We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Molly Welton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Molly with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
For as long as I can remember, “working hard” has been a through line in my family’s history. Striving for more, taking risks, failing and getting back up – a quality presented as being more important than most. Understanding early on that you have to work for what you earn made me commit to what I had signed up for. My biggest fear would be for someone to perceive me as not really trying or giving up, or not achieving something that I’d claimed to be in pursuit of.
Strangely enough, I was raised with these expectations yet was ill prepared to pursue a college education or any sort of direction post high school. I wasn’t advised to take the SATs, didn’t apply for any colleges and sort of ran wild during my late teens and early 20’s. I couldn’t grasp how to make enough money to become self – sufficient and really had no sense of purpose or direction.
Reluctantly I took a job as a hostess in a busy restaurant and fell into the food and beverage world with open arms. The socializing, the music, the rush of getting through a busy night and seeing people laugh and spend time with friends and family was exciting and felt full of purpose. I also started to see money come in and realized the employees with the best work ethic and commitment to their jobs were scheduled the best shifts. Work hard – make more money was a very straight forward lesson learned.
Fast forward a decade and by my late 20’s I had put myself through both undergraduate and grad school by waiting tables. I achieved an MFA with no parental financial support. I paid rent for a little studio apartment and created self sufficiency like I had never imagined and believed whole heartedly that it was all due to working hard.
When I opened my mobile Cafe business four years ago I had no idea that I would begin the most exhausting journey of overcoming so many challenges and so many obstacles that it honestly felt it was never going to happen. The permitting red tape, trailer flat tires, rainy days, damaged product – I was flying by the seat of my pants. It was exhausting, emotionally and physically, but I kept my goal of self sufficiency and love of people and touching strangers’ lives at the forefront.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I own and operate California Kahve, which started with a mobile vintage coffee trailer which has evolved into a larger truck and then permanent brick and mortar Cafe in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. My focus has always been on the human connection. Creating community and regular experiences over coffee in beautiful locations. I’ve created multiple specialty espresso and matcha drinks that have become staples of our menu and douse our locations in beautiful flowers and unique garnishes.
We have an aesthetically unique brand in that each location is very different yet set in absolutely beautiful locations. My experience working in five star hotels and fine dining restaurants has engrained in me an attention to detail and love of fine quality ingredients that I strive to not sway from.
Currently I am wanting to create a community forum on my website / blog for people to share their ideas about San Francisco and its love of coffee and community – what they’d like to see take place at the Cafe in Golden Gate Park and what they’d like to try on our menu. Really opening up the space to be utilized as a shared space where people connect and create.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Do not give up on your vision. Believe with every part of your heart that what you see coming to life actually will – that there are truly no obstacles.
2. Don’t expect anyone to do it for you. Yes you will need professionals to make happen the aspects of the dream that you aren’t educated on but MOST of the time you can educate yourself and figure it out on your own. Any setback is for you to overcome. No excuses.
3. Be kind. Within every inquiry, email, phone call, request for advice – each exchange with another person should come from a place of appreciation and kindness. You are the brand – not the latte or sweater or skateboard or program – as an entrepreneur, you are the brand.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents empowered me to do things on my own. I wasn’t given anything freely – my hand was not held through early adulthood. This was the biggest blessing in that I really had to make some very serious mistakes and claw myself out of the consequences. I had to navigate my path on my own and had to learn to trust myself and take responsibility for my actions – both the good and the bad.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.californiakahve.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/california.kahve/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063812360265
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/california-kahve-san-francisco-2
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
