How I Built This with Guy Raz

La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti. A Brotherhood Built on Coffee (2020)

January 12, 2026

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  • The founding of La Colombe Coffee Roasters was rooted in a deep friendship between Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti, who shared a vision to pioneer a higher quality, specialty coffee movement in the U.S., inspired by European culinary standards. 
  • La Colombe's initial success was built on an aggressive, uninvited sales strategy targeting top-tier chefs, exemplified by securing their first accounts at Le Bec-Fin and Jean-Marie LaCroix on the same day by simply showing up and delivering superior product. 
  • Todd Carmichael's intense drive and personal struggles led to a critical sabbatical, which was supported by J.P. Iberti, ultimately leading to a necessary business pivot away from a restrictive investor path toward developing new product categories like cold brew and canned lattes with the help of Hamdi Ulukaya of Chobani. 
  • Exiting a venture capital deal, despite the cost, provided La Colombe's founders with crucial executive talent and a necessary shift in business perspective for future growth. 
  • The co-founders of La Colombe Coffee Roasters attribute a significant portion of their success, nearly 50%, to luck and timing, including the initial meeting between Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti. 
  • For Todd Carmichael, wealth primarily enables securing his children's future and provides the means to actively fund programs and 'move the needle' on issues he cares about, rather than just offering criticism. 

Segments

Founding Friendship and Early Dreams
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(00:02:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti’s friendship, forged in Seattle, led to the shared dream of founding a specialty coffee company based on high-quality sourcing principles.
  • Summary: The two friends met in Seattle in the late 1980s while Todd was a student at the University of Washington and J.P. was working as a barista at Espresso Roma. Their bond solidified over shared meals and discussions about creating the world’s best coffee company by sourcing beans directly from farms. Todd’s background included financial hardship and a drive to escape poverty, while J.P. had a background in French culinary appreciation and was studying aviation.
Todd’s Departure and Business Planning
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(00:18:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Todd Carmichael left a corporate accounting job to save $95,000 overseas, during which time he formalized the business plan for La Colombe, focusing on culinary-level coffee supply.
  • Summary: After graduating, Todd worked briefly as a tax consultant before leaving the U.S. for Europe, where he lived frugally, often on a boat, to save capital. The business plan focused on serving the high-end restaurant renaissance in America, providing coffee that matched the culinary level of top chefs. J.P. remained in Seattle, becoming deeply involved in coffee production at Torre Facion Italia, which was sold in 1993, solidifying his commitment to the La Colombe venture.
Naming and Philadelphia Launch
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(00:26:26)
  • Key Takeaway: La Colombe was named after La Colombe d’Or, a French bed and breakfast famous for hosting artists, symbolizing the brand’s desired cultural and international identity.
  • Summary: The founders chose Philadelphia over coffee-centric Seattle because the former offered architectural beauty, walkability, and cheap real estate, representing a ‘ground floor’ opportunity. They purchased two adjacent narrow storefronts off Rittenhouse Square and sourced all their initial equipment, including espresso machines and hand-painted ceramics, directly from Italy. They initially operated without permits, leading to frequent visits from the fire department due to roasting smoke venting through a makeshift chimney pipe into a garbage chute.
Early Sales Strategy and Pricing
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(00:37:14)
  • Key Takeaway: La Colombe secured its first major accounts by uninvitedly approaching the top chefs in Philadelphia, immediately establishing a premium price point seven times higher than the existing wholesale average.
  • Summary: The initial strategy was to appeal directly to chefs, viewing coffee as a high-value spice rather than a commodity, justifying a wholesale price of mid-sevens dollars per pound against the prevailing $1.50 average. Their success was immediate, landing Le Bec-Fin (then the number one restaurant in the country) and Jean-Marie LaCroix on the same day, which quickly generated interest from New York City chefs.
Todd’s Sabbatical and Business Maturity
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(00:48:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Todd Carmichael took a three-month sabbatical to address severe mental health struggles, an act of self-preservation that J.P. Iberti fully supported by offering him his shares, leading to significant personal and business maturity.
  • Summary: Todd felt he was suffering from inherited mental health issues and needed to reset, offering his shares to J.P. before leaving for a remote South Pacific island where he fished, surfed, and wrote a book. J.P. managed the business with their core team, recognizing Todd’s trip as a necessary step toward recovery, and Todd returned completely changed and ready to scale the business.
Shift to Cafes and Investor Conflict
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(00:53:07)
  • Key Takeaway: A major shift occurred around 2007-2008, moving focus toward opening cafes (starting in New York) and developing ready-to-drink products like cold brew, which led to a disastrous 52-day relationship with a private equity investor.
  • Summary: The founders were initially scared to open a second cafe, fearing their first success was an anomaly, but they committed to dominating the market, causing revenue to spike sharply starting in 2008. When outside investors pushed for building 200 cafes instead of pursuing the cold brew concept, Todd and J.P. decided to buy out the VC firm. They secured the necessary capital by pitching a prototype canned draft latte to Hamdi Ulukaya of Chobani, who shared their craft-based values.
Exiting VC Investment
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(00:57:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Exiting a bad VC decision provided La Colombe with maturity and executive talent, making the cost worthwhile in retrospect.
  • Summary: Todd Carmichael successfully negotiated the removal of a VC investor by promising to take the coffee business into the future. The former investors were amenable, having already doubled their money in a few months. This difficult exit ultimately led to acquiring better executive talent and a more mature business outlook.
Draft Latte Can Success
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(00:58:36)
  • Key Takeaway: La Colombe’s Draft Latte cans achieved massive national distribution, reaching nearly two out of three U.S. grocery stores.
  • Summary: The Draft Latte cans became an incredible hit for La Colombe. At the time of the discussion, the product was distributed across the country. The founders estimated distribution in about two out of three U.S. grocery stores, highlighting a successful multi-channel strategy.
Channel Strategy Validation
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(00:58:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Avoiding aggressive VC pressure to rapidly expand physical locations proved to be the correct strategic path for La Colombe.
  • Summary: J.P. Iberti expressed satisfaction that La Colombe prioritized growth across different channels rather than solely focusing on opening numerous retail locations. He noted that many concepts are crushed when VC money pushes for overly rapid expansion. This balanced approach, aided by Hamdin’s support, steered them away from that common pitfall.
Meaning of Wealth
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(00:59:54)
  • Key Takeaway: For Todd Carmichael, wealth secures his children’s future and grants the ability to fund positive change, overcoming past financial insecurity.
  • Summary: Todd Carmichael stated that the primary benefit of wealth is guaranteeing his children’s future, a direct contrast to his own upbringing marked by insecurity. He acknowledged that true security is an illusion but values the ability to fund programs and take action on issues he dislikes. He still finds profound satisfaction in the simple ability to afford anything in a grocery store.
Wealth and Giving Back
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(01:01:15)
  • Key Takeaway: J.P. Iberti respects the American tradition of wealthy individuals giving back, contrasting it favorably with European norms.
  • Summary: J.P. Iberti views being able to give back as a great feeling and a positive aspect of American culture, noting this generosity is less common in Europe. He appreciates being part of that system through La Colombe’s contributions.
Work vs. Luck in Success
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(01:01:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Both founders believe luck, timing, and external opportunities constitute roughly 50% of La Colombe’s success, with hard work being the baseline requirement.
  • Summary: J.P. Iberti estimated success as close to 50% luck, grouping timing and meeting key people into the ’luck’ category alongside hard work. Todd Carmichael used a mosaic analogy, suggesting luck (the grout) is the essential element that holds the broken pieces (efforts/talents) together, estimating his luck factor around 35%.
Todd Carmichael’s Feats
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(01:03:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Todd Carmichael previously held the world speed record for an unassisted trek to the South Pole.
  • Summary: The episode concludes the main interview by noting Todd Carmichael’s achievement of holding the world speed record for trekking to the South Pole unassisted. This feat was documented in a National Geographic Channel film titled ‘Race to the Bottom of the Earth.’
Small Business Spotlight: Aranci
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(01:04:41)
  • Key Takeaway: Aranci pivoted from consumer air purifiers to focusing on electric motor technology for large markets like AI data centers.
  • Summary: Peter Mann founded Aranci after being underwhelmed by existing air purifiers while trying to help his son’s asthma. After COVID-driven market saturation, he pivoted to focus on the internal electric motor technology. The company is now targeting the large market of cooling AI data centers with its in-house developed technology.
Autism Diagnosis and Business Focus
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(01:07:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Peter Mann’s late-in-life autism diagnosis inspired him to create initiatives supporting autistic adults in the workplace.
  • Summary: At age 55, Peter Mann was diagnosed with autism, which explained his hyper-focus and system-building abilities. After sharing this publicly, he connected with dozens of autistic adults struggling with the interview process. This experience motivated him to develop ways his company can better support individuals like himself in employment.