From Dream to Reality: How Mill City Roasters Helped Me Start Trailhead Coffee

There’s a difference between having a dream and acting on it. For a long time, starting a coffee roasting business lived quietly in the background of my life. I’d carried it through sixteen years at Intuit, years that included travel, great cafés around the world, and a growing appreciation for what good coffee can be.

When I was laid off, it wasn’t the ending I expected — but it was the push I needed. It created space. Space to pause, reflect, and finally take a step toward something I’d been circling for years: Trailhead Coffee.

That step turned into a flight to Minneapolis for Coffee Roasting 101 at Mill City Roasters.

A Grounded Start

I didn’t go to Minneapolis looking for hype or validation. I went looking for clarity. What I found was a course that focused less on selling big dreams and more on helping people start responsibly.

From the beginning, the instructors, Lauren and Bryant, emphasized fundamentals. We walked through Mill City’s full range of roasters, from 1kg machines up to 20kg commercial systems. I had arrived convinced that a 15kg roaster was the right starting point. By the end of the first day, that certainty was already cracking.

We also covered the less glamorous but critical parts of roasting: ventilation, permits, workflow, and realistic production planning. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it was honest — and that mattered.

Learning by Doing

The second day was hands-on. We roasted on smaller machines first, learning how changes in heat, airflow, and timing affected the coffee. Then we worked our way up to larger roasters.

That progression was important. Roasting across different sizes made it clear that bigger doesn’t mean better — it just means different. More momentum. More risk. Less room to make mistakes quietly.

With guidance from Lauren and Bryant, I started to see that jumping straight into a large roaster would force me to manage scale before I’d mastered craft. That realization changed everything.

Tasting the Results

On the final day, we cupped the coffees we’d roasted. Sitting around the table, tasting and talking through what worked and what didn’t, brought the whole experience together.

Feedback was direct and constructive. No ego. No shortcuts. Just an emphasis on repetition, patience, and paying attention. It reinforced something simple but easy to forget: roasting well takes time.

A Shift in Direction

Before the course, my plan was fixed. Big roaster. Full build-out. Go all in immediately. After Minneapolis, the plan became clearer — and smaller. Starting with a 2kg roaster wasn’t a compromise. It was the right decision for learning properly, experimenting freely, and building confidence without unnecessary pressure.

Building Trailhead Coffee

Back home, I set up my roasting space in my house and garage. It’s modest, intentional, and perfectly suited to where I am right now.

Every roast teaches me something. Dialing in profiles. Learning beans. Understanding how small changes show up in the cup. Trailhead Coffee isn’t built on volume or speed — it’s being built one roast at a time, with intention.

Gratitude

I’m genuinely grateful to Lauren, Bryant, and the Mill City team. Not for selling a dream, but for helping me slow down and build something sustainable. If you’re serious about roasting — whether as a career or a craft — their courses are worth your time.

What’s Next

Trailhead Coffee is still early in its story. There’s more to learn, more to refine, and more to share. I’m looking forward to continuing the journey and bringing people along for it.

If you’re nearby, I’d love to make you a cup.

Chris

Founder, Trailhead Coffee