John (Chip) Gaberino is the Owner and CEO of Topeca Coffee Roasters. Topeca was established in 2002 after the global market crash. That's when Chip and his family developed a way to salvage their coffee business by transporting the product from El Salvador directly to the consumer. Chip has spent nearly a decade managing, growing, and shipping coffee beans for Topeca, making it a household brand with multiple facilities.
Chip graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a Bachelor of Science in information technology, after which he moved to El Salvador to pursue a career with Unilever. After returning to the US, Chip worked with Mercury International Technology as an IT developer before founding Topeca.
Building a business from the ground up requires perseverance and is often accompanied by challenges and failures. So, how can you attain success as an entrepreneur?
Chip Gaberino advises identifying and taking advantage of profitable business opportunities and developing innovative solutions to problems that may arise along the way. Shortly after opening a new coffee shop, Hodges Bend, Chip struggled to obtain an outdoor seating permit. To rectify the issue and make his voice heard, he took to local television to express his concerns. As a result, Chip became an inspiration for other business owners and was able to expand Hodges Bend into the thriving business it is today.
In this episode of the Same Day Podcast, Mat Zalk joins Chip Gaberino, Owner and CEO of Topeca Coffee Roasters, to talk about the struggles and successes of entrepreneurship. Chip reveals how Topeca grows and manufactures quality coffee beans, his secret to running a thriving business, and how he overcame the challenges of starting a new business.
