Our Public Journal. Volume 1.

Guys, I’ll be honest.

There hasn’t been a Substack for a few weeks because, well… I’ve had a lot on. And ironically, I’ve been terrible at slowing down. But the good news? I made it back. I got back to slow.

You know how?
The big, bold SL.OW on the bag of coffee I drink every morning.
It’s not just a logo — it’s a reminder. Even for me, the founder. To pause. To breathe. To stop. To SL.OW down.

I’ve always believed we’re more than just a coffee roastery. I think our storytelling, our tone, our entire brand exists to gently remind people to be present. That coffee tastes better when you take your time. When you brew with intention. Sip. Swirl. Swallow. All while listening to the birds. Or your partner. Or — my personal favourite — the rain, with a delicious cup of filter in hand. That’s gold standard, right there.

So, beautiful humans, welcome to Our Public Journal.
We could’ve called it Founder’s Diary, or “Things That Keep Me Up At Night,” or “Why Overnight Success Takes a Thousand Quiet Nights.” But Our Public Journal felt right. Think of it as a series of raw, real entries between our more polished Substacks. If you’re building something, hustling with nothing to show (yet), or just curious about how we’re doing it in public — this is for you.

Since the last update, here’s what’s gone down:

• We launched international shipping 🌍

• We learned what people overseas are actually willing to spend on coffee

• We confirmed NZ is a small but beautiful market

• We discovered that with the help of AI, you can recode damn near anything

• And most importantly…
  BACKUP SHIPPING RATES ARE NOT OPTIONAL (yes I’m yelling) — otherwise your checkout will crash THE SAME DAY you launch Meta ads, and you will lose money 🫠

Yeah… I woke up to a message from someone in Europe saying, “Hey, I can’t check out on your store.”
I checked Europe — not working.
USA — not working.
NZ — also not working.

Cue panic.

I’d literally said to my partner the day before, “It’s been a quiet week.”
Turns out… yeah, no one could actually buy anything 😅
I can laugh now, because we’ve bounced back.

We started a Meta Ads course with Ecommerce Equation in Australia.
We’re levelling up. Spending money with the biggest company in the world? Terrifying. Even with a framework.
And in true impatient fashion, I expected a flood of sales from day one. But as a wise friend told me: “Chill, bro.”
So I did. And now? It’s slowly working.
(Ironic, right? Build a brand called SL.OW but want everything fast…)

We FINALLY got a drip bag packaging sample on the way 🔥
We’re also working on something wearable — and trust me, it slaps.
Big love to Jonte, our in-house supplier whisperer.

But let’s be real for a sec.

This is really hard.
No one is paying themselves (yet).
We’re running on tiny profits.
And some days I seriously wonder if I can keep doing it. Because it’s so bloody hard.

But then… one sale comes through.
Or I go to an event and meet someone who feels what we’re building.
And the candle gets re-lit.

So, here’s how I’ll wrap Volume 1:
If you’re working on something and feel like giving up — just take your left foot, put it in front of your right, and keep repeating that.
Because small, slow steps always beat no steps.
You’ll get there — if you believe you can.

That doesn’t mean you won’t doubt.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be days you want to throw in the towel.
But if you want it — truly want it — you’ll get there. And you can even enjoy the journey.

As always, it’s a privilege.
The world moves fast.
So please — SL.OW DOWN.

With love,
Sam