We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Palmer Alexander. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Palmer below.
Hi Palmer, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?
Focusing on the good and not internalizing the bad is how I get through it. Knowing that some situations can be a learning experience and working through that versus getting held up on the negativeness. I try to give grace in those situations – on both ends. People are allowed to have bad days and bad experiences, as long as we learn and grow from those – thats what will keep us going.
Before we even opened the cafe up, we had people telling us it wasn’t a good idea or sharing their doubts with us. All the doubts and concerns they were sharing, were ones we had ourselves. We knew the potential risks, hardships and issues we were taking on and we decided that even though there might be some “negatives” the positives and our drive for why we wanted to open a cafe outweighed those.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Forget Me Not Cafe is a breakfast and lunch cafe. Aside from our homestyle food, we are most proud of the atmosphere we have created. Our entire staff is like a second family, and even some of our regulars! It truly feels like we have created a special place in the community for people to gather, socialize and eat. We have stepped up our catering this year and have taken on special events, weddings and more.
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?
I have always been a people person and I think that has been one of the most valuable qualities on this journey. Being able to establish relationships with someone who just came in for a quick breakfast, or our staff who has been here for years. I feel that has been very instrumental in growing the cafe and our team in the way we envisioned; along with making connections with our customers.
Having worked in the restaurant industry for years definitely helped with the vision of how I wanted things to be run. Both pro’s and con’s from experiences I had. I knew things that I loved about past jobs that I implemented and things I didn’t care for that I made sure to steer clear from.
Before opening up the cafe, I was working as a Realtor. That job helped me work on my confidence with talking to people, and learning how to work through and address issues straight on.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I try to take a step back and look at the situation from a different point of view. It’s very easy to get stuck in a cycle of being overwhelmed and feeling like its never going to change or get better. I’ve often found that trying to “remove” myself from that situation and looking at it from a different perspective helps. Sometimes, that even means talking it through with someone else. I’ve often talked to my husband, Brian, about situations and after talking it through with him I often feel different and better about the situation.
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Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.forgetmenotcafemn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forgetmenotcafe.mn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forgetmenotcafe.mn/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/forget-me-not-caf%C3%A9-buffalo-2
Image Credits
Rhonda Sue Photography
Riverside Acquisitions
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