If American colonists had not resisted Britain’s tax on tea in 1773 – when they dumped tons of tea into Boston’s harbor and refused to buy any more from Tory sources -- the United States might never have acquired its love for coffee. By the time the Revolution ended, coffee had preempted tea as an American table mainstay.

The most fascinating coffee revolution, however, occurred in 1979, when a crazy Chicago hairdresser got a “wild hair” to sell gourmet and flavored coffee. In a script that would have been bizarre by even Hollywood standards, Gloria Jean Kvetko set up shop in Long Grove, Illinois. At a time when bell-bottoms, big hair and Saturday Night Fever were all the rage, she defied the establishment, male chauvinism and the “sound advice” of friends and family -- in the belief that the public would embrace a good cup of coffee, even if they had to pay a little extra.

Hence Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee was born. While her forbearers took their coffee seriously, steadily, and without frills, Gloria Jean ruffled feathers – and taste buds – with her introduction of gourmet and flavored coffees. Her stores sold only Arabica beans, which were hand-picked and cultivated in higher altitudes over a longer growing season than those used by most commercial coffee companies. This created a coffee with greater body, texture, flavor, and aroma.

Gloria Jean brought espresso coffee to the front counter. She introduced the sampler packet, or the “quarter-pounder,” as she liked to call them. Her stores offered coffee gifts, support merchandise, and club cards.

Branding of the Gloria Jean name made her the nation’s “coffee queen,” and gave her a permanent foothold on the coffee industry. The color green, splashed with the gold Gloria Jean’s inscription, became a mainstay in cities around the United States, as the chain blossomed into the nation’s leading mall-based coffee retailer.

What was the magic? Supporters and critics alike admit that Gloria Jean’s created a magnetic chemistry: A warm, friendly store atmosphere, with products served by people that really cared, topped by the hypnotizing aromas of coffee, coffee and more coffee. Gloria Jean’s treated its decaffeinated brands just as seriously; a patented Swiss Water Process was used to decaffeinated the original blends and flavored coffees. Packaged gourmet teas and accessories, and an exclusive line of more than 20 private label gifts, gave customers award-winning product selections.

Today, you can find the Gloria Jean’s brand in more than 200 U.S. locations and 36 countries.

Tragedy struck Gloria Jean after she sold the franchise for an estimated $40 million in 1993. In 1996, her husband, while living in their Florida condo, with his new partner, callously informed her of his plan to divorce her via facsimile. In 1997, the divorce was finalized. Gloria was suffering from what she called, her “Princess Diana syndrome,” there were too many women in their marriage. In 1999, she battled, and beat, breast cancer. Today she is a staple on the lecture circuit, where she motivates and inspires thousands of people by simply explaining how a girl who grew up in an “upper-poor neighborhood” (this is Gloria’s favorite way of stating that she was not ‘lower’ ….) on the Northwest side of Chicago, without a college education, made herself a household name.

Today, the world’s annual bean production could make 3,644,000,000 cubic feet (1,112,000,000 cubic meters) of liquid coffee, a volume equal to the Mississippi River’s outflow for an hour and a half. But every time you enjoy favorite blend at Starbucks, or Dietrich’s, or Seattle’s Best Coffee, say a little prayer of thanks for Gloria Jean Kvetko, the matriarch of gourmet and flavored coffee. (Gloria Jean actually introduced the word “gourmet” to coffee which, at the time meant expensive, but today means better.) Until she followed her entrepreneurial instincts and stepped out on faith, the country had yet to figure out how to brew that perfect cup.

The most striking elements of Gloria Jean are that, despite her life’s many twists and turns, she maintains an infectious self-confidence, and a heart-warming, self-effacing sense of humor.

Before your name was plastered all over the world, who was the ‘real’ Gloria Jean?

“For starters, if you know a little bit about me, nothing in my life ever came on a silver platter. My story really started at home, I was one of four girls. I was raised with no confidence. I was the least talented of my sisters. When I went to beauty school, they told me I had no talent and that I probably wouldn’t graduate. My family was betting on me being a loser. I was just hoping to have four kids and live in a bungalow in Chicago.

My life’s mission literally became survival. Everything I did was survival, with the exception that I discovered that I loved working. I was born with the energy to work. I found my love in competition and finishing something. For twelve years, I ran a beauty shop for seven days a week. Even after we started Gloria Jean’s, I kept that beauty shop until 1986, when we actually started franchising.

“I know this sounds crazy, but selling the beauty shop was traumatic – it had become a security blanket, and it was hard to let go of something I had worked so hard to build. The idea for gourmet coffee had just come at the right time.”

Is there a ‘right time,’ or ‘wrong time,’ to pursue your dreams?

“I tell people to just take baby steps when pursuing their dreams. Start small, and just keep moving forward. Don’t squash your idea just because you can’t go out and do it all at once. We started with one tiny store. You don’t have to be the biggest and the best when you start, you just have to be willing to give up your life to make it happen.

“If you’re not willing to give up your life, then you are not an entrepreneur. If you’re not willing, then don’t even take the chance – it just doesn’t make any sense. Even when my own family was laughing at me, it just didn’t make any difference.”

Let’s talk about the ‘battle of the sexes.’ Life in the workplace has become much more diversified as an increased number of women have made their presence felt in many industries and professions. Half of all women work outside the home, and women constitute 40 percent of the work populace. What are the specific challenges facing female entrepreneurs around the world?

“When I started years ago, women, especially then, were not respected by the male population. But I feel like I have a unique personality, so it didn’t affect me like it did a lot of other women. I will never forget a buyer who walked in one time. I happened to be in the lobby, and I said, “Can I help you?” He said, “I want to talk to a man.” He didn’t realize he was actually talking to the founder of the Company. Instead of getting upset, I just ignored his ignorance. I went and got him a cup of coffee, and then told my assistant to go out there and close the deal."

“Here’s a theory that I suggest to all women: Don’t bring your personal feelings into business. Stop making it personal. You are not bringing this person home, you’re not going to marry him; you’re not going to bed him. There are so many women trying to prove they are better than men. It becomes a battle of the sexes, when they should just try to be smarter than the problem.”

Warren Farrell, author of Why Men Are the Way They Are, suggests that men are jealous of the "beauty power" that allows women to get “ahead,” beyond their skill levels. How much stock do you put in this theory?

“That’s another thing that women have to fight: No one thought that I had the brains to run the business. I was a partner with my husband, and they always thought he was the brain, and I was there for looks. Get used to it. If you have a male on the team, the male will still get the credit. Ladies, there are still people to this day who do not want to believe that you can do it. They just can’t bring themselves to share the stage with a female partner. This ongoing war is still going to be there.

“Let’s face it – there are a lot of men who take it personal, too. They don’t want a woman to tell them what to do, or worse, heaven forbid if a woman is right. I don’t see a healing until everyone stops making it personal. If everybody would go into a boardroom with blinders on, and they didn’t know who was in there, they would resolve the issues in 20 minutes flat. Instead, it becomes all about gender, sex, personalities and ‘who’s smarter.’ I’ll say the same thing to the men – stop making it personal!

“There is even sexual division in coffee, believe it or not. Men want ‘real’ coffee, masculine coffee. Women love flavored coffee. Hey, maybe we can learn something from that (laughs). When men have a little more flavor, they are more desirable to women!”

The Internet has significantly accelerated globalization. We now see trans-border capital, labor, management, news, images, and data flow. Globalization has both narrowed and widened the income gaps among and within nations. What’s the biggest impact globalization is having on the United States?

“Americans have to be afraid of how inexpensive it is to develop and produce things overseas. We have to become more competitive. Launching a product here is ridiculously expensive. For instance, coffee containers made in the U.S. cost us $13; in China, we got them for 35 cents. I’m not sure how you can bridge this gap. Developing countries are catching up quickly, and the Internet is helping.

“There is no question, though, that the world is becoming a more level playing field. Our stores in Europe are actually doing better than in the United States. In addition to other European countries, Australia has recently opened six stores.”

An entrepreneur who has a unique product that might have international appeal can be easily lured to market globally. What pitfalls await those who move too swiftly?

“Language. We use certain expressions, certain slang, certain nuances that in other countries become very, very sensitive issues. You really need someone on hand to prepare you for the language and the manners. Really educate yourself, country by country, for the language, the manners, and the meanings of common words. We used to have a mascot that was named ‘beaner’ in reference to coffee beans. In Mexico and South America, however, beaner is a very insulting term. That’s one example. Don’t just assume that what works here will work anywhere else. And vice-versa. What works in Europe may not work in the States.”

What is the single toughest issue for today’s entrepreneur?

“Hiring. The economy has slipped a little recently, but still, it’s almost impossible to find good people. Hourly jobs are even tougher. (Laughs) I used to hire anybody who filled out an application with a pen instead of a pencil, because I thought thatshowed they had a little confidence – they weren’t planning on erasing anything.

“Never hire ego. When someone leads with their ego, show them the door. Hire smart. If they know what they’re talking about, hire them immediately. Never cut your budget when it comes to hiring smart, particularly in a foreign country. That can make you or break you. Even still, in all of our markets, it’s extremely hard. All the baby boomers had 1.2 children (chuckles) …there are enough jobs for 18.2 children.”

Sales growth, without net income growth, can be dangerous. How much rapid growth is too much?

“Slow down. Greed will kill you. There is no other way. Even for us, the growth came so fast, there was no way financially we could do it. When something is good out there, everybody wants it. When you look around, everyone is standing there. You have a good product, and you’re learning as you go. If you start rushing the process, then you get killed. Anybody who has been in any kind of business … you have to realize that anyone who is knocking on your door business-wise wants something from you … and they will desert the ship just as quickly if it starts sinking.

“When times are good and growth is steady, beware the people who compliment you while trying to get their hand in your pocket. When that happens to me, I turn it around: I put my hand in their pocket, and ask them to do what they were asking me to do. That usually clarifies their intentions, and quickly.”

You grew up on the tough streets of Chicago, where people aren’t afraid to speak their mind. How has being “politically correct” changed the face of business?

“Political correctness stole our country’s sense of humor. No one can laugh at themselves anymore. Everybody is afraid of everybody else, especially if they don’t look like you. All political correctness has done is create lawsuits. It’s been great for the lawyers. Suddenly, not being able to laugh at yourself gives you the right to sue someone. Can somebody explain that to me?”

You’ve been through some very personal battles, with cancer, and with divorce. How did the shock and rejection you felt during your divorce (August, 1996) affect your morale, your self-esteem, after such phenomenal business success?

“We had a vacation condo in Florida. My husband was already down there. He sent me a fax that said, “Don’t come to Florida. I want a divorce.” Then, while I was still in shock, I had a dear friend die suddenly. There are five major stress levels in your life, a move, a death, selling a business, a major illness, and a divorce, and when you put them all within a six-year period, it becomes tough. This is when you must wake up in the morning and really like yourself as a person (you must never lose your sense of humor). When you can wake up in the morning and you can treat yourself as your best friend, you’ve finally made it. Everybody thinks that divorce is bad, but I’ve decided that you can’t force people who don’t want to live with you, to live with you. Once you get past the trauma, you can become a stronger, better person.”

Literally three years later (August, 1999), lightning struck again. How did you learn of your breast cancer?

“I was walking to my bathroom sink, put my hand on it, I said to myself, This is it. I went to my doctor, and in one mammogram, only one out of four ultrasounds showed the shadow of cancer. It was Stage Two cancer. It was almost impossible to find. I simply said, ‘Get it out.’ I attacked cancer like I have everything else in my life. I had held hands with my mother, and other dear friends, and watched them die of cancer. I just decided that I would not let this beat me.”

You have spoken before of something ‘miraculous’ that happened while you were going through chemotherapy. Can you share it with us?

“Well, first of all, it’s a long, hard road when you have the disease. Cancer is like flu. When you’re throwing up, they know you’re sick. But when you stop throwing up, people think you’re well, and you’re not. Chemotherapy takes as much as a year to recover from. At this point, I had lost my hair. I told my girlfriends that I had become so ugly that a rapist would turn and run. This particular night, I was laying there, so sick, with tears flowing down my face in the dark.

“Suddenly, I felt the presence of God. I have no other way to explain it. I’m not a religious person. But I am a spiritual person. Literally, at that moment, the tears dried up and I started smiling. I knew I could make it with the love of God."

“Today, I think of cancer as something I had to suffer in order to help other people. I accept that. I believe pain is a yardstick, and sympathy is an inch, and people get bored with whiners, and I’m no exception. Every time I ended up having problems, I have just decided that these problems are meant to be – so that I can relate to and help others. Otherwise, without the bad times, how would we ever recognize the good times.”

How does it feel to face your own mortality?

“You learn quickly that there are two things you cannot control: The weather, and dying. My focus became that, if I die of cancer, or a heart attack, that people will be able to say I had a good life and I did what I could to help others. If your life starts out tough, it helps you to enjoy the remainder of your life. Today, it’s much easier for me to laugh at problems, because I know how to deal with them, and most of them aren’t life-threatening.”

Your experience with cancer inspired your new book, Journey of Prayer. Tell us about it.

“Journey of Prayer has taken on a life of its own. I wrote this for my children and their children. I wanted them to see that the love of God is really simple, and it is just as simple to love back. I wanted them to be able to see life and prayer and to be able to visualize how it could be.

“I’ve discovered that any road to success isn’t as easy as it looks. As your responsibilities increase, you always question yourself. Lonely days and nights occur when you seem to be in a corner. This is when you need to turn to prayer. You ask for the light at the end of the tunnel. Soon, you learn that you are never truly alone, and you are led out of that tunnel.”

Your book has been a runaway hit. Years ago, did you ever think you would become a popular author?

“(Laughs) No … I actually have a learning disability, but it’s never stopped me from writing little stories, little poems. When I was younger, I was afraid to share, because people would laugh at me and shut me down. I wasn’t born a confident person … I just became one. I really encourage that creativity in my grandkids (one boy, one girl). I take my grandchildren off into a room, and we look at pictures and make up stories as we go. My granddaughter wrote a story about an angel. If you allow children to look at pictures and make up their own stories, it’s amazing what comes out of their mouths.”

Do you think children should be using computers at such an early age?

“Computers have done a lot for society, but I think it’s frightening when I see a child hunched over a computer like a mole for hours. There’s no argument, there’s no feedback, there’s no giggling, there’s no creativity. Parents need to teach their kids not to put all of their faith in this little machine. Teach them the discipline to get away from the machine. Teach them to read.

“I always loved reading. Reading helps you find out who you are. When you’re raised in a family, especially if there’s more than one brother or sister, when you read, you discover more than one personality. I believe that you develop a lot of confidence and strength about who you are by reading. Younger children today are downright scary … they’re computer geniuses by the time they’re seven.”

Has the Internet eliminated the ‘mid-life’ crisis?

“Today, there is no such thing as age. If you want to start a business at 60, you can. In the old days, if you were a woman over 30, you were matronly. Adults today have three different career changes. Your first is a career of ego, where you have to prove yourself. Then you have a career of finances, where you focus on putting something away. The third is a career of enjoyment, where you really pick something that you love to do. I’m a good example. I’ve gone from hairdressing, to coffee, to writing a book.”

Although you’ve become a celebrity on the speaking circuit, I can’t believe that an entrepreneur like you with so much ‘fire in the belly’ is just content to sit back and watch life pass you by. What’s next on the Gloria Jean horizon?

“It’s ironic – when I was growing up, everybody told me to shut up (laughs) … now they pay me to keep talking. What’s next? (Pauses). Well, I’ll admit that I think coffee was a fluke, because it was gourmet, it was a new word at the time, it became trendy, and it just all clicked.

“I think the next home run, instead of coffee houses, will be water houses. It’s environmental, it’s healthy, and it’s no different than good coffee, liquor or wine – people will spend money to be healthy. There’s filtered water, flavored water, clustered water … the potential is amazing. I could say more (laughs) … but you will see. If we made people crazy for coffee … we can make them crazy for water, too.”

What would be the next thing that would take Gloria Jean away from coffee?

“(Without hesitation) In lieu of a good cup of coffee, I’d take a glass of water.”

Published by " The Globes Guardian"