always change directions once you get in the car.
Anyone Can Do This
A year and a half after moving to Burundi, the Carlsons
turned their dream into a business. They wanted to help as
many people as possible, and they saw the potential for
Long Miles Coffee to be something significant. They went
all in.
Committed to providing fair prices to farmers and
inspired by Benjamin Zander’s words that “money follows
contribution,”^13 they decided to make a go for it with the
business. They didn’t know everything before taking that
step, but they trusted that things would come together. “I’m
not saying everyone should run out and quit their jobs,”
Kristy wrote me. “I am saying that some risks are worth
taking and that as we take them, opportunities often open
up.” And so far, it has worked out.
At times, Ben and Kristy both feel like quitting. They are
open about this, even sharing such doubts on their blog.
This is what makes them so likable. They seem like ordinary
people (because they are). Even after making the “leap,”
they still don’t have perfect clarity. Doing what they’re
meant to do, at times, is messy. When the power is out for
the eleventh day straight or a family member gets sick,
Kristy says she wishes she could be back home in the