The Power of Generosity

The Question I Dread: What Sets Fika Coffee Apart?

There is a question that I have grown to not really like at all. It’s the type of question that was asked of me when first writing the business plan for Fika. I have encountered this question many times since then. In fact, I saw this question again in an application for a business grant from Amazon that found its way into my inbox. This question can take a few different forms, but it’s always the same idea:

What sets you apart from other businesses in your industry?

The Pressure to Perform

There it is—the question I dreaded then and still dread today. Often, this question in a business plan appears right next to the section where you list all your competitors. So here you have a list of other coffee roasters and coffee shops, and now I need to convince you why my business—why Fika—is better, different, unique, etc.

I don’t fully understand my disdain for that question, but I do know one reason for sure—a reason that also serves as a bridge from the introduction to the heart of this blog. In answering this question, especially early on and even today, it creates a lot of pressure on me to perform. It’s like I’m making a promise to the world, and I better deliver on that promise 100% because I just shared it with you all.

The Freedom of Dreaming

I mean, it’s kinda like when your seven-year-old boy tells you he’s going to play for the Baltimore Ravens—yeah, true story here. Jude, full of his boy-wonder excitement, believes everything is achievable in the world. Do you think I’m going to hold him to that statement? Am I going to track his progress year by year, reminding him how close or far he is from achieving that goal? No, that would be ridiculous. Jude has dreams, which is great. He is growing, developing, learning about the world around him, and discovering more about himself too. I hope he keeps dreaming about wondrous things, but I will never hold him to that specific aspiration.

A Mission-Driven Business

What I’m about to share creates a similar pressure in me—the pressure to perform, to provide crystal-clear answers to important questions and ideas. The difference, though, is that this is something I genuinely want to share with you.

As long as I meet my goals, as long as Fika continues to grow in both depth and breadth, as long as my ideas start becoming reality—I honestly don’t care what sets Fika apart from other coffee companies.

Another common question when starting a company is about crafting a mission statement. For about 95% of businesses, it’s just a catchy little phrase—something they slap onto a few documents, a website, maybe a sign—then forget about.

But at Fika Coffee, I consider us a Mission & Values-driven company. Our mission, vision, and values genuinely guide every decision we make—not just in theory, but in a way that actively shapes the choices we make each day.

Fika Coffee’s Mission

Do you know the mission of Fika Coffee?

The mission of Fika Coffee is "To Cultivate Beauty Through Our Work." Wow—there it is. I’ve put it out into the world again, and that holds a lot of weight for me. I want to be able to fully understand and communicate this mission not just to our team, but also to you—our friends of Fika. Our mission is upheld by our values: consistency, generosity, curiosity, hospitality, and attentiveness.

The Power of Generosity

I want to pull out the value of generosity and share a bit more about it with you.

Currently, this is what Fika says about generosity in our employee manual:

Generosity has the capability to be infectious. When we start from a position of generosity, we are able to surprise ourselves, guests, and co-workers with gracious interactions and expectations. Going back to the Fika story—when someone gave us $15,000 to get us off the ground—that was a pure act of generosity. When we are thankful for everyone walking through the door to even consider making a purchase, we should be blown away that they have decided to do so. Generosity produces Generosity.

Generosity as Garden Work

The statement begins with "Generosity has the capability to be infectious," and closes with "Generosity produces Generosity." I believe this deeply. But generosity is slow work—it’s garden work. It’s intentional. It requires awareness, effort, and care—like tending to a garden where you need to dig into the soil, pull weeds, water, and nourish the growth.

Generosity isn’t just about giving money (though that can be a fruit of generosity). It isn’t just about giving time, either (though generosity can manifest that way, too). To me, the heart of generosity is rooted in the posture of thankfulness.

Gratitude Fuels Generosity

Are we operating from a place of gratitude? Are we blown away by the little things around us? That’s the key to generosity.

And when people walk into our coffee shop in Lutsen—or visit our website—that is amazing. I remind our staff: just think about it! When someone enters through that door, there’s a good chance they’ve already decided to spend money here. But beyond that—they pulled over their car, unloaded the kids, stepped inside our space. They are making a conscious choice that this place—this experience—is worth stopping for. That holds meaning.

That is the posture I want to live in. It’s the posture I hope our team operates in—because thankfulness knows no bounds. From thankfulness, generosity flows in creative ways.

A Surprising Journey

Fika’s history is rich with generosity in its many forms. As I mentioned earlier, someone gave us $15,000, no strings attached, in our early days. Then, a friend of Fika generously provided a loan/gift of $200,000 to help secure financing for our roastery—at a flat 3.25% interest. That means I will repay only $206,500—and I don’t even have to start payments for ten years. You can’t plan moments like that. They arise from generous people—people who approach life with wonder, gratitude, and imagination.

Moving Forward with Thankfulness

Now, as we move forward into what will be one of our most audacious projects yet—raising $150,000 to bring our roastery to its finish line—my hope is that we will all move ahead with thankfulness and curiosity. That we will allow ourselves to be surprised by the unfolding of this chapter. That we will let go of rigid expectations about how this journey should go, and instead, embrace the beauty of generosity—however it manifests.

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