Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose Alaniz.
Hi Jose, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in San Antonio by my awesome folks Jose Sr. and Anita Rosa Treviño Alaniz. We were lower-middle class and Pops worked three jobs to provide for me and my older sister Deborah. I went to Catholic military school from kinder through the 8th grade then went to Central Catholic Marianist HS and did the first two years in the ROTC program. When I was a junior, I tried to stay in the ROTC program and was told no by an old disgruntled First Sargent but that didn’t matter I was going to serve in the military regardless. Pops was a CI for the Air Force from 1955 to 1959 and my uncle, Pops youngest of seven siblings was also Crypto Air Force and he served in Vietnam. I had many great uncles in WWII and one great uncle in WWI so it never crossed my mind to do anything but the military.
I graduated from HS in June of 1989 when the Air Force had a freeze on recruiting. I was GOING to follow my Pops and my uncle’s footsteps. I was told by my Air Force recruiter to check in once a week. At that time all four branches had recruiting offices in one building downtown San Antonio across the street from the MEPS station. So I did this every Friday after school until one day the lights were out in the AF office completely and as I turned to leave there stood some old salty dog Navy guy standing in the doorway smoking a cigarette and he said the AF is closed but we are hiring and we offer everything the AF does. I often wonder where my life would be had I waited. Out of money and tired of waiting, I joined the Navy and left for basic in March of 1990 after being in the delayed entry program since graduation. I did four years and nine months on active duty then got out. My son was born in 1994 and by 1999, I was divorced and got heavily into alcohol and dabbled in drugs. I also during this time became addicted to food and still struggle with it.
In 2004 I married my current wife and after the 1 to 2 year new marriage bliss was over things really turned bad. We struggled over the next 10 to 11 years with everything from my wife’s attempted suicide to financial struggles and then just treating one another with utter disrespect. In 2014 our grandson was born in New Zealand and we spent a month there getting to know the in-laws and our grandson. It was here and a weekend in Australia that I had fresh roasted made to order coffee for the very first time. In 2016 My father passed from lung cancer and I finally completely surrendered to Christ. In 2017 my sister, mother, son and my wife traveled to Italy and Greece to visit places my Pops had taken pictures of in the 50s and this trip solidified my passion for coffee.
From about 2004 to 2017, I was also involved in the Masonic fraternity and the Shriners International. It was in this organization that I found a niche that I love. I started working with our injured soldiers while they were attached to the hospital at Ft. Sam Houston. Eventually, my faith in Christ Jesus made me realize that I did not need to be there anymore and so I left. Hold that thought for just a second.
I started roasting coffee of an open face steak grill in the back yard then upgraded to a big smoker pit I built. I just kept trying new things until I prayed and prayed and started on a journey that I know God blesses often. Third Day Coffee Seguin is this journey and exists to create the opportunity and ability to do ministry in our local community. From my experience with the Shrine and our warriors, I feel like God is leading me to offer Christ as an option for people to heal their lives with. I have a lot of friends some old and some new that had the VA prescribe one pill after another until they were basically taking a pill to wake up and one to sleep and who knows how many in between. I feel like God is leading us to sell enough coffee to support a full-time ministry to address issues like this and more and not only for Veterans but for anyone in the community that needs help. I am a firm believer of not giving a handout but giving a hand up.
Most recently, we purchased a custom commercial roasting machine from US Roasters in OKC and we are actively supporting our supplier Legacy Farms Coffee with their Godly mission of lifting up the people who and community they have their farm in, in Cerro Bueno, Honduras. On a recent trip to Honduras, we made a deal with Jose Santos of Finca Santos and will be the only roaster in the world to carry Finca Santos. The big commercial coffee companies exploit the local micro farms by paying them 20 dollars for 150 pounds of raw coffee when in the US their coffee would sell for upwards of 750 dollars for the same 150 pounds. Since the locals are so poor and no means to get their coffee here, Legacy Farms Coffee helps them get their coffee here and get full price for it. This year we have been so blessed to be able to have put a down payment on a Church and library being built in the community in Honduras and to be able to buy all the plants to plant Santos’ new micro farm. I cannot tell you how many prayers God has answered during this process. The bible tells us He will give us the desires of our hearts. I am living that bible verse.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
First, I knew nothing about business but I stumbled across a Veteran entrepreneur group on Facebook called Vetpreneur Tribe and within this group, I belong to the Warrior council. These groups are made up of only Veterans and active duty of the US, UK and Australian armed services. These groups have guided me through the trials of a start-up and have been significant in our newfound success.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Since my Navy days, I have been a mechanic of sorts. I worked on pumps, generators, steam plants and for the last ten years as a government contractor for the NSA as an HVAC tech. Today I roast small-batch specialty coffee with the unique distinction of roasting with mesquite wood. I believe the high quality of raw coffee we source and the mesquite is what sets us head and shoulders above the competition.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I play a 12 string Taylor acoustic for church, I collect WWI cavalry spurs and other period militaria and I love building model airplanes from all periods and branches of the military.
Contact Info:
- Email: jra@thirddaycoffeeseguin.com
- Website: https://www.thirddaycoffeeseguin.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirddaycoffeeseguin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thirddaycoffeeseguin
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/3rdDayCoffeeTX
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/thirddaycoffeeseguin
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/682474965987374
Image Credits
Chris Hernandez, Paul S. Safford & Jose Roberto Alaniz, Jr. (Me!)
