When I was a barista..

Crafting smiles and perfect brews: a joyful moment from my barista days.

When I was a manager at a coffeehouse, I learned some of my most valuable leadership lessons — not from a book, but from behind the counter.

Here’s what that season taught me:

☕️ Take care of your team. I quickly realized that the health of the workplace was directly tied to how supported the team felt. If they were struggling, the whole environment felt it.

💬 Be honest about where you’re at. I didn’t always have it all together — and being upfront about that created space for my team to be honest too. That kind of mutual respect built real trust.

🛠 Equip them to do their job well. Whether it was teaching customer interaction, handling rushes, or learning to problem-solve, I made it a point to train and equip them — not just delegate.

🧠 Ask their opinion. They had ideas, feedback, and insight I would’ve missed if I didn’t ask. Listening created "buy-in" and fostered creativity. They always had better ideas than me anyways!

🏡 Create a culture of care. I took pride in creating an atmosphere where “family takes care of family” — both for customers and staff. That mindset changed the whole culture in and outside of the shop! Managing a coffeehouse wasn’t just about coffee — it was about people. And those leadership lessons have stuck with me ever since.