Coffee.I love coffee. I have a 2 and 3 year old. That means I get little sleep as it is, but when you add running this business with Ben it equals very little sleep! In the middle of wedding season that could be as little as 4 hours a night. Right now as I write this I have a little girl sitting on my lap trying to help me type and my son right behind my shoulder asking to type “ABCs” on the computer. Having kids hanging on my arm, my productivity is low in the mornings. I love getting the kids out of the house, especially during the harsh winters. So I take the kids to our local coffee shop, The Bookery more often than I would like to admit! Ben usually has a break around 9:30, so I aim to get down there around then. It’s fun for the kids to see daddy for a couple minutes and play a short game at the table. Every time I go into the Bookery I am reminded of one thing: the experience the customer has with any given business is king. We love going down there! There’s a kids sized table with puzzles and games for the kids to play with. And of course it’s surrounded by lots of toys to buy 🙂 The baristas behind the counter are always friendly and ask questions about our life. They remember our drinks and laugh at our obnoxious misbehaving children who seem to take on a totally different personality once we breach the doors of the Bookery. Besides coffee for us and toys for the kids there are books galore for all ages, local artwork on the walls, cute knickknacks, and at least one person you know sitting at a table. I could go though the drive through just a half mile down the road to get my fix, but instead I choose to get out of the car. For the experience. I want our photography business to be the same way. I want brides to come to us not just because we are an answer to a need. But we are a really great answer to a need that includes some fun bonuses. A business worth getting out of the car with two kids. You moms know what I am talking about! So you if have ideas or previous experiences with photographers that you want to pass on to us as either dos or don’ts we’d love to hear them!
This morning we walked to the coffee shop, so the kids got a special treat- hot chocolate!
“Look… cake!” Every day there is a new toy she loves. We love the Melissa and Doug toys they sell there.
The one thing in life that I can be indecisive about is what kind of coffee I want. Americano, latte, 2 pumps. 4 pumps, random new flavor? I never know. And then I usually just pick my usual. I think I like the idea of something different without actually ordering it. It all sounds so good! But in the end I get the same thing. Usually.
Besides coffee they have yummy sandwiches!
Usually there are about 10 grandpas who sit around these tables and talk for hours. I came a little later in the day when it wouldn’t be so busy, so there is one lone man left.
