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A name is a funny thing.

Just hearing the name of a loved one can bring a smile to your face. Likewise the name of a foe can stir up heated debate. Names carry memories and experiences, joys and sorrows. A name can even carry authority or shame. This is not news to any of us; however, I don’t believe I ever really thought about how much perception is stored in a name till I started writing this article.

A Little Game

For a proof of concept, lets play a little game where I will list out three names and you say the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about these people. So here we go:

  • Lincoln
  • Hitler
  • Oprah

We all could have different initial reactions to those names, but if you played along with me you may have said anything from admiration to hatred. Which is pretty amazing if you think about it. I mean, what other word can ever carry as much weight as a name? If a picture is worth a thousand words then a name must be worth a million.

Not Just For People

A name isn’t something that just applies to people though. It can apply to places (Home vs Detroit). It can apply to things (Apple iPod vs Ford Pinto) and it even applies to companies. So when Gabe, Adam, and I were planning out what to call this website we wanted to make sure we gave it the attention it deserved. And after much deliberation you are now seeing the end product: Mission Arabica.

Mission Arabica

We liked the name for it for its simplicity, but we chose it for its meaning.

We are a company on a MISSION to do something greater than profit.
We are a company on a MISSION to help a people help themselves out of poverty.
We are a company on a MISSION to give something greater than charity.
We are a company on a MISSION to deliver hope.

Mission Arabica Logo

Adam’s Beautifully Designed Mission Arabica Logo

When I think about a mission, I think about a tactical operation undertaken by a military force. Countless hours of planning and strategizing can go into ensuring a successful mission. It is not something to be taken lightly. Lives are on the line.

Now, thankfully we are not dealing with a military threat to life, but for many of these native Lao, having a more reliable income stream will grant them better access to a nutritious diet and medical care with the potential of not only improving life, but extending it and even saving it.

Despite the often lighthearted tone we carry on this website, our mission is not something we take lightly, but like those military commanders, we too have spent countless hours getting to this point and will spend countless more ensuring the success of our coffee based mission.

The Coffee

That brings us to Arabica.

Adam wrote a great post last week about some of the details about what Arabica coffee is so I won’t go into too much depth. But in short, Arabica is a species of coffee and the highest quality coffees in the world are typically of the Arabica species.

We were inspired by this notion of not just quality, but the greatness that Arabica represents. So when we take that notion of quality and greatness and incorporate it into our mission we become Mission Arabica. A company on a mission to help third world villages (starting in Laos) plant their own high quality coffee, we then purchase that quality product from the village and sell it so we can afford to start the process all over again in a new village.

Now I may be a little biased, but when I hear that, I think it has to be one of the greatest, highest quality business models out there. If you think so too, show us some love by signing up for our email list below and share this article with your friends so they can join in on the fun too.

Lastly, I would love to hear what you think of when you hear the name Mission Arabica, so let me know your thoughts in the comments below!