November 2024: Thanks x1000!!!
Monthly round-up, things to look forward to, and deep gratitude
Howdy friends!
One of my all-time favorite songwriters is on the Barista Friend Podcast this week. Carolina Chauffe (hemlock) and I brew decaf and discuss the beauty of it all. Here’s a lyric from ‘Lake Martin’ that sums it up nicely:
it feels like magic to slow down cuz it is magic to slow down to feel it all move all around me to feel it all pass all right through me
Queue it up for your holiday travels! Let it pass through you, let it inform your dinner table conversations. Most importantly, let it make you laugh!
Anyone who knows me knows I usually have a hundred different things going on. “Slowing down” never comes naturally. Instead, I often wait until I am supremely exhausted and inevitably catch a cold.
That’s how I’m writing to you today; a little sniffly, tea in hand, “resting” because I’m sitting at my computer. I’m not proud, but I am taking it easy.
So much has happened since I last sent a newsletter (September 23 😳)!
Before I get too in the weeds, I want to remind you that Saturday, November 30 is Small Business Saturday. It is undoubtedly the best one in this weird string of post-Thanksgiving pseudo-holidays, and I hope you have plans to celebrate.
I’m running a few lil promos on Barista Friend classes, if you’d like to gift a unique experience in Austin that someone will remember for the rest of their life. No pressure, of course.
The Recap:
Austin Coffee Festival
I had the great honor of hosting the latte art competition at the 3rd annual Austin Coffee Festival! This event catered to everyday coffee drinkers, unlike most industry gatherings. There were 20-30 roasters and probably about 1200 attendees between two days.
There’s a serious gap between what average customers and specialty professionals call “good coffee”. People like what they like, and it’s tempting to try and convince people that what I like is objectively better, with ample evidence as to why. Thankfully, I was humbled by conversations with friends new and old.
The hard truth is a $14 pour-over (even if I give it away for free) is not for everyone. There are attributes other than quality that go into assessing the value of a coffee, plus individual preferences, budgets, and moods. If you haven’t looked into the SCA’s new cupping form, I’d say its worth investigating. I think it sort of takes this into account.
Shift-ober
In a fun twist of events (and perhaps a small lapse in self-esteem?), I temporarily set down my consultant hat in October and went back to being a barista.
I love being a barista. I’ve always loved it, but returning to the simplicity of pulling shots, steaming milk, and connecting with customers after months of hustling as a freelancer was pure bliss. Thank you to my friends at Sightseer, Creature, and Fleet for trusting me behind your counters.
My biggest takeaways? Most coffee shops (and don’t hate me for saying this) are pretty much the same. A positive attitude is the most important tool behind the bar. The customer is the most important person in the room. Creature Coffee baristas are the hardest working baristas in Austin.
Coffee Crawl
A fun little opportunity landed in my DMs when a Toronto executive reached out across multiple platforms (Instagram, Linkedin, and even Run Club’s IG) seeking a downtown Austin coffee crawl for her team.
The universe (the algorithm?) was calling and I couldn’t ignore it. Though I'd never organized a formal coffee tour, my days as a former college tour guide came in handy as I led the group from the Fairmont hotel through local favorites: Cuvee on Rainey Street for an Austin OG experience, along Lady Bird Lake to Veracruz for essential breakfast tacos, Desnudo's new Congress Avenue spot, and Neighborhood Coffee for a sweet finale.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, but I can’t do it all. Thankfully, I get to direct all future tour inquiries to my friend Karina, who has turned this concept into a full-blown business!
Austin Coffee Field Day
Ahh, yes. The big event. Cafes assemble teams to compete in classic field day games at a historic baseball field in East Austin. Chaos ensues. Read more here.
The overwhelming turnout validated my vision for non-traditional coffee community events. Field Day has opened many doors in the last month and I am so deeply grateful. Stay tuned. There might be more where this came from. I’m being cryptic because I don’t wanna jinx it, but I have some fun things up my sleeve for 2025.
Baby’s First Espresso Pop Up
I am eternally thankful for my friend Leeann, who allowed me to bring my espresso machine to Friendsgiving and make mocha martinis for her 50-some guests. This was very fun and very challenging! I learned a lot and am looking forward to trying again at Wizard Rodeo on December 7. Get your tickets to the wackiest music festival in Texas here.
Here’s the Mocha Martini recipe, for your gatherings:
2oz vodka
2oz fresh espresso or cold brew concentrate
1oz Borgata Classic
1oz simple syrup
pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients in a shaker full of ice and shake what your mama gave you. Strain into a pitcher, empty the ice from the cocktail shaker, then transfer the liquid back to the shaker and dry shake for another 15 seconds. Strain into a martini glass. Top with cocoa powder and (3) espresso beans.
A current life update:
Trigger warning: I’m about to talk about money.
Over the last three months, I’ve paid my bills from a combination of barista training, private lessons, consulting, and part-time barista jobs.
When I started Barista Friend in October 2023, I had no idea if it would work. My peers and mentors warned me about income taxes, instability, and the challenge of balancing entrepreneurship with a creative life.
I don’t want y’all to get the wrong idea; all of that is 100% true. I have enough money to pay my bills and not much else. I have student loans and credit card debt. I have health insurance thanks to HAAM.
I live a simple life, spend most of my money on rent (like most people my age, I think), and I very rarely buy new clothes or go out to eat. Right now, I’m preparing for my first season of self-employment taxes and even though I’ve planned for it, it’s still a big hit.
In a lot of ways, this lifestyle works for me. This year I was able to go on tour with my band, visit family in other states, and take weekends off to spend time with my partner without having to request days off. I was able to pause my business and pour my whole spirit into Field Day, a completely volunteer endeavor.
Like Carolina says in the podcast, I have been carried by the generosity of others and it’s pure magic.
In a lot of other ways, I’m still undecided. I am often overwhelmed. I overcommit myself and I don’t always show up the way I want to because of that. I have a hard time turning down opportunities because I feel like I need the money. It’s hard to stay focused and create boundaries so I can still work on music.
Sometimes I wish I had a gazillion dollars so I could open the cafe of my dreams and hire all the talented baristas I know for 30 hours/week at a premium living wage. But if I do that, what happens to my music? What happens to my relationship?
I don’t exactly know where I’m going with this, other than to say I think it’s important to be transparent about these things. I think there’s this idea that anyone can quit their job and start following their dreams, and while that is true, you don’t get to do that without also figuring out the less sexy stuff, like the financials, the logistics.
Of course, I want you to follow your wildest dreams! But I also want you to know that no dream comes without its fair share of work and challenges. Everything worth having in this life takes time and effort. Most of us reading this are privileged enough to get to choose. I guess I want to say choose wisely, though I’m not sure I’m heeding my own advice.
For now, I’m keeping on. I’ve been applying to full-time jobs to see what else is out there, but every time a new Barista Friend or Other Vessels opportunity lands in my inbox, I take it as a sign to keep going. I don’t know where I’m heading, but this is what today feels like. Also, I’m sick.
ANYWAY, RANT OVER, BACK TO THE NEWSLETTER…
What’s coming up:
Sunday, December 1 - Home Barista Classes at Rising Tide Roast Collab. $75 per person.
Friday, December 6 - Bi-weekly Cupping Club at 10 a.m. Rising Tide Roast Collab. $5 suggested donation.
Friday, December 6 - Other Vessels (my band) at Far Out Lounge at 9 p.m.
Saturday, December 7 - Barista Friend Pop Up at Wizard Rodeo at the Long Time, 1-7 p.m.
Saturday, December 14 - Huge Latte Art Competition at Lamppost in Pflugerville.
Monday, December 16 - Other Vessels with Invoke Sound at Batch at 7 p.m.
Friday, December 20 - Bi-weekly Cupping Club at 10 a.m. Rising Tide Roast Collab. $5 suggested donation.
Finally, on the topic of decaf, I just ordered James Hoffman’s Decaf Project tasting kit from my friends at New Heights Coffee Roasters. It’s the same coffee decaffeinated three different ways, with the original, non-decaf version for reference.
There’s a virtual tasting with the King of Coffee himself on Sunday, December 15. I’m excited!!! It’s been a while since I’ve been the student.
Thanks for following along, y’all. I am so grateful for everyone who helped make Barista Friend possible this year. More to come, I hope!
Pretty full on last couple of months for you! Glad that you're keeping on and giving yourself some rest here and there.
I'm also so excited to try the Hoffman decaf kit!