A new community for outdoor living professionals

By Dani Sheehan. 

Discover authentic conversations, valuable education and a thriving community that connects professionals shaping the outdoor spaces we enjoy every day. 

The outdoor living industry is growing, evolving and connecting like never before – and now there’s a podcast dedicated to exploring it all. From the Ground Up is the official podcast of OutdoorCoffeeShop™, where hosts dive into the trends, tools and transformations shaping the outdoor living construction industry. In this kickoff episode, co-hosts Heidi J. Ellsworth and Karol Weyman, shared the story behind OutdoorCoffeeShop and their vision for elevating professionals by building an inclusive, informative and inspiring online community. 

Why OutdoorCoffeeShop? 

Heidi, who helped Vickie Sharples found RoofersCoffeeShop® back in 2002, explained how the idea for the newest Coffee Shop grew out of a deep respect for the trades and a long history of creating digital spaces where contractors can connect. “We are about celebrating our contractors, the tradespeople who are out there,” she shared. “We’ve really been watching and seeing how much is going on in the outdoor space and felt like it was time for us to come in and be a part of it.” 

OutdoorCoffeeShop joins The Coffee Shops™ platforms serving roofing, metal and coatings contractors, but this newest community is focused on bringing all outdoor living professionals under one roof. 

What you’ll find inside 

Karol explained that OutdoorCoffeeShop was built to provide tools, resources and community for every type of contractor working outdoors: “We are bringing an industry together, elevating them by giving them tools and all the different aspects that help your companies grow and your business grow,” she shared. “You can basically go to this site and find almost anything you need to help you get to the next level, whether it’s networking, collaborating, listening to webinars or understanding what’s trending in the industry.” 

With directories, training, associations, safety resources, event coverage and so much more, OutdoorCoffeeShop is designed to meet professionals where they are. 

What makes it different 

While other industry resources exist, Heidi and Karol see OutdoorCoffeeShop as the place where they all connect. “There are great resources out there within all of these markets,” Heidi explained. “But what makes us different is that we are really focused on that outdoor living space. We want to bring everybody together. When you hear each other’s stories, when you understand the challenges within the industry – that makes us stronger.” 

Listen to the full episode of From the Ground Up now and be part of the new OutdoorCoffeeShop community.