On this episode I talk with Mary Allen Lindemann, co-founder and community builder of Coffee By Design ("CBD" if you are a local), a Maine-based community coffee house and wholesale roastery that will roast over 550,000 pounds of coffee this year. Approaching their 25th anniversary, CBD has been through three waves of coffeehouse competition and has learned how to start, grow, and sustain a successful organization along the way.

Mary Allen is steadfast in her company's commitment to steady, sustainable, and responsible growth – to the point where she says "No" more than "Yes" and is comfortable no longer being the first in an effort to be the best. She engages in a level of honest introspection only an entrepreneur of her tenure could accomplish and has sustained an enthusiasm for her business that is emblematic of a mission-driven founder.

Questions, comments, or know someone who would be great on the Big Time Small Business podcast? E-mail in at podcast@chenmarkcapital.com