"Choose a job you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Confucius
Amen to that. I'm about to get reallllll cheesy on y'all. Like...melted Gouda cheesy. I love my job. I love Edgehill Cafe. And it's because of people. People that are probably you.
When I first moved to Nashville, this is not what I expected to do. My friends were concerned that I wasn't friendly enough to move across the country alone (rude...). I had an event planning job all lined up with a huge hotel near music row. It was going to be perfect. Two days after getting here, it fell through. Hello, stress, nice to meet you. I was in a city I had never been to before. I knew no one. I thought I was fun and spontaneous and put three cities in a hat, picked one, and drove here. You'd think someone who studied planning her whole life could've thought that one out a bit better, don't ya? Anyway, that left me sitting inside of the first coffee shop I could find, (Edgehill Cafe), using the internet for job hunting. Apparently it's true when they say everything happens for a reason, because long story short, a month later I was helping open a brand new location of Edgehill in Lenox Village (our little baby). A few years later now, I'm over on music row (RIP Lenox), and I'm amazed with this place every day. Although I never saw myself managing a cafe, or planning events for one, or making fun specialty drinks every month...here I am. And I couldn't be happier. So much for planning, huh?
Every time someone comes into the cafe, it's a break in their day. I, sometimes, am their first interaction of the day, and it's up to me to make or break it (no pressure). They are coming or going, and I am their in between. It's that exchange that is priceless to me. Creating moments for people is sometimes the only substance you need in life. I do this for the people I serve and stories I hear and relationships I build, because to me, they're more than just an americano or an iced mocha. They're part of my daily routine, and I, theirs. They're the smile that brightens a rough morning, or the laugh (albeit forced) to one of my terrible jokes. They give just as much to me as I give to them.
And my coworkers? They're my family. It's so important to surround yourself with only those that are going to lift you higher, and we have that here. When you have to be working before the sun comes up sometimes, it's so nice to be excited to be there and share your day with people you love. I genuinely love and care about each one of them so so so deeply. They are one of the few constants in my life, and their quirks and laughter and individual personalities make me feel like the luckiest girl ever, because I get to spend more time with them than anyone, and I don't consider them coworkers, or part of a well-oiled machine; they are my family I have created for myself here.
Having to interact with people and smile for eight hours straight a day can be exhausting. I'll be the first to admit I'm not always sparkles and rainbows to deal with. But I put my heart into my job and the people I meet and relationships I build there, because most of the time, there's nowhere else I'd rather be...
Because it's both my safe and happy place.
Because I work/have worked with some of my best friends.
Because almost everyone I'm close with in this whole city has been somehow linked back to Edgehill.
Because I've fallen in love with so many things and people because of this place.
Because when I helped start Lenox, it was as if it were one of my children, and I've never been that excited about a project.
Because I can be creative in ways I never have before.
Because I threw myself a prom themed birthday party there last year (sorry, Winn...worth it).
Because I get to cross something off my bucket list and write a book all about my experiences here. (Stay tuned).
You can laugh at my silly monthly drinks, or jokes of the week (Edgehill Cafe: where every latte comes with a laugh), or song lyrics on the table numbers, or creepy comments I get, or intense holiday decorations, or awkward situations I find myself in (yikes), but the fact is-- I love it & it's made me the happiest I've ever been. My intention was to only ever stay in Nashville for a year, but how could I ever leave now that I have built such an amazing life filled with wonderful people and a job right on music row in one of the best cities in the world? Not happening.
It's more than a job to me. The creations I get to make, and regulars that I've become close to, and interactions with people that I make daily, has made my life exponentially better these last three years. So, THANK YOU. For being in my life and for allowing me to be the break in your day. You all are wonderful. ❤️
