Let’s Percolate Over The Coffee Debate

The post Let’s Percolate Over The Coffee Debate appeared first on The Founding Moms.

In the latest Why Are We Shouting? podcast episode, The Coffee Debate, Jill weighs in on the “coffee or not to coffee” networking debate. She shares her wisdom on whether taking the time to meet is worth the time, why entrepreneurs have coffee meetings, and how her journey has flourished throughout the years.

Here’s the dilemma: someone called, messaged, texted, Zoomed, or (gasps) shows up at your front door inquiring about going out for coffee and brainstorming about running a biz. So, what do you do? Meeting up with another professional for coffee is just another decision of many that mom entrepreneurs must make in a day, or sometimes, depending on said day, in an hour.

On one hand, the allure of coffee houses, small, large, and in-between, that popped up in towns and cities in the ‘90’s still resonates today. The familiar sounds of grinding beans in the background and the aroma of freshly roasted coffee fills your nostrils and makes you float like a character in your favorite Saturday morning cartoon to the front counter. The endearing way the barista scribbles your name with a black sharpie on the cup with hearts dotting the i’s (correct spelling’s an extra treat) and calls out your name like you’re a favored patron from the TV show Cheers. Coffee usually tastes better when a professional brews it and there are no residual coffee cups cluttering the kitchen sink. A change of scenery from a home office is nice and it’s been days or weeks since you’ve talked to another human being outside your family.

On the flip side, virtual meetings –– thanks to the two-year pandemic –– provided comfort and convenience. It’s easy to roll out of bed, get dressed, push the button on the coffee maker, and traipse across the hall to your desk while the coffee is percolating. You don’t need to take the oomph and the time to put on pants, fuss with unruly morning hair, and apply makeup contour to look glam to the person you’re meeting up-close-and-personal for coffee. No cabbing, driving, or sauntering in unpredictable weather necessary. No worrying about what currency you have on-hand, what the shop requires, or the awkward moment of who’s paying the tab. These days, meeting someone IRL seems much more daunting than those pre-pandemic golden days.

Will one-on-one coffee talk with another biz owner end up being a dream or a nightmare? Will meeting with this person give you enthusiasm and pep you need to get through the day or will they drain your energy like a non-glittering vampire? Does the meeting interfere with your current work schedule? Another thought to consider: will meeting and drinking that extra cup of joe keep you up all night? (Matcha is a nice alternative, although it does have a unique texture.)

The post Let’s Percolate Over The Coffee Debate appeared first on The Founding Moms.