Can Coffee Solve All Problems?

20 years ago, a dear friend wrote this to me in a card after one of our many Saturday morning coffee runs. It resonated with me so strongly that it still hangs on my bulletin board today and I even included it in my dissertation dedication. I've been trying to think about why it resonated so much with me... and I keep coming back to how many aha moments happened over simple conversations like these, when we slow down and just make sense of things together.

What happens when we slow down, when we are present with each other, is that something interesting happens to our thinking. Problems that felt overwhelming in our heads become manageable when we give them voice. The act of articulating what's really going on creates clarity that didn't exist before. As a coach, I've learned that sometimes the most valuable thing I can offer is simply the space for someone to hear their own thinking out loud.

If you're carrying around a problem that needs some coffee-and-conversation treatment, let's schedule a virtual coffee chat. Sometimes the best solutions emerge when we simply slow down and think out loud together.