This is not a typical “coffee with a stranger” interview, in any way. It is a story that will warm your heart, inspire you to be a better person, and remind you of the fragility of life. This is the story of a coffee that never was. It’s the story of a bigger than life […]
Author: Melissa
"You will be the same person in five years as you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet." Charlie "Tremendous" Jones said that and I have taken it to heart.
In an attempt to not just be different, but to be better in five years, I learn life lessons from strangers by interviewing them over coffee. Once a week, I sit down with a total stranger to hear their story. I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as enjoy talking to these incredible people.
Everyone has a story! Talk to strangers and your life will never be the same.
Cup 61: Yifat Cohen – Google+ Go-To Gal, Virtual Connector and Big Fan of Sandwiches.
The Place: Austin Java The Cup: Coffee for both of us. Background: Cup 7, Ruben Cantu and I got together a couple of weeks ago to catch up. Shortly after our visit, he sent an email to both Yifat and I introducing us, with an added note saying we were both doing similar projects but on different platforms and […]
Cup 60: Joe Williams – Keller Williams Co-founder, bird hunter and personal responsibility advocate.
The Place: Uno Cafe The Cup: Coffee for me and a decaf mocha for Joe. Background: You’ve heard of Pareto’s Principle, aka the 80/20 rule, right? Well it turns out this mathematical law applies to my blog. Specifically, 80% of the introductions I get seem to come from 20% of my former strangers. And of those introductions, 80% […]
Cup 59: Brad Closson – Author, tree planter and business success guru.
The Place: Genuine Joe’s The Cup: Coffee for me, and, this is a first, cranberry juice for my new pal, Brad. Background: Cup 55, Joey McGirr said Brad was someone I really needed to get to know. Strangely enough, it wasn’t the first time I’d been given Brad’s name. I presented at a training event hosted by Cup 5, […]
Cup 58: Rebekah Grmela – Proud Aggie, quote lover and wise millennial.
The Place: Mozart’s Coffee The Cup: Iced coffee for both of us. Background: Cup 16, Terry Grier met with Rebekah and among lots of other things, they wound up chatting about the Coffee With a Stranger project. Rebekah found me on Twitter and said she was a fan of the project (how sweet!). So when Terry and I […]
Cup 57: John Henry McDonald – Musician, former Army Drill Sergeant, believer in miracles.
The Place: Starbucks The Cup: John Henry and I both went the traditional route and opted for coffee – straight up. We were letting the world know we were serious. Background: If you read Cup 53 Cole Harmonson, John Henry’s name may be familiar to you. In fact, like me, when you read Cole’s story, you might have […]
Cup 56: Nando Cabán-Méndez – Mountain bike enthusiast, baked goods aficionado and digital marketing powerhouse.
The Place: Flipnotics The Cup: Nando had a rich, velvety mocha and I opted for – surprise, surprise – an iced coffee. When it’s one thousand degrees outside, a hot drink just won’t do. Background: Almost a year ago, when this blog was just a wee little baby and I had just barely learned WordPress basics, I attended […]
Cup 55: Joey McGirr – Barista turned business man, connectivity advocate, loving husband and dad.
The Place: Monkey Nest The Cup: Joey had a meeting prior to ours, so his cup was empty by the time I arrived. When I visit a new coffee shop, I rate them by the deliciousness of their iced coffee, so I had to give the Monkey Nest version a try. It did not disappoint. Background: This will […]
Cup 54: Maria Gatling – Talented artist, creativity advocate and simplicity seeker.
The Place: Cafe Medici on West Lynn The Cup: Maria enjoyed a beautiful mocha and I selected an iced coffee – which folks in the coffee biz have decided to rename iced toddy. I find that confusing, as in my book, toddys have booze in them. Not the case with the iced coffee version. {Upon further investigation, […]
Cup 53: Cole Harmonson – Driven businessman, Bikram yogi and self-professed redneck.
The Place: Thunderbird Coffee The Cup: Cole and I share an affinity for the Americano. Seemed like a fittingly patriotic drink choice for a near Independence Day coffee meeting. Background: Cole is one of those people who I have several connections in common with, and yet don’t really know exactly how I first learned of him. Kinda like […]