The Place: Dominican Joe’s Coffee The Cup: Nicole ordered an iced coffee and it sounded so yummy, I ordered one as well. Background: Nicole and I were introduced by Cup 39, Patti DeNucci via email, suggesting we’d enjoy meeting one another. Nicole shared with me that she’d recently met Patti when one of her sales managers […]
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 41: Colin Pope – Old School Journalist, Family Man and Fan of All Things Austin
The Place: Jo’s Coffee The Cup: I had a nice, rich cup of Jo’s yummy coffee and Colin, who’s not a fan of coffee, opted for hot cocoa. When the cocoa came out topped with at least as much whipped cream as warm chocolate beverage, Colin, clearly excited, said, “I have the diet and sense […]
Cup 40: Jessica Steinbomer – Airstream adventurer, yoga instructor and proud mom.
The Place: Jessica’s Airstream The Cup: For me, a delightful French Press coffee, pressed by Jessica herself, while Jessica enjoyed a nice cup of hot tea {Because she’s smart and doesn’t drink caffeine in the afternoon}. She also put out some yummy, homemade vegan mini-muffins and cookies. Such special touches! Background: Cup 35, Bill Jennings […]
Cup 39: Patti DeNucci – Intentional networker, award-winning author and part introvert.
The Place: The Upper Crust The Cup: Straight-up coffee for both of us. Background: I got an email from Cup 17, Thom Singer introducing Patti and I – suggesting we meet for coffee. You bet! Thom knows that, much like The Fight Club, the first rule in coffee with a stranger is, you don’t talk […]
Cup 38: Serena Lissy – Food and product photographer, knowledge seeker and forward-thinking optimist.
The Place: Fair Bean Coffee The Cup: Serena told me she always tries something new when she stops here so for our meeting, she selected “The Weirdo”. Seems appropriate. What is “The Weirdo”? An iced white chocolate mocha with lime. Yep, lime. I can think of few places lime isn’t a welcome addition. Lime is […]
Cup 37: Danny Thompson – Real Estate guru, fear crusher and devoted Christian.
The Place: Austin Java The Cup: Even though we both agreed we’d already had enough coffee for one day, it didn’t stop us from having just a little more. Straight up coffee for both Danny and myself. Background: Danny and I were seated next to one another at the Austin Business Journal Face2Face networking breakfast […]
Where Are They Wednesdays: Chris Perez
Chris Perez, Cup 14, Has Some Exciting News As the one year anniversary of my weekly coffee date with a stranger nears (June 27), I’m planning a few exciting things to mark the occasion. I’m also adding a new weekly feature for year two where we will check in with previous strangers to get an […]
Cup 36: Stephanie Hackney – Paper crafter extraordinaire, overlander expert and world traveler.
The Place: The Steeping Room The Cup: Stephanie had a glass of iced, mint tea. At her suggestion, I went for the Organic Madagascar Vanilla hot tea. It was lovely! Background: A few weeks ago I attended a WordPress class and ended up chatting with the woman next to me for some time after the […]
35th Cup: Bill Jennings – Pecan Grove resident, nature lover and helicopter pilot.
The Place: Flipnotics The Cup: Bill enjoyed a nice, cool glass of water while I went for a regular old cup of coffee. They make a fine cup at Flipnotics, in case you’re interested. Background: On my wish list, you will find a list of interesting people, mostly Austonians, who I am hoping will sit […]
Cup 34: Amanda Quraishi – Interfaith activist, voice of the homeless and conversation starter.
The Place: Lola Savanah The Cup: Iced Coffee for Amanda and herbal tea for me, as I’d already consumed more than the legal limit of caffeine for the day. Background: Where to begin. Amanda is one of those people who was on my radar for some time. I first became aware of her when she […]