Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Hernandez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jennifer, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
I would say I have always been on the optimistic side even as a young child but more than that I come from my everyday interactions with people who enjoy my coffee. Hearing them say dang this is good or wanting to get another one just proves to me that I’m doing to right thing and the boost of dopamine I get sets me on the optimistic path.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Hello, my name is Jennifer Hernandez and I’ve been making Cuban coffee since I was about 8 years old. I started off just making it for my family as something we shared together but as a grew up I worked in a Cuban restaurant where I learned I loved making coffee for other people too. Currently I do pop-up events at farmers markets and other markets as well as private events like baby showers and weddings. I love being able to be a part of something special for my customers. Making coffee for people can be a job or it can be a passion and for me it is definitely a passion, I love making people try something they never have before or getting those wonderful consumers who love Cuban coffee but haven’t had it in such a long time. Helping these people experience a part of my culture makes my day. Especially when you tell me how good it is.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Knowing it is going to be hard work. Everyday I do things for my business I would rather not do but as a small business owner you have to do them and most of the time you are the only person doing them. Accept help wherever you can. Whether it’s help at events or in your production phase, if someone offers to help find something for them to do. Having company is probably the best thing for my mental state when I am doing markets, I need someone else there to help me focus.
Finally get a support group. Find a group of people who are doing similar things as you, who have similar struggles and get with them once a month to talk about everything. Having this extra support goes a long way when trying out new things and the advice I’ve been given at these is top tier.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
As a person with autism, I get overwhelmed pretty easily. When I am overwhelmed I want to shut down and hide but I have worked on combating this my whole life. Today I know that being around people I love and friends really help mellow me out as well as just having someone to talk to. Being able to bounce ideas off someone is probably the number one thing I do now when I get overwhelmed. So my advice would be as I said earlier to get a support group going. Having those people who you know you can be yourself around 100% is something underrated. It really helps because anytime you are overwhelmed you can reach out and get advice or someone to talk through it with you.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.thecubancoffeebreak.com
- Instagram: @thecubancoffeebreak
- Facebook: @thecubancoffeebreak
