Pep Talk With My Younger Self
This month 13 years ago, construction was underway for the first coffee shop I would ever open. It was arguably one of the most idyllic locations for an espresso bar in Atlanta, with its ski lodge exterior and wraparound balcony seating overlooking the Chattahoochee River. We served Counter Culture Coffee and had a typical coffee drink menu, and could maybe even pass for a “normal” coffee shop, were it not for the fact that it was in a gated apartment complex and carried the unfortunate moniker of “The Chatt Room” (not my doing). It was where I cut my teeth as a coffee shop operator, though it wasn’t my personal money or reputation on the line - I had opened The Chatt Room as an amenity for the apartment community and as a hopeful revenue stream for a local non-profit organization working with youth in Atlanta.
That was the beginning. I wouldn’t change a thing about the years and experiences between then and now, but if I could have a short chat with that 25-year-old Jonathan, I’d give a little bit of encouragement and insight into how it would all go:
Hey Jonathan, you’re just starting out and you’ve got a ton to learn, but know this: It really is all that you hope it will be. You’re gonna fall in love with it all: The people, the atmosphere, the rhythm of life. While there’s danger in over-romanticising the coffee shop, the romance is admittedly real.
When you eventually own your own place, you’re going to have the lowest lows and highest highs, and you’ll navigate through some extremely difficult challenges. The responsibility will often feel overwhelming. But you’ll keep getting better, you’ll keep learning and growing, and you’ll pour into and receive from an incredibly supportive community.
After doing all this for years, you’ll keep stoking the fire and you’ll still want to step into the next big thing. Be patient, be consistent, do well with what’s right in front of you. When the timing is perfect in God’s plan for you, the next crazy stage of the journey will begin.
To give you something to look forward to, 2021 is gonna be the big year.
In the following posts, I’ll start talking about details of my new coffee business venture!