He Went Bankrupt at 21. Then Built One of Australia's Most Respected Coffee Brands. With Peter Wolff

<p>At 21, Peter Wolff was declared bankrupt after unknowingly signing a personal guarantee for his family&#39;s business. Years later, he walked away from Veneziano, the coffee company he co-founded, after a partnership that had turned toxic. Then, just eleven weeks after opening a new café in Brisbane, COVID hit. He’s had chefs walk out, he’s broken down in the kitchen, and spent the next nine months cooking every service himself.</p><p>Today, Peter is the founder of Wolf Coffee Roasters, one of Australia&#39;s most respected specialty coffee businesses. Alongside his wife Penny, he&#39;s built a business that has trained nearly 15,000 coffee professionals around the world and helped shape Australia&#39;s modern coffee industry.</p><p>In this episode Peter is refreshingly honest about bankruptcy, business partnerships, conflict, burnout and the fear of losing everything twice. He talks about why trust is the most valuable thing a founder can build, the role Penny has played in every chapter of the business, and why sometimes the only way through is one plate, one customer and one day at a time.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>You&#39;ll hear:</strong></p><p>0:00 Four decades in coffee and the business Peter built</p><p>6:23 How Wolf Coffee Roasters started from scratch</p><p>15:03 Why he walked away from the company he co-founded</p><p>19:18 When a business partnership became toxic</p><p>22:01 What leaving a business really feels like</p><p>29:04 Building multiple businesses at the same time</p><p>36:55 The family bankruptcy that changed everything</p><p>41:00 The $68,000 debt he never knew he&#39;d signed for</p><p>45:15 Opening a new café just weeks before COVID</p><p>50:10 The week every chef walked out52:29 Breaking down in the kitchen</p><p>54:07 Nine months cooking every service himself</p><p>57:08 The one lesson every founder should build their business around</p><p><strong>Connect with Peter:</strong> <em>linkedin.com/in/peter-wolff-40475aba</em></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>See behind the scenes over at<a href="https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/"> <u>https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/</u></a></p><p>Or LinkedIn -<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/"> <u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/</u></a></p><p>And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business, reach out over at<a href="https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/"> <u>https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/</u></a></p><p>Hit follow wherever you&#39;re listening so you don&#39;t miss a single episode.</p><p><br></p>