In honor of the one of the greatest Austin events, South By Southwest, I decided to seize on the opportunity to sit down with a few interesting out-of-towners. Because everyone is super busy, trying to cram in as much learning, interacting, sharing, dancing and partying as possible, the coffees were short – 15 minutes each […]
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.
SXSW Special Edition: Cup 33 – Arie Moyal
The Place: The Driskill The Cup: Coffee for me (leftover from my cup with Brandie). Arie didn’t have anything to drink. Background: While chatting with Brandie, she introduced me to Arie and he agreed to hang out and visit with me. Arie, as you can see by his shirt, is a hugger. So much so, […]
SXSW Special Edition: Cup 32 – Brandie McCallum
The Place: The Driskill The Cup: A cup of bar coffee for me. Brandie, admitting she was already overly caffeinated, opted for no bevie. Background: Again, pal Jill made this introduction. Brandie was in town for SXSW and was totally down for a little chit chat. This conversation was a tad challenging as we were sitting […]
SXSW Special Edition: Cup 31 – Allison Saur
The Place: Cafe Medici The Cup: A cappuccino for Allison and a French Press coffee for me. Background: My pal Jill told me that her friend Allison was going to be in town for SXSW and hooked us up. Allison was at SXSW for two reasons. Professionally, she works in the new media space. Her day job […]
30th Cup: Bridget Dunlap – Visionary businesswoman, devoted momma and total firecracker
The Place: After a false start at Cenote (which we discovered had been taken over by Spotify for SXSW) we moved on to Progress Coffee, just a few blocks away; a first visit for both of us. Great spot, by the way. I’ll be back, no doubt. Be warned though, parking is brutal. Tons of […]
Cup 29: Kristin Sheppard – Pop culture connoisseur, shark fanatic and blogger rock star.
The Place: Frank The Cup: A cup of fine, smooth coffee (pour-over style) for me, and a Bloody Mary for Kristin. Yep, a Bloody Mary and holy moley, I don’t even like a Bloody Mary, but after the sip Kristin shared, I am a capital F-A-N, fan! Amazing! And, if you’re hungry, the pepperoncini, olive, […]
Cup 28: Gay Isber – Creative genius, faithful cheerleader and mother to the world.
The Place: The Sugar Factory The Cup: A lovely hot cup of home-brewed coffee with cream. Background: Cup 18, Kim Schlinke told me about her friend Sugar and said I would love her. Boy, was she right! Gay Isber, aka “Sugar” is the owner of a groovy Austin shop called The Sugar Factory, where you can find […]
Cup 27: Clint Greenleaf – Serial entrepreneur, talking head and devoted family dude.
The Place: Kerbey Lane Cafe The Cup: Iced tea for Clint and coffee for me – and lots of it. Those who know Kerbey Lane, know they are famous for the best pancakes in the known universe, groovy atmosphere and incredibly attentive service. After two hours, we must have had eleven refills. Background: I broke […]
26th Cup: Peter Strople – Champion for the underdog, experience creator and one seriously connected dude.
The Place: The Fair Bean on South 1st Street The Cup: Iced something or another for Peter, which he was already drinking when I got there. I had a cup of French press coffee, black. Background: 25th Cup, Cooper Veazey, excitedly told me about Peter, explaining he’d earned the title of “Most Connected Man in […]
Cup 25: Cooper Veazey -Fan of of first edition books, making new friends and a good political corruption story.
The Place: Cenote The Cup: A pour-over coffee for both of us. Background: Cooper and I met at the 8 Minute Ripple™, the “networking” event hosted by Cup 5, Steve Harper. We didn’t get much of a chance to talk, so I told Cooper about my project and blog and he agreed to be a part […]