Today we’d like to introduce you to Deja Futrell.
Hi Deja, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started Coffelle from something very personal to me, the joy of sharing my favorite pastime with the people I love. Before coffee, I was actually a fashion designer. I founded my clothing brand in 2019 and truly believed that would be my long-term path. But when COVID hit, everything shifted. I found myself experiencing imposter syndrome; it didn’t feel right to push clothing during a time when the world was standing still. I wasn’t even buying clothes myself. I wanted to pour my energy into something that felt more meaningful, sustainable, and essential.
And while most people might not think of coffee as “essential,” for those who still had to wake up, work, take care of families, or find some sense of normalcy (even from home) that cup of coffee meant everything. It was comfort. It was connection. It was consistency during a time when nothing felt consistent.
That’s what sparked the pivot.
I started making coffee for my friends and family out of my apartment in LA. Every morning they’d come knock on my door, grab their cup, and head out to start their day. It became a ritual, a moment of connection before life pulled everyone in different directions. I even converted people who swore they didn’t drink coffee. They always told me the same thing, that my coffee tasted like it was made with love.
That’s when it clicked for me. In 2022, I made a private commitment to myself that coffee would be my next venture. I didn’t know exactly how it would look back then, but I knew I wanted to build something rooted in intention.
For three years, I worked behind the scenes, studying, tasting, designing, refining, and shaping what would eventually become Coffelle. And in 2025, Coffelle was officially born.
Today, Coffelle is a coffee brand built on design, care, and community. Everything we create is shaped by those values, from our packaging to our storytelling to the way we show up for our customers. My goal has always been to build more than a coffee brand. I want Coffelle to feel like a shared experience. A moment. A familiar ritual that brings people together, just like those mornings in my LA apartment.
That’s how it started. And that’s how we got here.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Has it been a smooth road? Honestly, not at all. The only “smooth” part has been the organic love and feedback I get from people who try Coffelle, that keeps me going. But behind the scenes, it’s been pretty chaotic.
Funding was the first big challenge. I couldn’t secure loans, so I’ve been fully self-funding Coffelle while working full-time and budgeting carefully to reinvest every week. Right before launching in June 2025, all my product got stuck in customs for months when tariffs hit, and I had to pay unexpected fees just to get it released.
On top of that, I didn’t have a real marketing budget, so 90% of the content you see is created by me. It wasn’t easy, but it forced me to get creative and stay authentic, and I think that’s why people connect with the brand today.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I always joke that I’m a creative but also a corporate baddie, because my day-to-day really is the best of both worlds. By day, I’m a Senior E-Commerce Manager for a well-known retailer, a very serious job for someone who feels very unserious half the time. But I thrive in both spaces: the analytical, numbers-driven world of e-commerce, and the imaginative, expressive world of creativity.
Before all of this, I was a fashion designer. I founded my own clothing brand in 2019 and fashion is still a huge part of who I am. I still take on select design projects for close friends and clients who trust my vision. It’s a creative muscle I never want to lose, so I make sure I keep it active.
I’m also the founder of Coffelle, which is the main reason I’m here today. Coffelle is a coffee brand rooted in design, intention, and community. I truly love coffee, not just the drink, but the shared experience of it. Some of my favorite moments in life have come from simply making coffee for friends, family, and even strangers who became supporters. Building this brand has been one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever done.
And on top of that, I run my marketing agency, Deja Brejae Marketing. My team and I support clients with paid media, social media management, and creative direction. It’s funny because I don’t talk about this business enough, but I really love helping people bring their ideas to life and hit their marketing goals. There’s something so rewarding about seeing someone’s vision grow because you helped them shape it.
What sets me apart is that I’m not just one thing, I’m left brain and right brain at the same time. I can be strategic and analytical, but also deeply creative and intuitive. I’ve built brands, scaled e-commerce, designed fashion, created content, and launched a coffee company from the ground up. I’m proud of all of it, but especially the fact that I’ve stayed true to myself through every pivot. I’ve learned how to blend all the different parts of who I am into meaningful work that impacts people.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is purpose. I check in with myself constantly and ask, “Do I feel fulfilled at the end of the day?” If the answer is no, then I have to question what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. I think life is too short to move without intention.
I’ve also spent a lot of time feeling like I’m straddling two completely different worlds, the creative side and the business, analytical side. For a long time, I thought I would eventually have to choose one. Am I the artistic, intuitive creative? Or am I the structured, strategic businesswoman?
As I’ve grown, I’ve realized that what actually makes me me is the fact that I want both,and I’m allowed to have both. I’m different in that way, and I’m finally comfortable embracing it. My purpose is found in the blend of creativity and strategy, expression and execution. That balance is where I feel the most fulfilled, the most challenged, and the most alive.
So what matters most to me is living in alignment with that purpose, doing work that feels meaningful, intentional, and true to who I am on every level.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://coffelle.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coffellebrand/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Coffelle-61577361417063/
Image Credits
Ig: @rkimshotit
