Today we’d like to introduce you to Claudia Shivers.
Hi Claudia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In 2019, I went to work for a major coffee franchise after owning several tax offices for over 20 years. The involuntary career change came because I was being indicted for 14 counts of income tax-related crimes, and I could not continue to keep the offices I had taken over 2 decades to build in operation. The charges were what I thought would be the beginning of the end of my life, both literally and figuratively. It was actually the start of a life full of gratitude and coffee.
I learned a lot about being of service to others and how to practice the appreciation of the beautiful gifts we have while I was working for that initial coffee company. I began to study coffee. I began to learn the culture of coffee. I left for Alderson West Virginia where I served 10.5 months in federal prison. While I was there, I read coffee books and wrote the business plan for the dream that is now Queen Coffee Bean.
Queen Coffee Bean is a specialty coffee roasting company with a mission of building a more loving and inclusive, global coffee community and was started in my kitchen once I came home. We sold our first cup of coffee in August 2020 at a local late-night vendor’s market. We are now, as of January 2022, a full-service retail coffee lounge and roastery.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting Queen Coffee Bean has had its challenges. Post-prison life poses issues of finding your place back in society and rebuilding the confidence that others have lost in you. I am a mother of adult children, as well as a grandmother. I had to rebuild my relationships with them. I had very little money when I came home because I spent my savings making sure my family had a place to live while I was gone. I had the major challenge of finding my place in the coffee space which is completely different than the income tax preparation and accounting space. In the end, it all always works out when I live in the moment, remember my gratitude and practice patience and discipline.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a writer, a scribe. I receive information that wants to be shared and I share it in as beautiful a manner as I can. I am a mixologist. I create delicious beverages for the enjoyment of others. I roast beans from the countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Yemen, the Congo, to share the story of the people and the lands from which the beans were grown.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
My greatest quality is my wonderful attitude. It has enabled me to be the best version of a single mother, a breast cancer survivor, an entrepreneur, a radical activist for freedom that I can possibly be.
Contact Info:
- Website: queencoffeebean.com
- Instagram: @queencoffeebean
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QueenCoffeeBeans
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-shivers-306148202
- Other: claudiashivers.com
