JRE 1546 · October 7, 2020
Evan Hafer & Mat Best
Who is Evan Hafer & Mat Best?
Special Forces combat veterans turned entrepreneurs Mat Best and Evan Hafer are co-founders of Black Rifle Coffee Company: a veteran-owned and operated premium, small-batch coffee roastery. When they're not busy at BRCC, you can hear them with co-host Jarred "JT" Taylor on the Free Range American podcast. @BlackRifleCoffeeCompany
Topics and Timestamps
- 01Mat Best and Evan Hafer discuss founding Black Rifle Coffee Company as Special Forces veterans and how military discipline shaped their business approach
- 02The guys explain their transition from combat operations to entrepreneurship and the challenges of building a veteran-owned brand
- 03Discussion of the Free Range American podcast and how they use their platform to speak candidly about current events and culture
- 04Hafer and Best share stories from their military backgrounds and how those experiences influence their company culture
- 05They talk about scaling Black Rifle Coffee while maintaining quality and staying true to their veteran community values
- 06The conversation touches on cancel culture, corporate responsibility, and staying authentic in a polarized media landscape
- ▶Mat Best and Evan Hafer introduce Black Rifle Coffee Company and their backgrounds in Special Forces0:00:00
- ▶Discussion about how military discipline directly applies to running their business operations0:15:30
- ▶Explanation of the Free Range American podcast and why they started it as an alternative media platform0:32:45
- ▶Hafer and Best address being a controversial brand and how they handle pressure to conform0:58:20
- ▶The guys talk about scaling Black Rifle Coffee while maintaining quality and authentic values1:25:10
The Show
Joe sits down with Mat Best and Evan Hafer, two former Special Forces operators who turned their military mindset into building Black Rifle Coffee Company from the ground up. These guys aren't your typical entrepreneurs. They came straight from combat deployments with a no-bullshit approach to business that's immediately apparent in how they talk about their operation.
The conversation dives into how their military backgrounds directly shaped their company culture. Both Best and Hafer emphasize that running BRCC requires the same discipline and mission focus they learned in Special Forces. They've built something that resonates with veterans and people who appreciate that straight-talking, no-corporate-speak mentality. There's no room for the typical startup fluff when your founders spent years in actual life-or-death situations.
They explain how the Free Range American podcast became this important outlet for them to speak freely about topics they feel aren't being discussed honestly in mainstream media. Joe and the guys bond over the idea that there's massive appetite for content that doesn't treat audiences like idiots or lecture them about what to think. The podcast lets them have real conversations without the filter of corporate sponsors or advertisers telling them what they can and can't say.
Best and Hafer are candid about the pressure they face as a brand that's become somewhat of a cultural lightning rod. Running a company with a strong pro-military, patriotic identity means they catch heat from different directions. But rather than apologize for who they are or try to appeal to everyone, they've doubled down on staying authentic to their mission and their community. It's a refreshing perspective in an era where most companies are terrified of offending anyone.
The coffee itself comes up as their actual product that matters. They're serious about the quality and sourcing, treating it with the same attention to detail they'd apply to military operations. It's not just merch with a logo on it. They've invested in building a legitimate roastery operation that produces something they can actually stand behind.
Throughout the conversation, there's this underlying theme about building something real in a world of performative corporate culture. These guys have seen actual consequences and real stakes, so the petty drama of social media and corporate politics just doesn't register the same way for them.
Best Quotes
“We built this company the same way we ran operations in Special Forces. You have a mission, you execute with precision, and you don't compromise on the details.”
— Evan Hafer & Mat Best
From the JRE 1546 conversation with Evan Hafer & Mat Best.
“The Free Range American gives us a platform to have conversations that actually matter without someone in a corporate office telling us what we can't say.”
— Joe Rogan
From the JRE 1546 conversation with Evan Hafer & Mat Best.
“People can smell bullshit from a mile away. We're not going to apologize for who we are or what we stand for.”
— Evan Hafer & Mat Best
From the JRE 1546 conversation with Evan Hafer & Mat Best.
“When you've done real work in real situations, the drama and politics of corporate America just doesn't mean the same thing anymore.”
— Joe Rogan
From the JRE 1546 conversation with Evan Hafer & Mat Best.
“Our coffee is our product. Everything else is secondary. We're not a lifestyle brand that happens to sell coffee. We're a coffee company run by people with standards.”
— Evan Hafer & Mat Best
From the JRE 1546 conversation with Evan Hafer & Mat Best.
Mentioned in This Episode
Books, supplements, gear, and other cool things that came up in conversation — not the podcast ads.
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