Meet Erin Lee // Wholesale Director, Bold Bean Coffee
As long time Bold Bean customers and supporters, our team members are no strangers to their staff. With that said, one of the Bold Bean folks we rarely have the pleasure of seeing around the shop is Erin—because she’s busy working hard to keep things rolling behind the scenes. She’s been there since the company’s humble beginnings in 2011, working her way from barista to where she is now. The brand wouldn’t be what it is without Erin—and we’re honored to share more of her wonderful story with our Bold Bean-loving community and beyond.
EiE: In just a few sentences, tell us who you are.
Erin: Great first question—one I really should reflect on more. I guess it depends on who’s asking, but if I were to reduce it all down, I’d say that I’m just a generally interested person. I love connecting with people, learning new skills, adventuring to different landscapes and cultures, and always finding new challenges that allow me to feel inspired and to evolve.
Which came first: your love for coffee, or your career in it? Did you have prior experience in the industry before Bold Bean?
Woof! This is a tough one because I’d say that I’ve always loved coffee… but I’d also say I didn’t really know coffee until Bold Bean.
Growing up, my mom would sometimes forget her coffee in the microwave when she left for work. I’d get home after school and just down it. I also drank coffee with my dad all throughout childhood. In both of these instances, the coffee had an additive. My mom would use Equal sweetener with no cream. While drinking with my dad, I’d cream and sugar.
My first job was at Starbucks, and I truly believed it was the best coffee on the planet at the time. While I don’t feel that way now, I do feel like I owe my career in coffee to the experience. It was there that I really fell in love with the energy of running a cafe—working with a team I loved and taking care of people as they start their days was always an electric and inspiring environment.
I spent two years there, and actually ended up getting fired for not showing up to a Saturday opening shift. I feel pulled to tell you I had never been late before—but my alarm didn’t go off, and I literally didn’t show up to the busiest shift of the week. (We had a new manager at the time, and I think she needed to make an example out of me. I don’t blame her and I take full responsibility, but that was definitely a hard moment. I loved that job.)
After a few other jobs, I was unemployed in the summer of 2011, and my good friend had been recently hired at Intuition Ale Works, which had just opened a year prior. Watching them be part of a new small business in an industry Jacksonville hadn’t really seen before was something I realized I wanted for myself.
While driving with this exact friend down Stockton St., I saw a sign in a window that said “Bold Bean Coffee Roasters Coming Soon” and felt an immediate spark in that moment.
I had found my thing.
Tell us about your day-to-day tasks and responsibilities as Wholesale Director. What are some of the skills folks in your area of expertise should have?
There seems to be two foundational elements to any sales position. Primarily, I think you have to have an innate desire to serve and take care of people. The second pivotal part is knowing the value of the product, and wanting to represent it.
For me, it was these two things that made taking this particular job feel like such a natural progression. An added bonus is having the opportunity to be creative. Facing the challenge of navigating a small coffee business in a landscape that is always changing and growing requires a lot of creativity and experimentation. There’s always something to learn, including unforeseen paths that maybe you didn’t anticipate loving so much.
You’ve been at Bold Bean for 11 years, starting as barista and working your way up the ranks. In an industry with relatively high turnover, what’s kept you there for the long haul?
This is an easy one! I’ve always felt heard, empowered, and supported. I owe this in large part to my friend and the owner of the company, Zack Burnett. We share a lot of the same values and approaches to doing business, so it’s been easy to want to stick around. We both care deeply about being good people and providing as much value as we can to every person we come in contact with, and having fun while we’re at it.
Since its inception, Bold Bean has been a prominent gathering place in the community. What are some of the ways your team facilitates that?
Thank you for saying so! It’s hard to answer this without an incredible amount of bias, but I think it’s a blend of having the best coffee in town, mixed with the best people. I’d like to believe that people know how much care goes into directly sourcing high quality, sustainable coffees, which is part of why they want to support us. But I think for most people, it’s getting to feel the warm interactions that can be found at our shops. Paired with great coffee, I think it’s unmatched—although I’m sure other cafes would say the same about their spots.
What’s a milestone or moment in your career that you’re particularly proud of?
Ya know, I think becoming generally resourceful and handy is something I’m pretty proud of. We recently started pursuing commercial coffee equipment sales, installation, and repair, and I never would’ve considered becoming a technician—not 10 years ago, not five years ago. Despite the exponential growth in roasters and cafes in town, there has been virtually no growth in tech services. We’ve been talking about this for years, but finally taking the plunge has been a super exciting new journey.
You seem to stay pretty under-the-radar despite having such a critical role in Bold Bean’s success. What’s something we might not know about you?
That’s maybe one of the best compliments I’ve ever received. Thank you!
Something people might not know—and I’ll give you a couple only because they’re related: I used to sneak out of my parents house to DJ at a bar in Riverside when I was just out of high school. In my early-to-mid 20s, I hosted a show on WJCT that came on after Electro Lounge on Tuesday nights. I consider myself lucky for getting to follow behind David Luckin for a few years.
Off the top of your head, where are some of the places non-Jacksonvillians (is that a thing?) can get their Bold Bean fix (outside of ordering online)?
Jacksonvillian is 100% a thing. Go Jags! I’ll of course always suggest our online shop, since I’m the one who takes care of it ;) If you order through us, mention Each is Every and I’ll hook you up!
What can we find you up to on a day off?
Outside of work, you will most likely find me outdoors, or on a plane. I love walking around Riverside/Avondale and biking the Baldwin Trail. Catching some cardio in nature is my form of unplugging in my day-to-day. When I have the opportunity, I prefer to unplug by adventuring to other places with my partner, Mary Graham. In fact…I’m answering these questions while on a plane to California. Seems fitting.