LOCAL LIFE
BLACKTOWN ’ S FINEST ...
Daniel set his coffee business up while finishing Year 10 at school . by Lorna Gordon
Daniel Mieranzowski is a Year 11 student studying for his HSCs . While many people his age are focusing completely on their studies , Daniel has already set up his own successful business .
His entrepreneurial journey began when BREED , a local not for profit which helps young people , ran a sixweek Youth Entrepreneur Program at Daniel ’ s school . Daniel had always wanted to have his own business and this drive saw him complete the program and gain the tools to set up one .
The idea of selling coffee as his business was a no brainer for Daniel as a waiter where he worked , Max , roasted and sold coffee as his job . His friend ’ s passion for coffee had rubbed off on Daniel with Max showing him the ropes of the coffee business .
“ I worked at a Thai restaurant and Max worked as a waiter there . He had his own roasting business and got me involved in the food industry and coffee and I enjoyed talking to him . He really wanted to help me , and I roasted my first batch of coffee at his warehouse . He taught me about roasting , what beans to use and different techniques . When he sold his business I bought a lot of his equipment ,” Daniel said .
With the skills gained from the BREED program and help from his friend , dad and BREED , Daniel started
Lory Coffee , a coffee roasting business with an online store front within the span of two months .
As if starting your own business isn ’ t a big enough achievement at 17 , Daniel is still studying for his HSC while building up his business , both of which take up a great deal of focus and dedication . Many people would struggle to do one or the other , but Daniel is managing to work out a balance between them .
“ I ’ m developing a balance that works for me , I try to study and then do some work on the business to have a break from school . When I first started the business , I put everything into it and ended up feeling burned out a bit , so now I make sure I work on school projects and my business .
“ I ’ m not expecting anything big out of the business yet , I ’ m slowly building up my experience and I know it will take time , but I ’ m really enjoying it .”
Building a business isn ’ t an easy task for anyone , especially for someone who is so young , but Daniel is fortunate to have some great mentors who are making sure they help him in any way they can .
Emmanuel from BREED is still in touch with him with business advice , he also brainstorms ideas about coffee roasting and selling with Max and his dad gives him feedback on business questions . Like all business owners , he has realised that he also has to learn as he goes and build up essential skills to
6 ISSUE 41 // AUGUST 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT