Risk, Resilience & the Courage to Change Course - Raphael & Sarah

Risk, Resilience & the Courage to Change Course - Raphael & Sarah Dr. S. Irfan Ali sits down with Sarah and Raphael Perrier, co-founders of Kahwa Coffee — one of the largest coffee companies in Florida. Raphael, a former barista from France, and Sarah, a former professional ballet dancer, share how they went from running a nightclub in Philadelphia to building a coffee empire in St. Petersburg, FL. They open up about starting with nothing, surviving early failures, the meaning behind the name "Kahwa," working as married business partners, and what it really takes to build a brand people trust. What You'll Learn • How to transition from a completely different career (dance, hospitality) into building a business from scratch • Why "building a brand" is fundamentally harder than opening a restaurant or nightclub — and what it actually takes to earn people's trust • How to know when to walk away from a failing venture instead of doubling down out of stubbornness • The value of persistence: landing a major account can take years (in this case, 17) — and why you shouldn't give up on the right opportunity • Practical ground rules for running a business with your spouse without letting it damage the marriage (separate roles, "off-limits" hours, mutual respect) • Why authenticity and community integration matter more long-term than trends or flashy renovations • How to scale from a single location to multiple shops without losing consistency in product and culture • The importance of storytelling and brand meaning (the "Kahwa" name story) in building customer connection • Why focusing energy on what's already working beats trying to force a struggling part of the business to succeed • That balancing sacrifice (time, energy) with protecting what matters most (family, health) is possible — and necessary — for long-term success Chapters / Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: Meet Sarah & Raphael, founders of Kahwa Coffee 00:56 – Sarah's journey: from professional ballet dancer to entrepreneur 03:09 – Raphael's start: barista at La Colombe, meeting Sarah 07:39 – Selling the nightclub, moving to Florida, "what's next?" 09:23 – Why they left the nightclub business behind 12:00 – Starting Kahwa: wholesale roasting from 2006 14:16 – The grand opening nobody came to — except one reporter 16:00 – From wholesale to their first coffee shop 22:49 – Scaling: from one shop to multiple locations 26:07 – The story and meaning behind the name “Kahwa" 29:22 – Biggest setbacks, failures, and lessons from COVID 35:33 – The 17-year wait to land the TradeWinds Hotel account 37:00 – Sacrifices of entrepreneurship 40:35 – Building culture, not just selling coffee 43:09 – Final advice for aspiring entrepreneurs