We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shannon Vincelette. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shannon below.

Shannon, appreciate you joining us today. Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?

I started with two employees, and worked for the better part of the first 5 years with only 2-3 employees. Both employees approached me for the job, one by applying after she saw a sign in the window that I was opening soon, and the other one by walking in the door a few weeks after opening and in her own terms “begging me for the job”. That second employee went on to become a friend of mine and this summer I’ll be officiating her wedding.

I was single and had no kids when I opened so I was working around the clock and when people called out or didn’t show up, I was always able to fly in to get the coffee brewing at the drop of a hat. I made the mistake of hiring out of desperation a few times, when I needed someone, anyone, to come stand behind the counter. But I learned very quickly that hiring out of desperation never works out in the long run.

Hiring and managing people has proven to be the most difficult aspect of the job, but I have a few lessons along the way that have helped my recruiting practices out immensely. One of the those lessons was from an HR panel discussion I listened to at the SCAA convention in Boston a few years back. I listened to Gregory from Gregory’s Coffee in Manhattan discuss how he goes about hiring people. He said “I hire people with whom I’d want to go out for a beer. Because if they can’t talk to me and hold a conversation, they can’t hold a conversation with my customers” Often times, when going through resumes, I would get caught up in the skills and experience a barista had from previous work experience, regardless of how I felt like I connected with them in the interview. Once hired, I would sense attitude issues or personality clashes with me or my staff, which quickly sucks the positive energy out of my shop. This led me to work hard to incorporate more conversation and less formality in the interview to try to put the candidate at ease, so I could better learn about their personality, interests, and goals.

I also think it’s important to convey the business mission and values in the interview to see if it is line with the candidate’s interests. As a food establishment, we are some of the biggest perpetrators of single use plastic, and so we work hard to minimize our carbon footprint by composting, using ceramic mugs, sourcing from locally purveyors, and giving discounts for bringing your own mug. Having a staff with an interest in environmental sustainability will make them work with more passion towards the common goal.

I recently started utilizing the Enneagram with my staff help with personal and professional development. I would not only have used this sooner, but I would have used it for myself to help me be a better leader.

I was a business major in school and I wish that I learned more about leadership and less about “entrepreneurship”. I’ve learned over time how to lead with more empathy, more compassion, and less perfectionism. Some helpful books have been “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek and “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott. Building a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and get direct and clear feedback has kept the tension out of the air and kept the positive energy in my shop high.

Shannon, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve wanted to own a coffee shop since high school and I did one business plan in high school and then another business plan in college. After college, I traveled a bit and eventually moved from NH to RI where I started a job in Property Management. After almost 7 years, I felt my soul had been all but sucked out of my body and I decided to make the leap to open a coffee shop. I had taken classes through the Center for Women in Enterprise in Providence RI and had worked hard to edit and update my business plan. I looked at spaces all over the state of Rhode Island and eventually settled in East Greenwich because I loved the sense of community I felt there. It reminded me of Keene, New Hampshire where I attended college and I loved the idea of being surrounded by other Mom and Pop shops.

My plan with opening a coffee shop was to keep it as simple as possible, and make it a place that would attract all walks of life, not just college students donning headphones. I loved the idea of being a spot for creating connections and sparking conversations between strangers. I like coffee a lot, but I opened a coffee shop because of my love of people. We try to take the “routine” out of people’s coffee shop experience, by engaging in authentic conversation and connecting with people in a way that isn’t common. I’m from a large Irish family and as the 5th kid out of 6, I was raised in a household with lots of banter, where a thick skin was a prerequisite. Because of this, I run my shop with humor and I’m able to connect with anyone. I also lost my parents in my early 20’s, which has given me a compassion for strangers whose journey I know so little about. A customer once referred to the Nook as “vortex of positivity” and I truly try to ensure my customers and staff both walk out in a better mood than they walked in.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I truly don’t enjoy the social media end of the business and it’s become a necessary evil of running a small business. I still have a ways to go in terms of gaining a following and I don’t claim to be an expert by any means. That being said, the way I’ve built my following and created connections with people is by being authentic, being transparent about the business, and when I’m able to, using my heart. I post about policy changes, price increases, short staffing, and true life experiences both positive and negative. This helps give heart to the business and let people know they’re supporting real people, not just a brand.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I closed for two months during the pandemic, and when I was scheduling to reopen, I called one of my vendors to confirm a new delivery schedule. They reluctantly informed me that they’d be opening three doors down from me and would no longer be able to sell me wholesale. They provided me with donuts, which were a big seller on the weekend and while my first reaction was panic, it caused me to pivot. Outside of the business, I am a more health-focused consumer, so I decided to create a toast menu. where I served open faced toasts with with various toppings, including an almond butter/banana/cacao nibs, as well as a ricotta/salt/pepper/olive oil/pistachios in addition to others. This helped me capture a heathier market segment and because I’m making the items in house, my profit margins are better.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @nookcoffeehosue
• Facebook: The Nook Coffee House
• Yelp: The Nook Coffee House