Sara Leuthold-Young Entrepreneurs

Sara Leuthold- Summer 2018-Young Entrepreneur

Sara Leuthold is based in St.Gallen, Zürich and San Pedro Sula Honduras.

During her studies in Geneva and St.Louis she learned a lot about different cultures. After graduating from Webster University she started a career in the Luxury Goods industry Worldwide to later change to Consumer Goods in Switzerland where she gained experience in many different regions and learned the rules and regulations to start her own business.

About Turm Bogen Kaffee

1. Sara,what made you start a new business like TURM e-commerce?

I was working before for different multinationals in marketing and product development. I learned a lot about the corporate world and their way of managing people and soon I told myself that this is not the way I want to pursue my carrier.

2. What is unique about your business?

Our family business has a lot of tradition and is roasting coffee since 1761 in the city of St. Gallen. We celebrate the coffee culture and indulge the customers with all the necessary emotions around coffee. It was my long-term wish to combine these unique values together with the digital world.

3. What challenges have you faced until today?

To establish the online shop was a challenge but I learned quickly that an online shop is a continuous construction site as always new ideas and customer inputs must be implemented.

4. Are you looking to expand your business geographically or add new products lines?

Yes, we are right now in the last stage of the launch of 12 different specialty coffees. They are all single origin and traceable to the local production area.
Once we are established in Switzerland our plans for expansion will be focused in a first move the Germany and Austria.

5. Name 3 top skills to become a successful entrepreneur?

Leadership, efficiency and flexibility are the most important skills to launch a start-up.

6. What motivates or inspires you?

Motivation comes from my customers. When I see that they are convinced about our coffee quality and services and reorder more of their favourite coffee blends then I get the satisfaction out of my daily work.
As 87% of Swiss start-ups are founded by men, my motivation is high to show the Swiss business community that women can be successful in this field.
7. To what do you attribute your success?
Turm Kaffee is the benchmark when it comes to premium coffee culture. We live coffee.

8. Where do you see Turm e-commerce in 10 years?
We will continue to grow and expand our online shop around Europe.
9. Entrepreneurialism is something you are born with or can it be learned?
I would say a little bit of both. As a child, at the dinner table, I learned and heard a lot about our family business. At university during my MBA studies it was logical for me to attend different entrepreneurial courses to profound my knowledge.
10. How do you balance work and life?
My friends and family give me the strength and support for my daily work.
11. What are your hobbies?
Tennis, snowboarding and chilling with friends and family.
12. Which company do you admire?
Dropbox, Google and the NGO Rainforest Alliance.
13. If you were to give advise to someone who is just starting up, what would it be?Get a sound financing and defend and stick to your business case even if you have some setbacks.
14. And finally, which social media channel is your favourite and
why?
Instagram – a picture tells more than a thousand words. Instagram is the perfect tool, to bring people together who have the same emotions about coffee as we do.