I love having ADHD, or at least having the ability to embrace it. It’s the perfect excuse to lose focus, then re-gain focus, then lose it again, all while continually moving in a different direction; talking about a short attention span. On the other hand, it provides a whim to see things others don’t, and a propensity to continually create something new and different. Unfortunately, this usually leads to concepts way ahead of my time (or ones only I get?).
So, shelving my play “The Circle Belle”, and moving on to Plan C; which is coffee, makes perfect sense. Yep, moonshine to coffee; that’s ADHD at its finest. It’s what we folks with ADHD do, create, excite, lose interest, enjoy boredom, and create again, all without finality. What keeps us moving forward you ask? It’s all about the journey people, and if one day it all clicks, well then icing on the cake.
Why coffee? I had a few epiphanies over the holiday season. First, over the last few years, I couldn’t generate real interest in The Circle Belle. Of course, since I see things no one else can, the thought of playing out a legacy stock car story on the stage with a diverse cast made perfect sense. I’m guessing in a few more years they’ll be tons of these stories told on the stage and screen.
Second, I needed a new drop knee body board for XMAS (oops…ADHD strikes again). Jumping in the ocean and learning new body boarding techniques provides the perfect therapy for in between distractions and attention deficit. Alas, I digress – as expected.
Third, super-automatic espresso coffee makers aren’t used in high volume coffee shops (bet you didn’t see that coming). For those of you not familiar with these precision machines, they take all the guess work out of extracting a shot of espresso, while doing it in half the time. The coffee is delicious, it’s quick and coffee hygiene is a snap. I’m guessing this will be the wave of the future, and NOW is the time for me to strike, before I lose focus – again; or before George Clooney and Nespresso get the jump.
First step, business plan development; early financial numbers reflect a very healthy gross margin in coffee, hence Starbucks. Second step is to pre-maturely develop a web site, since nothing in this world has validity without a web presence. Third step is to create a few logo options, and the last step is to call a few coffee experts to see why no one else thought of this brilliant idea (although my ADHD may have screwed up the priority of steps).
The Swedish engineered machine I selected was the Jura. This machine, blended with an Italian roasted coffee, produces a truly authentic and delicious espresso flavor profile.
After leaving several messages with Jura without response, I decided to call the USA national distributor. A nice enough guy, but as expected, he didn’t quite see the vision. Something about these machines designed for use in office settings and not high volume coffee shops. The $8,500 commercial machine on the Jura web site certainly looks like its set up for, well, commercial use? I tried to explain my vision, store layout, menu options and franchise opportunities for my concept, but to no avail. It was obvious this individual couldn’t appreciate a concept ahead of its time. I politely requested a direct contact at Jura HQ in hopes of finding a like-minded visionary willing to partner on this unique quest, but oddly he didn’t know anyone at Jura HQ – even though he’s the national trainer/distributor, odd indeed.
As my ADHD slowing begins to tug away, and the ocean begins to call my new NMDK drop knee board, I sense my focus waning. But no worries, the focus always returns as the journey continues, and like the Circle Belle, I’m sure in a few years they’ll be tons of Barista9’s everywhere.
What will lack of attention, boredom, and focus lead to next? Stay tuned, on the plan D.
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