Alchemist coffee project los angeles8/11/2023 ![]() What can I do that'll have the most impact in the long run? A lot of people have said I should start a YouTube channel or a regular podcast. What other spaces can I create under The Chocolate Barista umbrella that also fulfill some of my other creative passions but all have a foundation in being inclusive and centering Black folks? I like to think long-term and BIG. TCB is more than just a personal project-it's a personal project that takes on a lot of (unpaid) emotional labor for the benefit of an entire community, and shouldering that weight gets to be a lot for one person even if I am passionate about the work.Ĭurrently, I'm trying to figure out how to expand on what I've built so far. After SCA Boston this year, I decided I needed to take a step back from The Chocolate Barista (TCB) and take some much-needed time for myself. Q: Knowing how tough it can be to put all of your energy into a personal project - Where do you see The Chocolate Barista heading in the coming years? Both it and you have become a shining voice in furthering the necessary conversations around inclusion and representation for black people in coffeeĪ: You know, I think about this all the time. Once I introduced what my coffee experience was like as a Black woman and saw the reception from that, I realized race was a missing conversation overall and decided to dig into that. It really was just supposed to be a lifestyle blog, to be honest (we have a lot of bloggers in Phoenix and I was inspired). ![]() Q: What was the impetus for staring The Chocolate Barista (and when did you launch it)Ī: I started The Chocolate Barista in January 2016 and it was a New Year's resolution for me to launch my own creative online space that focused on coffee and the local community I was a part of. ![]() Obviously, I fell in love with it immediately and the rest is history. ![]() I was already a big fan of coffee and just wanted to get paid to be around it. I was 19 years old and never had any real interest working in other hospitality spaces but always wanted to be a barista. Q: When and where did you get your first coffee jobĪ: My first coffee job was at Tynan Coffee & Tea in Chevy Chase, MD right on the border of Washington, DC back in 2011. ![]()
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