How a Colombian and a Man from Minnesota Started Selling Coffee

One of the most common questions Dwayne and I get asked is: how did we start selling coffee? So here’s the story. And it’s not a short one, because along with telling you about our businesses, I’ll also share some details about our relationship that you probably don’t know. So get comfortable and enjoy.

When Dwayne and I first started dating, I had just finished the first collection of swim trunks for my brand Bénieller in Atlanta and was waiting on production. These swim trunks are made in Colombia, from fabric created out of recycled plastic bottles and by Colombian hands, in a sewing workshop run mostly by single mothers.

After a few dates, Dwayne and I made it official. Obviously because he insisted (haha). It’s true, but I’m also being a little silly. Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention that my sense of humor is pretty particular, so on top of writing long, I also write with an unusual dose of humor: very Colombian and a little sassy. You’ll get used to it.

A few weeks later I received the swim trunk production, and I noticed how fascinated Dwayne was by the sales side of things. Watching me do business with different clients and sit in on meetings with potential buyers, which I invited him to and involved him in, probably sparked the entrepreneurial spirit in him. And I’m not saying I built that spirit in him. Dwayne told me his maternal grandfather founded a company, and his father built one too; during my visit to Detroit Lakes I saw firsthand that both families still run those businesses. So I understood that the entrepreneurial spirit was already in him. He just needed that little push, that bit of motivation I may have given him.

So as our relationship matured, I kept working on my brand.

The following year I launched my second collection of swim trunks for men, and this time Dwayne was with me from the very beginning. He got to see the concept behind the collection, the choice of colors and materials, my remote meetings with suppliers, graphic designers, photographers and models, all the way to receiving the final product in Atlanta. So this time he saw everything that goes on behind a fashion collection.

A few months after that collection came our wedding, and together we began thinking of ways to diversify our businesses and grow our shared income. But this time as a couple, as two people pulling in the same direction.

We did some research and considered selling air fresheners for cars, bathrooms and rooms, since there’s a huge market for that here in the US. So I reached out to a Colombian chemist friend who specializes in perfumery, who in turn connected me with a colleague of his who guided us through the exact formulas for a test batch of 20 fragrances. I also found a supplier of pure fragrances in Costa Rica; I got in touch with them and they sent us samples, which we used to run our quality tests. While we waited for those samples to arrive from Costa Rica, I worked on the brand’s visual identity.

I wanted to draw inspiration from Dwayne, to create something that came from his own identity, so I asked him questions about his childhood: where he liked to play as a kid, whether there was a barn at his house, whether he had a pet. I was just looking for visual cues to help me shape the forms that would make up the brand’s logo. In that search through Dwayne’s identity and childhood world, I discovered that monarch butterflies and loons are characteristic of Minnesota. And that’s how Loon Monarch was born, our air freshener brand for cars, rooms and bathrooms.

Still, we didn’t give up, and we kept researching and figuring out what other business might work. And right there in that search, we landed on coffee. It might sound a little ironic, because I’m Colombian and Colombian coffee is some of the best in the world; on top of that, I know people in the industry, friends and even family. But it had never occurred to me to sell coffee before.

So this time I reached out to different connections back in my country, and we went straight to the farmers who grow and harvest our beans. We had limited resources for this project, so once we decided who our suppliers would be, I got to work on the brand’s identity: the name and the packaging, which for financial reasons we couldn’t produce custom, so we went with generic packaging while keeping the quality of the coffee, which is what really matters to us. I also designed and built the website, aiming for an easy, intuitive experience for our users. Dwayne, for his part, handled the trademark and did all the legal research for selling coffee brought in from Colombia. A true team effort.

Something you should know is that ToStart Coffee is more than the verb “to start,” which refers to starting your day with a cup of excellent coffee. The name also hides the word tostar, and if you say it out loud you’ll hear it, which in English means “roast,” an essential step so you can enjoy a good cup of coffee. Basically, the name ToStart Coffee brings together the two languages the two of us, the founders and owners, speak. On top of that, the company we founded for the brand is called Two Twenty Two LLC, which refers to the date February 22nd, the day Dwayne and I had our first cup of coffee together: our first date.

This year, 2026, after several months of research, work and testing, we launched ToStart Coffee, a brand that, beyond being built with love and honesty, has also allowed me, alongside Bénieller, my swimwear brand, to have meaningful conversations about my country and my culture with our American customers. It’s honestly been a joy to share with each person a little not just about our brand and our venture, but also about our relationship and our desire to grow together.

Thanks to my experience in fashion and entrepreneurship, Savannah College of Art and Design awarded me a scholarship that covers part of the cost of my studies. To keep it, I only have to maintain a high GPA, and I cover the rest of the costs with student loans. And all of this is worth it. I truly believe education is key, and not just for the management and running of the business, but because through my master’s I’m also getting to know the business culture here in the United States.

So if you’re reading this and you want to start something of your own, I encourage you to do it. But be prepared: do it honestly and professionally. That will save you a lot of trouble and frustration. And if you’re an immigrant like me, I can promise you that getting an education in the country you moved to gives you the chance to understand its culture from an academic angle. This isn’t starting from scratch. It’s going through the process of adapting in a way that’s more effective, more sustainable, and above all more human. And that is priceless.

Finally, I just want you to remember that when you drink a cup of ToStart Coffee, you’re not only drinking high quality coffee. You’re also supporting a group of Colombian farmers who work day after day to build a better future, and an intercultural couple, a man from Minnesota and a man from Colombia, living in Atlanta, who through effort and dedication have built the first of many brands in the empire they dream of building together. Enjoy your coffee.

If you enjoyed this story and feel like joining us on this journey, here are three ways to do it: order a pair of swim trunks, grab your coffee, or leave me a tip. Every gesture, no matter how small, helps us keep building this dream. Thank you for reading all the way to the end. And don’t forget to leave a comment. I’d love to hear what you think.