The Place: Starbucks The Cup: Doug was already on his second or maybe third meeting of the morning, so I’m not sure what he was drinking. I enjoyed a Chai Latte with a shot of espresso – also known as a Dirty Chai. Yum! The Background: My dear friend Olga told me about a friend of hers she […]
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.
Coffee With a Stranger Holiday Gift Guide
Do you have a few more gifts to buy this holiday season? To make your life easier, I present to you, the updated 2015 Coffee With A Stranger Holiday Gift Buying Guide! I’ve had nearly 100 cups of coffee with total strangers. Those strangers are all incredible people and some of them just happen to […]
Cup 74: Newt Hamlin – Nick-namer, failed retiree and serial entrepreneur.
The Place: Cafe Medici The Cup: Coffee. No fluff, no whip, no syrup. Straight up rocket fuel. The Background: Cup 66, Jim Bledsoe was one of four strangers who shared memories of a special friend, Scott Robinson, who was set to be Cup 62. Scott passed away suddenly at age 41, and his story was told to me […]
Cup 73: Rabbi Neil Blumofe – Jazz man, intentional listener and proud family man.
The Place: Starbucks The Cup: Iced mocha for Neil. I, feeling a bit more adventuresome than usual, decide to give the Chai Tea Latte a whirl. I see why folks love this creamy, rich beverage. So good! Background: Cup 52, Brett Hurt was headed to the Cactus Cafe the evening of our interview, to a Jazz event […]
Cup 72: Mike Leamon – World adventurer, challenge seeker and business problem solver.
The Place: Austin Java on Barton Springs Road The Cup: I had a cup of the strongest coffee I’ve ever experienced, and Mike had water. I also had oatmeal (steel cut) and Mike had breakfast tacos. I asked Mike if coffee just wasn’t his thing, but it turns out he’s simply a man of moderation. And he’d […]
Cup 71: Bridget McCart – Design maven, empowerer of artists and small business proprietress.
The Place: Easely Amused/design c0:op, 2324 Lamar Blvd., Austin TX 78704 The Cup: If you can believe it, there was no cup. I know, I know! I had intentions of picking up some coffee on my way to the meeting, but my earlier meeting ran over…blah, blah, blah. Bottom line, no coffee. But the conversation was so […]
Cup 70: Brian Grigsby – Entrepreneur, investor and race car driver.
The Place: Cafe Medici The Cup: Just coffee folks, move along, nothing to look at here. Plain, old coffee. But Cafe Medici does know how to do it right – french press style. Yum! Background: Cup 67, Eric Simone connected Brian and I. Eric told me, during our visit, that there were a handful of people in Austin who […]
Cup 69: Henrik Johansson – Swedish native, left-brain creative and chronic entrepreneur.
The Place: The Hideout The Cup: Coffee with a pump of peppermint syrup for me (because I was feeling a bit fancy) and black coffee and Topo Chico for Henrik. Though not together of course. Well, actually, come to think of it, I did see a recipe for coffee soda mixing Topo Chico with iced coffee. Haven’t […]
Cup 68: Joel Shuler – Former male model, coffee aficionado and secret gardener.
The Place: Casa Brasil Coffees The Cup: A delicious pour-over made with the 5th place winner of the best coffee in Brazil. Lucky me! And, an emerging, though not yet mainstream, potential coffee trend (remember, you heard it here first) TEA – made from the pods that housed the coffee beans before they were processed. Try as […]
Cup 67: Eric Simone – Risk taker, family man and shy introvert.
The Place: Second Bar and Kitchen The Cup: We opted for a lunch meeting – so iced tea was our coffee equivalent. Background: Cup 52, Brett Hurt suggested Eric as great guy with a terrific story who would be perfect for the project. He made an email introduction and once summer vacations were behind us, we were at last […]