Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tanya Nygard. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Tanya, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re very focused on here – improving our ability to make decisions. Everyday, we’re faced with decisions that can impact the future of our careers, businesses, relationships and more and so one of the most impactful areas for personal development, in our view, is decision-making. Can you talk to us about how you developed or improved your decision-making skills?
You can read any self help book and there will be some part that talks about those small daily choices we make that impact how we live our lives. Although there’s a sliver of truth in that, I believe we make our best choices based on what we’ve learned from past failures. My failed friendships taught me the kind of people I need to surround myself with. My failed jobs taught me what type of career to pursue. Most importantly failed marriage taught me the love I needed to give myself and receive from others. Overall, my failures have shaped my emotional intelligence and and taught me when I need to trust my gut or past experiences when making decisions.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I grew up in a small Iowa town. When I went off to college, I studied ceramics, photography and business. I started my photography business at 21 and worked various jobs until moving to Phoenix, Arizona as a newlywed in my mid 20s. If you tell a Phoenician you’ve moved there in the summer, they’ll say you’re crazy. If you tell them you’re looking for a job during the summer, they’ll tell you you’re more crazy. Luckily, I found a local coffee shop that was hiring. I started working at Black Cat Coffee House as a part time barista. I worked for this small grumpy man, but the customers made me feel welcome in a city where I didn’t have any connections. By that fall, I was given a manager position, the following month my boss asked if my husband and I were interested in buying the shop.
We both had restaurant experience, but my only business owning experience was my side gig photography business. Nervously, we decided to go for it and by February 2017, we were they new owners of the little shop. Going into business with someone you’ve only been married to for a year and half is not something I’d recommend to someone, because a year later I was filing for divorce.
That was a hard time for me. The toxic work environments I was trying to escape when becoming my own boss, became an every day routine for me and my small staff. Despite our separation, we continued to share an apartment until mid 2019. It was during this time I put my emotions on canvas and started painting.
We hadn’t agreed on the ownership of the shop. I was there running the daily operations while he spent time away. I worked anywhere between 90-105 hours a week from August until the beginning of 2020. Then Covid hit.
Mid March we furloughed the 3 people on our staff and worked side by side for the following six weeks. I felt like I was getting sucked into a black hole. As the year continued on, so did his talk of conspiracies. Feedback from customers and my new staff told me it was time to take action. I needed to buy him out.
I had started displaying my paintings at Black Cat, as well as taking commissions and booking photo shoots. By October 2021 my divorce was finally completed and I bought him out the following month. I lead my staff by example by showing them respect in their work environment. I believe that’s one of the most important factors of employment. I believe a team that knows they’re appreciated will step up and maximize their potential. It shows in their attitude, their attendance and overall success of a company. Together my team and I had our first $250,000 year in 2022.
For 2023 we are adding more products for our customers. We have new coffee roaster we are promoting. We also started serving small batch kombucha from a female owned company called Milly Moon Kombucha. We’ve continued to fill our walls with the work of local Phoenix artists and host events like Bingo and game nights. We said goodbye to our old espresso machine which ran a solid 12 years. My staff supports my goal of having 5 shops by the time I’m 40. It will definitely be a challenge but based on a lot what I’ve lived through and learned over the last 6 years, I can handle it!
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?
Three qualities that helped me in this journey were my patience, my adaptability, and my persistence. For those early in their journey I’d advise them to find their values and their voice and hold onto them both. There’ll be times you need to ask for help and there will be times where you need to reroute. Focus on the things that point you in the direction you want to go and reject those that don’t.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Always, I love working with other small businesses. Im always looking for arizona artists to display on our walls. We work a local bakery and are always looking for other snacks and treats for our customers. We also are searching for musicians who have their own music who need a small space to perform. They can contact us through our website or Tiktok. I’m usually available to chat at the shop as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blackcatcoffeeaz.com
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/tanya-nygard-716103177
- Other: Tiktok: @blackcatcoffeehouseaz https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/tanya-nygard
Image Credits
Photo credit: Tanya Nygard Tasi Lerma
