It’s been six years since I was conceptualizing my little coffee shop & gluten-free bakery. Six years ago “GF” eating was considered a “fringe activity” and vegan food was stuff of mystics and magic. Eventually the high school students gossiped to my son of the business “putting drugs in the smoothies” (His reply “Yeah, that’s my mom and no, there are no drugs.”) and the town was awash with speculating about what was percolating in that little strip mall in-between the railroad tracks!
It was a funky little spot where we embraced F-bomb Fridays (quietly and only with a few customers), fledglings found their footing amidst vegan buttercream and black bean brownies, and I found my appreciation of being a beacon for the abnormal, off-the-beaten-path eaters of the area! All were welcome and most co-existed side-by-side. It was bliss for me to daily immerse as the ring leader and I gained much satisfaction for the literal blood and tears that went into it’s creation!
As you may know, we sold it three years ago last month and while the new owner stumbled a bit in the beginning, he found his footing and is thriving. I am joyful for his success!
Today I’m in a new-to-me haunt on the other side of the city, closer to our new home (our third since selling The Green Spork). It’s a smooth and funky spot, quiet but pulsing with energy… I’m nestled in a warm corner at the bar, nursing hot peppermint tea, waiting for friends I made at my little bakery to meet me in their chosen spot while deeply pondering my What’s Next pivot.
Here’s what I know:
– I love an urban setting, but any vibrant setting will do.
– I thrive under a modicum of pressure, but am pursuing avoiding long lasting stress.
– I am drawn to lead & inspire others.
– I default to going against mainstream belief systems and approaches, because at heart I am a fringe dweller, an antevasin – one who lives between two worlds.
– I wish for annual international travel…. truly foreign feeling holidays of exploring!
– I love words, but am finding that I am bored by the long tedious slog of writing a book and find little reciprocal inspiration in blogging as a profession. My book will find life, someday, but not now, I guess….
– I cherish foreign and new-to-me experiences!
– I intend to only pivot this last time (professionally) and am seeking a purpose that sustains itself with each move and change in my life!!
Yesterday I spent time cross-examining my What’s Next. I explored my concerns and hesitations, digging into what was holding me back from pulling the trigger. I nearly talked myself out of the choice I made nearly 6-weeks ago, but when I barred my soul to my sweet husband last night, he looked at me intensely and said “This is the most excited I’ve seen you in a long time. You have to do it.” And with that, my mind is 99.7% made up.
I’m back on track, welcoming doubt, but asking her to step aside for now, thankful for my partner-in-crime for his 25-years of unwavering, direct and honest assessments of me. Appreciative of the friends who suggested that I might be an enemy bit crazy to delve into this industry, because the last time I chased something big like this (the gluten-free bakery) many people thought I was nuts!
Stay tuned! I will announce once I’ve officially pulled the trigger.
Kibby Jardine 