Meet Maddie Mcmahon

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maddie Mcmahon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Maddie, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I have always had a strong work ethic. From when I was young, my parents instilled that in me. I watched them work hard every day to provide for my little sister and I. I watched my dad build his business through sheer will, long hours, and extremely hard work. I watched my mom finish nursing school and eventually become the head nurse of Mahtomedi School District, never complaining about the long hours or missing weekends and holidays. I learned that many things could be taken away from me, however; my work ethic was alway in my control. Wether is was sports, school, or past jobs I always worked hard.
When I was young I was incredibly shy. While playing hockey, I quickly learned that I could compensate for that by showing my team I cared in different ways. I worked harder than everyone else and learned to lead by example. Over the years I gained confidence in my roll on teams. Before my senior season began, I was named a team captain. My teammates and coaches respected my work ethic and dedication.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I have owned The Wild Bean for almost 3 years now. About a year into ownership, I was able to purchase the building which included the space next door. I knew that I wanted business that would compliment the coffee shop and provide room to grow. Last September, 350 Degrees Bakery opened in the space and we have since formed a great symbiotic relationship. We were also able to put in a doorway between the spaces, giving customers more room to enjoy their coffee and pastries. over the past three years I have worked to expand our menu through fun specialty drinks. The most popular drink being the S’mores Cold Brew, and most recently bringing in shaken espressos! We have also started doing Flight Nights a couple times a month. During these events we serve beverage and pastry pairings from 350 Degrees Bakery on trays of 4. It has allowed my baristas and I to be more creative with drinks and platings, as well as giving customers the opportunity to branch out!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Self assurance has been something that I have had to gain over time. I worked at The Wild Bean before I owned it. During this time I learned the basics of how to run a coffee shop. When the opportunity came around to buy the shop, I was confident in my ability to run it, but I also knew that I wanted to improve it greatly. I had to learn to stick to my plan even when I had employees, regulars, and others in my life telling me it wouldn’t work. Being 18, I definitely struggled with imposter syndrome, fearing that these people were right and I didn’t know what I was doing. Through the first year, I expanded hours, changed to a local coffee company, and remodeled the patio and interior of the shop. I worked to expand into a younger demographic of customers by adding refreshers, cold foam, and Redbull drinks to our menu. I also expanded our online presence. I was warned many times that my overhead was growing too rapidly, but I trusted my gut and it payed off. Self assurance is like a muscle, it gets stronger each time you utilize it.

Independence is something I have always had. I was half way through my sophomore year when Covid hit. During this time, school was obviously online, which allowed me much more independence. I learned to manage my schedule on my own. Between school, hockey, and working at the coffee shop, I was incredibly busy. I learned to manage my time well and prioritize what needed to be done. As a small business owner, you have to do most of it on your own. There is no manual to your specific business. I do things everyday that I never saw myself doing, including repairing fridges and coffee grinders, cleaning out flooded basements, or hosting dog adoption events. Some are more fun than others, but you learn quickly that if something breaks, you lose money, so learn to fix it!

Being adaptable is also a very important skill, if not for you business’s sake, for your sanity’s. It is important to stay self assured when it comes to things like the trajectory and heart of your business, but there are so many little things you wont be able to control. You have to learn to problem solve when employees call in or run to the gas station to get more milk at 6 in the morning because someone left the fridge open over night. It was really easy for these types of problem to rattle me at first, but I’ve learned to become adaptable and solve problems quickly.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

I talked earlier about how my parents always set a great example with their incredible work ethic, but they also helped me work through one of my biggest flaws, which was avoidance. When I first found out the building was going up for sale I knew that the next person in line to buy it was not going to renew my lease. I was terrified that I was going to lose my business, but I didn’t tell anyone for a month. I almost missed my chance to buy the buildings. I finally spoke up to my parents who helped me to face the problem head on and make a step by step plan. Without even realizing it, they have helped me change my mindset.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thewildbeanmahtomedi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildbeancoffeeshop/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading