Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Calvin Waddle. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Calvin, 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 was raised from a very hard working family. My grandpa was born and raised in a pig pen and he worked hard his entire life to provide a life for his kids that he was proud of and one they would be proud to be raised in. All my life I saw my dad work his tail off at multiple jobs and long hours. When my twin brother and I were 14 years old they made us get a job and I have been working ever since then.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
When I was 24 years old I set out to achieve my goal of owning my own coffee shop. I started drinking coffee at a very young age and something had really attracted me to the industry. In my free time and my study time as a college student I would always set out to find a cool coffee spot to work at or hang out in. After that I decided that is what I wanted to do for a career. Even though I was in nursing school, I had still planned to at some point in my life open a coffee shop. So I began working in the coffee industry and fell in love with it. I started roasting coffee at a local shop and then moved to one of my favorite stores in the cities and eventually worked my way up to managing that location. The most exciting thing about owning my own business is I get to be the person that helps people enjoy their job. I never want to be a boss that people don’t like working for or don’t feel comfortable working for, so I do what ever I can to ensure my employees enjoy their jobs. Coffeesmith is focused on the quality product and the quality service we provide our guests. Our employees are required to pass a “lead barista” test before they are able to make customers drinks directly. This test focuses on the quality of espresso we make, the proper texture and temperature of the milk we steam and the importance of these measures to ensure a quality beverage. I pride myself in being a place that gets raving reviews, not only on the people working for me but the product we serve as well.
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?
The most important thing for someone to understand that wants to own their own business is they need to have a great work ethic. Since I was 18 years old, all the way through college, until about six months before I opened my own coffee shop I was working three jobs. I would work a coffee shop in the morning, coach high school lacrosse in the afternoon and then go wait tables. A strong work ethic is extremely important for a business owner. The second thing I would say is you need to have a desire to never stop learning. In my industry we constantly have things breaking around our store, and although it is a small thing, we save my money by me learning how to fix things around our store. The last thing I would recommend is, have fun, enjoy the journey, and learn to balance out the stressors of being a business owner. It always takes twice as long and twice as much money and if you can’t find a way to enjoy that journey and separate the stressors its won’t have any longevity.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful thing my parents have done for me is whole heartedly supporting the decisions that I have made. When I had originally told them I wanted to drop out of nursing school they weren’t the biggest fans of the idea but when they realized how serious I was about what the next steps of my life were going to be they jumped on board very quickly. They have helped paint walls, tile floors, build walls, design the space, read my employee hand book, picked ups shifts when I needed someone, lended me money when I was short, cut the grass, weeded the flower beds and the list could go on.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.coffeesmith.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coffeesmithmn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coffeesmithofmn
