Is There a Doctor in the House? Does He Drink Coffee?

Is There a Doctor in the House? Does He Drink Coffee?
By: Jake Kilroy | December 12, 2008 10:20 AM

I'm not a doctor.

"What? Come on, Jake, but you know the remedy for so many things...snake bites...marketing campaigns...zombie apocalypses..."

OK, OK, so I am a doctor of sorts. Actually, let's just say I am a doctor. Let's say I just saved your life (as you were infected with the virus from the second season of Heroes). It took me quite a few hours, an andidote and several rolls of Playdoh to keep you breathing on my dining room table. I'm sleepy. The day has worn on me.

Enter Mike Adams, founder of Java Medic Coffee and paramedic for 15 years.

Java Medic Coffee is a coffee gift company aimed at the medical field. The company sells coffee with labels that resemble a doctor's prescription pad and caffeine levels categorized by EKGs. For example, a flat line means the coffee is decaffeinated.

"I got the idea about three years ago sitting in the cafeteria watching people hover around the coffee urns," recalls Adams, 38. "I remember saying, 'If I had a dime for every cup of coffeee a doctor or nurse drank, I'd make more money than saving lives!"

Adams teamed up with a private coffee roaster who had the best coffee Adams had ever tasted and found a web designer who understood what JavaMedic.com should be. And so, Adams started up Java Medic Coffee.

"I primarily used savings to fund the business, and when the inventory increased, I needed to get funding through a home equity loan. The process was involved. I actually went to SCORE, read tons of books about starting a business and niche businesses, and I met with many business professionals who had a better understanding of the term 'spend money to make money.'"

For now, JavaMedic.com has only been able to be a part-time venture. "I still work as a full-time helicopter paramedic," Adams says. "However, my schedule is unique, as I work a 24-hour shift and a 12-hour shift. So, essentially, I work two days a week. This gives me the rest of the week to focus on JavaMedic.com."

But what Adams has is not only a good niche, but he's his own target demographic. He doesn't just understand his audience, he's a part of it. He knows the balance of adrenaline vs. caffeine.

"There is no better feeling in the world than helping someone or saving a life. It is an indescribable rush when you make a difference in others' lives. I love being a paramedic," says Adams. "As an entrepreneur, the rush is when you see your creativity come to life. It is an unbelieveable rush to see others use and enjoy the products you create and market."

Adams would like to take on the new rush for a few years though. "My ultimate goal is to be a full-time coffee entrepreneur and have Java Medic in hospitals, doctors' offices and firestations across the United States."

Since Adams can clearly handle the stress of being a paramedic and an entrepreneur, I thought he would have no problem answering...Jake's Seriously Intense Medical Questions!

Jake's Seriously Intense Medical Question #1: A few years ago, my brother and I took my grandmother to the emergency room once when she hurt her ankle (and has since vowed to crawl to the hospital before letting us take her if there is a next time). I talked to this rather attractive nurse (attempting to score cute points), but it wasn't enough. How can Java Medic Coffee help me win over this nurse next time I'm visiting St. Joseph's Hospital in Orange?

MA: Giving this nurse a pound of Java Medic Coffee would indicate to her you are a man who knows his grind. One cup of Trauma Mama Coffee and she'll be aroused for the entire nightshift.

Jake's Seriously Intense Medical Question #2: I'm actually a pretty big fan of Scrubs and Grey's Anatomy. Let's say both shows are real (in which case, I would of course be actively dating Dr. Addison Montgomery right now). Which character from either show would benefit most and/or be most thankful for a gift basket from Java Medic Coffee? Why?

MA: Carla on Scrubs would most benefit from a Bed Pan Gift Basket, because we all have crappy days, because she consistently covers up the interns' mistakes and she loves coffee!

Jake's Seriously Intense Medical Question #3: Let's say I'm a doctor (a combination of Elliott Gould in M*A*S*H and Nicolas Cage in Bringing Out The Dead), so I'm a little bit unorthodox and sleep-deprived. My peers think I'm a bit of an oddball. What specific items in a gift basket from Java Medic Coffee would help me charm them?

MA: Odd and on the edge, ready for action is a description of many health care providers. A travel mug represents energy to paramedics and having a Java Medic Carabineer travel mug would show your fellow co-worker not only do you provide the best care, you drink premium Java Medic Coffee.

So, next time you see a paramedic in action, you can wonder if he has good coffee stashed next to the gauze.