Part 3 of our conversation with Laila Ghambari tackles one of the biggest challenges coffee entrepreneurs face: managing the relentless pace of business ownership without burning out. Laila shares her practical framework for prioritizing tasks, setting realistic timelines, and having grace for yourself when you can't do everything at once.

In this final episode, Laila addresses the comparison trap that social media creates for coffee shop owners—seeing beautiful drinks from warm climates when you're serving Americanos in rainy Portland, or feeling pressure to copy every trend you see online. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on what actually works for your customers and community, not what looks good on Instagram.

We conclude with Laila and Akshat discussing the essence of Coffee Futures Fund: creating the ecosystem that coffee entrepreneurs have been asking for. As Laila puts it, "If someone would just give me a little bit of money, knowledge, and a seat at the table—here it is." This conversation perfectly captures why CFF exists and how it can transform individual businesses and the entire specialty coffee landscape.

Topics covered:

• Practical systems for managing business owner overwhelm and decision fatigue
• The "5-minute rule" and other time management strategies for entrepreneurs
• How to avoid the social media comparison trap in coffee business
• Why "done is better than perfect" applies to coffee shop operations
• The real value proposition of Coffee Futures Fund for emerging coffee entrepreneurs
• Building an ecosystem approach vs. traditional venture capital in coffee

Chapters:00:33 - Managing Business Owner Life: Systems for Sustainable Growth08:39 - Avoiding Social Media Comparison and Information Overload15:08 - Coffee Futures Fund's Value Proposition for Emerging Entrepreneurs23:03 - The Elevator Pitch: Why CFF Exists and Who It Serves

This concludes our three-part series with Laila Ghambari. Subscribe to Inside the Grind for more insights from Coffee Futures Fund mentors.