Carl Churchill

Meet Carl!

Carl completed a bachelor’s degree in German from the College of Humanities and another in Political Science from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. After graduating, he served 21 years in the U.S. Army before returning to the University of Utah to pursue an MBA. Following his military retirement, Carl and his wife, Lori, founded the local coffee shop, Alpha Coffee, now with two locations: one in downtown Salt Lake City and another in Cottonwoods Heights.

Learn more about Carl’s story, his advice for graduating students, and the lasting impact of his time in the College of Humanities.

 

Q: Why did you choose to study at the University of Utah?

A: I joined the Army straight out of high school and then got a scholarship that would have allowed me to go to school anywhere in the country. I applied to a number of schools and was accepted by all of them (including an Ivy League school) but when deciding on which one to choose, I decided I wasn’t going to allow others to define what path I should take. I wanted a location that offered an excellent education, as well as a great quality of life. The U offered great academics and unparalleled access to do the things I loved: skiing, camping, climbing, hiking, mountain biking and a fun, unpretentious social life.

 

Q: Why did you choose to study German?

A: My mother was German and I was born there in Nurnberg, Bavaria. We came to the US when I was very young and we never spoke the language at home as we were growing up, so I didn’t speak German. Between the ages of 8-11 we lived in Germany again and I learned conversational German from my family over there. As I got older, I wanted to learn the language more deeply and took classes in high school but those never challenged me. When I got to the U, I knew I wanted to get a BA and I started taking German courses. I really enjoyed them and decided to do a semester abroad in northern Germany. It was awesome. When I got back to Utah, I decided to complete a BA in German in addition to completing my BS in Political Science, International Relations.

 

Q: What advice would you give to current humanities students to make the most of their time on campus?

A: My advice to humanities students is to soak up as much of the student experience as you can and get involved in as many groups and experiences as you can. It goes fast and it is easy to feel overwhelmed, but enjoy every minute of it. Stretch yourself, and embrace challenge. Seek knowledge and learn as much as you can. College is not just about getting a degree that sets you up for a specific job, it is also about becoming a more well-rounded, well informed, interesting person who can engage with others, communicate effectively, learn new concepts quickly, and generally be someone others enjoy having on their team. Those are the skills I learned at the U and they have served me well in my life and my career. And without a doubt, being a Humanities major made me more curious about the world, about life, and more focused on making work something I enjoyed and not just endured to make money.

 

Q: What advice do you have for graduating students as they start to explore a career and life after college?

A: One thing I tell a lot of young people who are starting out their career is that it is important to do something you enjoy, work with people you like, and be able to learn and grow from each job and each life experience. Being able to work well with others in a team-based environment, communicate effectively, and be passionate about what you do will make you stand out during the job hunt. Too often, people are just looking for the max payout or the big-name company to put on their resume, and that can be a trap. It is good to have a plan and to pursue it but you are going to change jobs and probably careers, many times over the next 40+ years of working, so understand that a lot of it is about the journey and so focus on taking jobs where you can learn and grow.

 

Q: What is the best professional advice you’ve received?

A: The best professional advice I received is that everything in life and business is about people. So, make sure you embrace relationships and networking, that you are a good coworker and friend, that you focus on what you can do to help your team/company be successful. If the relationships you form are real and based on being interested in helping others, you will find great happiness and satisfaction. And that ultimately is what attracts others, opens doors, and helps you to be successful. By helping and serving others in a genuine way, your life and career become richer by default.

 

Q: What is your favorite part about your current role as Chief Coffee Officer of Alpha Coffee?

A: My favorite part of being the Chief Coffee Officer of Alpha Coffee is the people. That starts with being able to spend lots of time with the love of my life as co-owners and co-founders. My wife Lori is a strong, intelligent, capable woman and sets a great example for our team. Our management team includes more strong women and men who believe in the service leadership that sets the tone for our culture. The whole Alpha team is a diverse group of amazing individuals who come together to do hard things and excel! We love the relationship we have with our team, with the other local businesses we partner with, and with our community of customers, both here locally and through our online retail business! In our two local shops, one at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon and one downtown at 111 S. Main Street, we bring people together over coffee. This country and the world need more people sitting down over coffee talking, smiling, and laughing.

 

Q: How do you currently make an impact through your work or other activities?

A: I served 21 years in the US Army and although I didn’t love every minute of it, I loved it. I loved serving my country and protecting those who needed it. That career of service and learning to win as a team and take care of my brothers and sisters in arms shaped me greatly. After getting out of the service, I wanted to continue to give back and so when my wife and I founded Alpha Coffee, we decided we wanted to build a different kind of coffee company. We wanted to help build community, to give back, to create a great company culture and to offer a product we were extremely proud of. Profit was important but not the driving factor. The result of that is that we have two of the highest rated coffee shops in the valley and our online business continues to grow through word of mouth and customer loyalty. To date, we are proud to say that we have donated over $120,000 to non-profits focused on veterans, planet, and community. We work with several very effective non-profits doing great work here in Utah and around the country. We’ve also sent over 22,000 bags of coffee to deployed troops. I did multiple combat tours and having great coffee while downrange is a taste of home and a daily opportunity to huddle with your team and enjoy that hot cup of awesome together.

My wife and I believe that small, local businesses are part of the fabric that makes a community worth living in. Large corporations lack soul and have a hard time connecting to the local communities they operate in, but we believe local businesses help build communities and should care about their employees, their customers and the quality of life they impact. At the end of the day, we have to make money to stay in business and to be able to offer our employees a livable wage, benefits and a career opportunity, but we believe that giving back through our Grounds for Good program and creating a company we are proud of is the biggest reward.