I want to set the scene. It is early morning. The sky is just beginning to allow the grey and purple winter sunlight break through the darkness, and there are whispers of iced condensation on the inside of the window panes. You pull on wool socks, a long coat, and wrap a scarf around your neck. You pull a stocking cap down over your ears. You anticipate the bite of the cold.
You step outside. Even knowing it was coming, the wind is a shock. You shiver, and curl into yourself as you walk down the street. A dusting of snow crunches under foot. Morning light has crept up, but is that gray Mid-Western morning cool, winter light that reflects between snow and clouds. You see the cafe in the distance. A warm glow emanates through a picture window. It seems so far away. You pick up the pace.
The bells on the door jingle when you push inside. Warmth embraces you like an old friend. Coffee drinkers pause their conversations to look up and smile hello. The air smells like fresh roasted coffee and cinnamon. You smile. You order. You sit in a comfy chair near the back. You wrap your hands around a warm clay coffee mug. Steam swirls up around you. The world seems at ease. This is the moment that sets your day in motion.
That moment, or the accumulation of many similar moments, is what Taylor Fields thinks about when she remembers her first craft coffee experiences in Chicago. That feeling and those memories inspired the name of her company, Nostalgia Coffee Roasters.
Like many entrepreneurs, she decided to risk comfort for the satisfaction of pursuing a passion without knowing the outcomes. She left a career in corporate finance after sensing that her life and work missions weren’t aligning.
“I just decided to, like, risk everything for coffee.”
• Taylor Fields, Founder Nostalgia Coffee Roasters
Taking a leap of faith takes courage, but it is easier when you go to sleep being excited to wake up knowing that the thing you’re passionate about is waiting for you. For Taylor, that thing was coffee. For you it may be mowing lawns or writing film scripts or baking pastries.
Whatever it is, it can be difficult to find a sustainable career that meets all the demands put forth on our lives. Being an entrepreneur means taking risks. It means allowing yourself to be uncomfortable. It demands focus. It can be terrifying. It can be difficult on relationships. There will be moments when you think, when you want, to turn back, but when something compels you further down the path towards creating, leading, and innovating. It can be scarier not to take on the challenge. With great risk comes great reward…or the potential of great reward.
There are a million ways to screw up a cup of coffee, and I’ve done them all. It’s my daily risk vs. reward challenge! As is this podcast. I spend a lot (a lot) of time on this show and newsletter. It’s a risk to not be focused on something else more profitable, but conversations with entrepreneurs are one of many rewards that make it worth pursuing.
My chat with Taylor Fields was terribly pleasant and honest and interesting. I left it inspired by coffee, and motivated to continue seeking out opportunities to overlap my passions and my career. I hope you listen and enjoy the show.
FROM THE SHOW
Learn more about the Nostalgia Coffee Roasters WeFunder fundraising campaign and their new Brew Bags. The way I understand it, the funds will be going forth to push Nostalgia’s innovation and growth efforts, and in return investors essentially receive an IOU for future stock in the company. I’m not an expert. This is not financial advice. If considering investing in a company, please do your own research or seek the advice of someone who knows what they are doing!
I drink a lot of coffee at home. More than I can reasonably compost in my own small compost bin without throwing everything off-kilter. Nostalgia Coffee recently partnered with The Compost Group for just this purpose.
Composting with The Compost Group. Photo via @NostalgiaBrew. Got an entrepreneur in your family or friend group? You may be an Angel Investor without evening knowing it. From Investopedia: “An Angel Investors (also known as a private investor, seed investor or angel funder) is a high-net-worth individual who provides financial backing for small startups or entrepreneurs, typically in exchange for ownership equity in the company.
Often, angel investors are found among an entrepreneur's family and friends. The funds that angel investors provide may be a one-time investment to help the business get off the ground or an ongoing injection to support and carry the company through its difficult early stages.” Learn more details about angel investing on Investopedia.com.5% back to producers program: 5% of all Nostalgia revenue from the sales of their coffee beans will be going directly back to producers/farmers. They stress that this is not a short-term campaign, but rather a long term commitment lasting indefinitely.
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QUOTES IN CLOSING
The world is continually becoming a more interesting place. Also, I love Brooklyn 99. Great show. Strong recommend. Finds the balance between funny and relatable without ignoring real life.
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Roast! - Taylor Fields, Nostalgia Coffee Roasters