Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Meech. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Meech, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

As a coffee professional, the glass ceiling is pretty low. You get trained, you learn a bunch about coffee, and then you’re just the certified “super star barista”. It felt like no matter how much I learned about brewing, or how much I practiced latte art, I was never able to get the support from my bosses to fully address the challenges baristas and service workers face in the industry. Most coffee shops hide under the guise of “We’re good people. We’re all about community. We are people focused” But things like higher wages, more support (physically and mentally), more accountability across the board and having integrity with your teammates were many things that often got swept under the rug. When it comes to bigger, more established companies, I get that those things don’t necessarily make you money, but baristas are what make your customers come back to the shop. They’re the ones upselling and representing your brand simply because they care and love what they do and that DOES keep the lights on and the door open.

After almost 10 years in the coffee game, I couldn’t stand to hear another nightmare experience from fellow coffee people at their cafes. And so…. I took the (first) biggest risk a coffee professional could take: opening a shop.

I could finally do things that I believe can change the industry and set better standards. I could give coffee people a platform to showcase their skills, talents, experiences etc. all while paying people respectable wages and a having a space they enjoy coming to work for. Money is not infinite, but talent is. Almost all of my friends are in the coffee industry. All the way from baristas to espresso machine techs, educators, social media creators, milk distributors, R&D specialists. You name it. Regardless, we all share the same struggles to find our big break. I can finally give people a chance to grow and there’s so much freedom and creativity to do so. No investors to impress. No bosses to get approval from. No politically charged watered down excuses as to why we can’t support our team wholeheartedly.

I’d like to add that I say this with a lot of optimism and much more common sense. I know things will not ever always be rainbows and butterflies. But the point I’m trying to make is that if this project is based in community, then as a community we can problem solve with love, compassion and most importantly honesty without the corporate red tape (I’m sure I’ll learn why all of that exists later, but until then I’m hellbent on approaching these issues another way) I will not be able to support everyone. I may not align with everyone. People may not like me or think this is too progressive of an idea, but I had to ask myself… “If not me, then who?” With that, I was dedicated to fight like hell to prove that owners, baristas and customers could all win.

I want a space for baristas by baristas. I want to create a space that prioritizes taken care of and standing by each other more than making a buck. I’d rather all my coffee people are supporting enough to have their basic needs met, than to hoard the wealth for myself. I think the concept is good and so the money will follow.

The risk is huge. I had to put in all my life savings and pray that things work out. The pressure is 10x higher because there is such little room for error. Much like Marshall, I only have one shot, one opportunity to make it happen. But I’m determined and so grateful for a community that supports and wants this.

So far, I’ve embedded myself in the New York coffee scene. I’ve consulted, I’ve taught, I’ve competed (to keep it short), and now on my second successful coffee pop up a month after launching my brand. I aspire to then expand the brand and keep influencing the coffee industry one step at a time. Coffee has saved me and so I owe it to coffee to save it right back.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I feel like I covered some of this earlier. But more about me.

My story starts in Miami, FL where I was born and raised. Then I impulsively moved to Jacksonville, FL at 21 and very quickly found myself in some trouble. The marketing company I worked for tanked and my boss was allegedly on the run for money laundering. I lost my job, and because we (the Miami team) moved together, we lost housing since everything was in my bosses name. I used the last of my money to stay at one of the worst motels in Jax. For real, I slept ON TOP of the covers in my jeans and my legs were eaten alive by bed bugs. But when you’re homeless sleeping in your car, you take anything you can get. I eventually roomed with another coworker who invited me to stay with him and one more coworker, in what I thought was a two bedroom apartment. It was not. It was a 40 year old trailer with no fridge, no a/c, no secure locks and no clean running water. I confirmed the water quality later on when I scrapped my knee skateboarding and used the water to clean the wound, my leg got so infected I had to go back to the ER. I had no money and was eating only 1 pack of pop tarts a day, all while trying to be an Uber driver to make any money I could and trying to ignore the gunshots in the night to get a decent night’s rest.

One day I was driving around and passed by a Starbucks. So I thought “Screw it. Money is money” So I applied. The site crashed 7 times so I took it as a sign that this wasn’t for me. But one more attempt and I was in. I got a call back and an interview the next day and thus began my coffee journey. The joke is that when I got hired I hated coffee. Couldn’t understand why anyone would drink it. Now a decade later, I am a decorated, publicly recognized, award winning barista. I don’t say that in arrogance. I think I need to say it out loud so I remind myself how far I’ve come because I still feels unbelievable.

I mean it. Coffee saved me. It gave me an outlet for my sadness and discomfort instead of focusing on my unlucky circumstances. I made friends. I hyper focused on hospitality and beverage quality. I learned how to be responsible. All the fun things you go through when you’re growing up. I also learned what it’s like to be rejected and judged, just for not being someone’s preferred flavor of person. Growing up, I was unaware of my neurodivergency. As a child, you are usually protected from that kind of judgment. But as an adult, it can be brutal. I had to relearn how to interact with people by being friendlier or fixing my facial expressions to look more approachable. Nothing I ever thought of in the past. Even now, I feel like I get overlooked and not taken seriously. Regardless, the feelings of rejection or internalizing every thing I say and do, absolutely suck. I never want another person to feel that way about themselves. It’s what motivates me to open a shop that gives “corporate misfits” a place to feel good and thrive. I’m just happy to be part of someone’s journey. My misfortune allowed me to be more compassionate and strive to live by the saying “do no harm, take no shit” And as the years passed by, it became more difficult to participate in the exploitation and rejection of talented, trainable, passionate service workers. This is a chance to dismantle the white washed practices of coffee and make space for everyone at Moon Coffee Lab.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think the biggest thing we can do to support coffee as a whole is to humanize the people putting in the labor to make you a good cup of coffee. We are not vending machines. We are not feelingless robots. We are not commercial equipment. We are real people. Coffee can be so thankless and yet we are here everyday happy to make you a beverage that you will enjoy. But it cannot continue to be unbalanced and one sided. Say hello back, read the room, treat people how you’d like to be treated. Understand that most of us are struggling to stay in this field because of low wages and owners who have capital for a shop but not a lick of experience working behind the bar. But we show up to work and endure it because we know you need your vanilla oat latte to survive the day.

Customers are our biggest ally. Advocate for service workers. Tip your barista. Vote for policies that keep your local coffee shop alive.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

A documentary called “Saving Capitalism” by Robert Reich really changed my perspective on investing in people. He was the Secretary of Labor for President Clinton who still holds the record of having the best economy in US history. I believe Robert Reich had an insane impact on why that is. In the documentary, it explains 4 day work weeks or paying higher wages and how it fueled the middle class and its spending power. When people have more money, then spend more, When they are well rested, they work better. I translated that into people. Yes, that person might not be the best worker but if you dedicate time to train and mentor someone, it will pay off. I have personally trained my employees at a coffee chain I worked at. Many of them went on to became store managers, or elevated coffee professionals, or had the tools to explore things outside of coffee with confidence. I couldn’t offer more money, but creating a safe space to fail and learn from it seemed more valuable then whatever measly .25 raise could do. Robert was right and I now try to implement that mindset any time I work with someone.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @meechncoffee @mooncoffeelab
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89mBTkf5HcA&t=10813s
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Image Credits

ig: @joecurryphotography