headlong into the coffee industry, I flirted with a filmmaking career. I worked on everything from stop motion animation cut on real film, to a series of documentaries that languish in various stages of completion. So it was a lot of fun to play the part of auteur with my friend and actual filmmaker Blake Wiers (thanks Blake!). The video footage has been shot, edited and the final product is now up on YouTube for your viewing pleasure.
So, we’re in the final days of the SCAA 60 Second Buzz Challenge. What’s the “challenge” all about? Well, it’s a video contest promoted by SCAA on their Facebook page. If we get more votes than any other video we will be awarded prizes like having our video hosted on the SCAA website, a free ad in the Expo newspaper and a hundred bucks to spend at the SCAA store. But honestly, we’re not doing this for the prizes, we’re doing it for the glory of the fight and well, we’d really be honored if enough people think our video is best.
Here’s where I ask for your vote: Please go to the SCAA Facebook page and vote for our video: http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/76574/voteable_entries/16551837?ogn=facebook&order=recency
Voting closes on Tuesday, March 15th Wednesday, March 30th; you can vote once per day. Tell all your friends to vote for us too. Together we be can beat out the top contenders that feature flavored syrups and a talking bean!
We’d also like to thank Joel Edwards at Ritual Roasters and Shark Senesac at De La Paz for the great real life footage working with RoastLog, and the band Sir Salvatore for allowing us to use their tune, “Hooray the Projector.” Buy their music on iTunes.
