Humbled Helper

Not in the noble way. Like helping with humility. But humbled in an attempt to be helpful that turned into a calamity of stupidity. 

I was writing thank you notes from the Connect desk when a loud “clink” followed by a gush of milk spilling out into the open space got me out of my seat and into service. A customer spilled a full 16oz beverage. In being hospitable, I told her not to touch a thing… this is what we do. We are here to serve. And to minimize any potential embarrassment, I casually let her know it happens all the time. It’s just what we do. And that’s true, but you wouldn’t know it by the one-woman chaos that then ensued.                       

Heading to the mop sink, I asked Faith to check on the customer and replace the spilled drink. Upon arriving at the sink, I found a priorly used mop head screwed on just a bit too tight for me to replace. With the clock ticking on my urgency, I reconsidered my next steps. Thankfully Faith popped in to let me know the customer was taken care of and she suggested the spot mop – a much quicker solution that had worked on a coffee spill for her once before. And although warry of its ability to sop up such a large spill, her confidence encouraged me. I didn’t want to waste any more time. I grabbed the spot mop and ran for the spill.   

Well, we were wrong. I began a casual conversation to ease the customers’ embarrassment as I moved milk around the floor. I guess I was hoping that in some miracle of events the mop pad would become a super sponge to the resistant milk. But eventually, I had to face the music and recognize the thing I was portraying as if no big deal was becoming a bit of an ordeal. I left the customers with a puddle and an awkward spot mop perched on a neighboring customer’s empty chair at their permission. I raced back to the mop sink tagging our shop manager, Justin, to help me replace the old mop head as I filled the bucket. But Faith got to my side first and with her brute strength, or perhaps patience and clear head, I was now back at the spill with a clean mop, mop bucket, and the caution sign I had forgotten in my original hurry. Now everything would be fine… nope.   

The soaked spot mop needed to be moved without dripping milk everywhere else, but I didn’t really have a plan. I made a move, nonetheless, juggling the spot mop, the mop, and the bucket. I’m actually not bad at juggling oranges, but things with long poles, not so much. I tipped the mop bucket over spilling water everywhere. Sigh. Still not a big deal, but kind of a big deal. The customer now had to help me put the bucket upright and save face when all I was trying to do was make this a nothing scenario for her. With milk now mixed with a bucket of water encroaching upon more customers, I squeezed the mop in the mop wringer a thousand times and mopped and mopped and mopped. I did my best, but it wasn’t great. Humbled, I returned the mop to the sink catching a few milk drips behind the coffee bar on the way. Might as well, right? Announcing the wet workspace to the team, one joked to another to not slip and get us a workers comp claim. We laughed. Then in one spectacular finish, I made it back to the mop sink only to knock the bucket over once again. This time my foot caught the fall and the heavy bucket hardware smashed and sliced my baby toe wide enough for a puddle of blood to quickly form.     

This is when FTC 9-1-1 sprang into action. Always helpful, Jude grabbed a bandage and alcohol swab, but Brenda entered and saw the band-aid would be no match for this injury. She returned with a roll of paper towels, a rolling stool, and a soaked tea bag and went to work. Scalpel!  You learn a thing or two working in a kitchen and as a former restaurant owner serving her retirement years with us, Brenda has had her fair share of time in a kitchen. While I sat on the stool with the tea bag doing its job to stop the bleeding, Brenda and Jude buzzed around cleaning me and the bloodied floor. They were the absolute best and they nursed me back to stability. In fact, everyone was doing great in this scenario but me.   

What in the world went wrong? I think the classic case of reacting vs. responding and operating outside of my lane. Google tells us that reacting is an automatic, often impulsive, response while responding involves more deliberate and thoughtful action. In the customer service business, nearly every moment is an opportunity to react or respond as we serve our customers and team with a variety of needs changing from moment to moment.   

Some describe their job as putting out fires all day. If this spilled milk was a literal fire, then I was in trouble. Because I was more impulsive than thoughtful and my thoughtless decisions only belabored the situation inconveniencing others and causing me pain in the end. If I had properly responded, I wouldn’t have even grabbed the mop because I wasn’t assigned to the floor that day. Those appropriately dressed and ready for food service would have done their job better than me and my misplaced authority.   

At the leadership table, I am annoyingly detailed and inquisitive, requiring our team to fully think through the pros and cons before making final decisions. I even question the final decision a few more times, if I’m being honest. Because with a team of 40 people looking to our business for provision and a community hoping our business will serve them well for years to come, I want to be incredibly intentional and wise. I find safety and comfort in choosing steps to respond thoughtfully and yet in this very basic everyday thing like spilled milk, I reacted like a fool. I was out of my lane and lacking wisdom. In fact, my whole day felt clumsy and impulsive. And on this team, there’s grace for that.   

We don’t seek a team of perfect people. We prefer honest and reflective people who seek to grow through their mistakes. Thank the Lord we also have a team that will lift you up or jump right in when you’re completely off your game. Today I have a wide gash, deep bruise, and maybe a slight fracture of my baby toe. But I also have fresh insight, regained wisdom, and gratitude for our sweet team.  

This blog post pairs best with an Irish Coffee. It hits perfect with the right amount of caffeine for alert decision making, whiskey for relaxing and thoughtful reflection, Irish Cream, Brown Sugar and Whipped Cream for the sweetness of the people that surround you and a splash of milk because, well, you'll see.   

Recipe: Build in Glass .5 oz Milk + 1 oz Irish Whiskey + .5 oz Bailey's Irish Cream + .5 oz Brown Sugar Syrup. Fill with coffee and top with whipped cream.   

Beautifully Blended

Having common unity around shared opinions and perspectives can be comforting. Like-minded people who understand one another offer an easy atmosphere of free expression. But when the common unity is the town in which you live or the place you work, you’ll find people with various perspectives and functions that differ quite a bit. And while it may not be “easy” living, it’s pretty awesome. 

I love how the bible uses the metaphor of the human body to describe the community of Christian believers. They highlight the essential role each part of the body plays while emphasizing the diversity among them. You see the interdependence of these parts.  When each part of the body performs its created function, it supports another part of the body in performing its function and on and on to support a larger purpose.   

But you can imagine the elements of the eye would have a very different perspective and function than those of the foot. In fact, if the purpose is to find the car keys, the eye, and the foot could be quite critical of how one another chooses to go about it. But when accepting that such diversity of perspective and function is beneficial to supporting the larger purpose, then we can better appreciate one another’s differences.   

I think about this often when considering our team, the community in which we’re planted, or even my little family of four. While we have many common unities, we are also quite diverse. And that’s beautiful. Because our uniqueness supports one another. But it takes a little work. It’s not always easy. Sometimes we just don’t feel like understanding or accepting one another’s differences. We just want everyone to do it our way. But the eye can’t get to the car keys alone and neither can the foot. We cannot move forward without one another. 

Our team ages range from 14 to 70 years old. Our lifestyles differ. Our interests and strengths differ. Our perspectives differ. And it’s so important. The weekly leadership table includes voices from various stages in life and a variety of experiences. There can be a lot of disagreement at the table, but at the end of the day, we filter our decision through the mission for which we gather so that, together, we move the business forward. We didn’t choose a mission to create great coffee to support coffee farm workers or promote cultural respect. We chose to embrace community and that encompasses all these and more. Because when we properly brew and serve great coffee, we are honoring the many hands that have gone before us to prepare the soil, to grow, to harvest, to process, to ship, to roast. And when we roll out the red carpet and serve all who enter with genuine hospitality, we embrace the diversity of our community. 

Our shop was designed with the community in mind. We considered the various reasons for which people would gather at Fort Thomas Coffee. We also considered the town in which we were planted, studying its rhythms, interests, and needs. We print the city calendar and school calendar annually and build ours around it. We attend city and business council meetings and school functions. In knowing our local community, we accommodate young children, parents, students, friends, couples, businesspersons, business meetings, social clubs, and more.   

In creating a space for everyone, we found it’s actually not for everyone. Not all are tolerant of the diversity and complexity of community. We receive more negative feedback about the customers at our shop than our service to them. It’s far easier to coach our team than our customers. But with that feedback, we continue to design house rules and rhythms to better accommodate the variety of purposes for which people visit and encourage our customer community to respectfully consider one another. We’ve designed a lesson plan for young students on how to live respectfully in community. And while there is the occasional screaming child, a rowdy student that needs coaching, or an unaware person on a loud phone call, what actually happens when community gathers is truly beautiful. 

We believe in our mission to embrace community, and we stay the course. We love a tween playing on the Pac-Man machine while a mom watches her 3-year-old enjoy the playroom. We’re thrilled to see the college student plugged into the bar top next to a businessperson on a conference call. We enjoy the weekly mother-daughter coffee dates, family Fridays, morning bible studies, exercise groups, book clubs, teen hangouts, first dates, and more. To see the variety of purposes for which people show and how they wonderfully coexist brings such joy. From the youngest to the oldest and all the lifestyles in between, each person has a story to tell and it’s our pleasure to play a small part in appreciating it. 

This blog post pairs best with a Blended Cookies & Cream Frappe for the sweetness that comes from combining elements in diverse forms including frozen, liquid, evaporated, powdered, and solid. 

Recipe: Fill a 16 oz glass with ice + chilled brewed coffee. Dump in blender and add 2 scoops of Ghirardelli Vanilla Powder. Blend 30 seconds. Add a scoop of Oreo Cookie crumbles & Pulse. Top with whipped cream and Oreo Cookie crumbles. 

Birthing Business

Leading a new business is a bit like birthing and raising children. I came to this realization after expanding our business in 2022. We added a Kitchen, Cocktail Bar, and Business Connect Center to a Coffee Shop business we had finally gotten the hang of. We purchased Fort Thomas Coffee in March of 2019 completely ignorant of coffee best practices. Until then, I enjoyed a black cup of coffee. That’s all. My husband started drinking coffee months prior to weaning himself off his addiction to Diet Mountain Dew. I used a French Press once or twice – it looked cute on the shelf. And a Mr. Coffee Drip Coffee Maker until the sleek and simple Keurig hit the scene. That was it. I didn’t race to experience the newest coffee shop. I didn’t research brewing methods. I appreciated coffee but didn’t understand it. So why did we buy a Coffee Shop? It fulfilled a greater part of our mission to embrace community. 

Similar to our decision to have a child. I was never a star babysitter or child magnet. I babysat a bit around the age of 14, but it wasn’t really my sweet spot. I had friends who were professional nannies; ultimate baby whisperers, quick to pick up a crying child. I certainly appreciated children, I wanted them in my life, but I wasn’t studying the how-to of childcare and development. So, when it came time for my husband and I to fulfill a greater part of our mission together and have a child, I was pretty ignorant. 

Lori Valentine waved goodbye as I stood behind the coffee bar at 118 N. Fort Thomas Ave., was a little like the nurses saying goodbye at the hospital as we loaded our newborn into a car seat. “Is this okay?  Are we really being trusted with this responsibility? I mean I went to the classes and read the books, I’ve dabbled a little in practice but…”. But, ready or not, the moment was here and there was no turning back.   

For three years from 2019-2022, we were immersed in coffee and the business of it. We became very well acquainted with roasting methods, drink creation, best practices and proper care of a food and beverage service business. We became experts in our coffee business. When the business turned three, it was already “potty trained” and even started “tying its own shoes”.  Heck, we even left it with the “sitter” every now and then and it was gearing up for “playdates and preschool” led by others.  That’s when we expanded the business. 

In parenting, our child turning 3 was a huge turning point for us. It’s the moment I recall having real conversations at parties and feeling a bit more like me. Until then, our attention was focused on responding to immediate needs, research, and discovery, putting out fires, creating structure, and managing expectations. But after three years, the urgent needs and total dependency had lessened, and we remembered who we were and began taking care of ourselves again. 

It was like that at the coffee shop. After 3 years, we were working, supporting, and caring for it, but also able to just let the shop do its thing.  We even began putting ourselves on the payroll. And just as we hit that stride, we brought not one, but three additions to the community through our business. Three bundles of joy are called Kitchen, Cocktail Bar, and Business Connect Center. We moved into One Highland, a space 4x the size of the original, to expand our concept. And it felt, yes, like having a toddler and adding triplets.   

I’ve never had triplets. I have two incredible children spaced three years apart. I remember the three-year-old looking like a giant when the infant came home and realizing how much more self-sufficient he was than I had given him credit for before another was demanding my attention. But I believe I can relate in part to the overwhelm and exhaustion of having three at once… beautiful, sweet madness. 

Oh, we planned for it to be orderly with smart systems for success. But each came with their personality, unique problems, requirements, and specialized professionals needed to support. And they all needed our attention AT THE SAME TIME. We asked for this! Sweet and utter madness. And while I’d like to say we thrived, the truth is we nearly survived. It took a community of support, but together we made it. Do you see those moms out there with the cutest baby swaddled in the prettiest blanket dressed to impress and you think, “Wow, that mom really has their act together.” I’m here to report, that they do not. Surviving as a first-time mom, I was so disappointed by my unmet expectations to be that beautiful super mom. I couldn’t fathom how every other mom in the world had this thing figured out. They were on top of their game. They knew just what they were doing and looked beautiful doing it. Until my mom said, “Honey, you look like you have it all together.” We’re all just figuring it out and surviving the moment until we are thriving. 

There wouldn’t be statistics out there to say it takes a new business 3-5 years to be profitable if it weren’t the proven reality over and over again. Three years is a milestone. If you’re a parent when your youngest is three, I promise you, it will be a turning point. You’ll begin to hit a stride, remember who you are, start caring for yourself, and invest in friendships again. Until then, your focus is right where it needs to be on raising that incredible child who will be a blessing to your family and community and will make an essential impact on the whole world. You’re doing amazing, sometimes overwhelming and utterly exhausting, but valuable work. If you’re a business owner, ditto. And as people compliment you on the business you’ve built while you’re fully aware it’s hanging on by a thread, just smile and be grateful because, to them, you look like you have your act together. From business owner to business owner, you’re doing great.  Nothing is wrong. This is expected and normal. You’re doing incredible work. Thank you.   

Now, here we are. The youngest, Kitchen, Cocktail, and Connect are three and Coffee is six. We’re moving out of survival mode and remembering who we are and why we’re doing this. We’re enjoying our business and although not yet thriving, it feels like a turning point. And no, we don’t have plans to have another, but we’re not ruling out the potential. We will, however, take care of ourselves again, intentionally reconnect, build relationships, and enjoy our business with our community.

This blog post calls for a Smoked Old Fashioned like a celebratory cigar after child birth. 

Recipe: Smoke a single rocks glass. Muddle in the smoke glass 6 dashes of Orange Bitters with 1/4 oz. Simple Syrup, Expressed Orange Peel, and Luxardo Cherry. Add 2 ice spheres, 2 oz. EJ Curleys Small Batch or bourbon of choice, stir 15 seconds, smoke again, and serve.   

Rise and Grind

“Do you use an alarm clock?”, a young aspiring entrepreneur asked.   

“No”, I responded unknowingly reinforcing his theory. A theory I’ve pondered so many times since. He believed people who build businesses don’t need a signal to wake up. They don’t require outside motivation to start their day. The motivation is within. 

Is that true of all creators, builders, and leaders? Does nobody hit snooze? 

In the 3 am hour, silent thoughts with loud implications start my day. Responsibility, accountability, new ideas, and curiosity are among the list of motivators that stir me to action. Some days start with a math problem leading to economic objectives. Others include logistics, mission alignment, team needs, customer comments, or a plan of action to accomplish what I hadn’t done the day prior.    

But, I have a rule, I don’t act on these thoughts until 4 am. Because 3 just seems crazy. I begin the day at 4 am with coffee, scripture reading, and journaling when I know what’s best for me. But enthusiasm or overwhelming responsibility can knock me off this rhythm of truth and reflection. Enthusiasm is fun but overwhelm is draining and it's been winning lately. So, I’ve started something new this season. And like a true entrepreneur, I admit that although the intent is restful reflection, it includes an element of productivity.    

I’ve chosen to rise and shine this summer. Why not? It’s tried and true. Before the sunrise, I grab a beach towel and a blanket and lay outside.  I have no beach or city view of the sun rising but benefit the same as our universal sun splashes color into even my backyard peephole. Scientists tell us that blue and red light wavelengths from the morning sun stimulate mitochondria (energy), improve sleep via circadian rhythm, boost skin health & collagen, have anti-inflammatory effects, enhance mood, and stimulate the eyes & brain. The more you look into it, I guarantee you’ll be adding red light therapy tools to your wish list.   

Gazing at the illuminated sky today and gaining all its benefits, I considered the psalm my mom often repeats, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24. The Lord has made.  The Lord, a creator without an alarm clock is certainly not a slave to the morning grind. But rather purposeful and passionate.   

I considered the sun rising, the birds chirping, the morning dew, the skunk, the raccoon, the cats, and the kitten already witnessed in my morning. His well-organized model is in motion. Then a brisk walk around the nearby lake showcased a cardinal, crane, ducks, geese, fish, and fishermen. In the 6 am hour, His creation was living wonderfully into its design, and I was only a quarter mile from my home. The creator of the entire universe might have essential wisdom to offer this small-town community coffee shop owner. So however I choose to enter into each day, this gift to enjoy, adventure to experience, with new challenges to conquer, I’ll be seeking ways to do it with Him. 

Are you an entrepreneur? Do you wake to an alarm? How are you wired? Or inspired? Is it calling and a cup of coffee that ushers you into rejoicing and gladness? Tell us how that first sentence of your next paragraph gets written. What’s your morning routine? And while I like a good coffee pun, at least for the season, let’s do something different than the old rise and grind. Share your favorite way to rise and shine. 

This blog post pairs well with the Honey Vanilla Cinnamon Latte, a warm nod to nature, community, and created order. 

Recipe: Mix 1/4 oz. Honey + 1/4 oz. Vanilla Syrup + a Dash of Cinnamon + 2 oz. Bold Espresso + 8 oz. Steamed Milk + 2 oz. Micro foam. Enjoy!