Looking back on the years spent honing my skills related to coffee service, leadership, and management, I am struck by how much I have changed as a person. You would think it would be the knowledge and accumulation of tricks and skill that are the reward of all the effort. But as it turns out, self development is the ultimate reward for work. How that development takes place is up to us.

If I could go back in time I would pursue self development and growth in my character with more intentionality. I would examine myself and reflect more often on the results of the day, the week, the year. Large chunks of time were lost simply pursuing the technical skill, while my internal realities shifted to form around them rather than the reverse

Maybe the best advice I can give to anyone pursuing coffee as a profession would be to carve out time to focus on growing as a person while you grow in your professional pursuits. The career or business you build will be that much better because of it, and you will be happier personally when you look back on your time knowing that you brought to each moment as much of yourself and your awareness as you knew how to.

Go today and grow on purpose, allow experiences, people, and pursuits to shape you, yes, but be present for it all.