Eric Johnson, CEO and Founder of Trident Coffee

If you haven't read Trident's Story, Eric's words are the beginning of the legacy itself. It goes a little like this: "Eric Johnson started brewing his own cold brew coffee during his final tour of duty in Iraq. Eric used his downtime to immerse himself in the coffee culture and started experimenting with recipes. He soon became so proficient that he was being praised for his product.

Eric then found himself at an impasse upon his return; his time in service was coming to an end, and he knew he wanted to go into business for himself - to create something that would be remembered. He did not want to build a business solely for profit, he wanted to create a brand that would inspire people to "craft their own legacy." Eric had found his calling and thus set out to create Trident Coffee Roasters, a coffee company built to fuel an active lifestyle and unrelenting spirit that would help drive a positive impact between all walks of life.

This blog was important to start a little different because without him, Trident couldn't be where it is today. Prior to Trident, Eric served as a Civil Engineer in the US Navy after attending the US Naval Academy and USC Business School where he earned his masters. Come 2017, he took to the ground running with Trident Coffee making it what it is today. 

Read on to learn more about Eric and the way he continues to live out the Trident legacy. As he continues to eat, sleep and breathe Trident Coffee, he hasn't forgotten to keep fit and give back. More below...

Eric's Favorite Product:

Ambrotos, I love having MCT Oil with my coffee.

What intrigued you to start Trident Coffee and establish our mission?

With my time in the military, I loved being apart of something bigger than myself and working with others to accomplish the mission. I wanted to find a way to connect with people that care about health and wellness to focus on becoming the best versions of themselves, and coffee has such a strong presence as a universally consumed beverage, it was a great avenue to build relationships from.

Since we are all about health and wellness at Trident Coffee, what would you say your favorite exercise is that keeps you fit for life and why?

Rowing is such a great workout, and love adding erg sprints into my workouts.

We know you are a Naval Academy graduate and held a leadership position in the Navy. What is a really good leadership quality that you have found effective in life?

Still figuring how to apply everything, but never stop learning and trying to get better every day. The best leaders I have seen where the ones that knew they didn’t know everything, but always strove to learn and be the best version of themselves.

Trident Coffee is all about giving back to the community; we are building something bigger than just great coffee. Do you have any that really resonate with you that you want to highlight?

I truly love our relationship with Active Valor, and being a mentor with them.  Being able to support their vision, connect with other veterans and Gold Star families has been an amazing experience.

Life is not always about work, downtime is a must. What is a favorite hobby of yours to get your mind off of things?

I have been getting into active recovery and learning how to try and optimize my mood and energy.  Taking daily ice baths and red light saunas help me focus on being in the moment and unwind and recover.

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