One of the great things about being a consultant/working for yourself is the ability to set your own schedules and to work from home. Both allow me to satisfy my need to do volunteer activities in and around Edmonds. However, I have discovered that in order for me to “work” from home, I need to start off somewhere else.
Starting at home first thing in the morning comes with distractions: the desire to stay in bed a little bit more, do a bit a housework, etc. I find that I need to get up and go somewhere else first, then come back home and continue/finish. Coffeehouses seem to do the trick, and I get my double-tall mocha to get me going.
There are three, depending on my mood and what I need to start working on, that are my favorites:
3rd Place: Starbucks on Hwy 99 & 220th. The only one of the three that’s a super large chain. I have a Starbucks habit, and it’s only intensified with the mobile order app. The sheer convenience of it all. I love not having to stand in line and order, which saves me time and allows me to grab a spot at the ever popular large table. It’s also the closest to my home. I also like that said table tends to be occupied by college or some level of post-secondary education students. Being surrounded by learners does something for me. It also means that I don’t have to worry about a lot of chatter at the table, and when there is chatter, it’s centered around the topic of study. I feel like I learn a little bit each time I start work from there. I’m writing this post from here today, because it’s Double Stars Sunday on the mobile app.
2nd Place: Cafe Louvre on 5th Avenue near Dayton (downtown). For a popular spot in downtown Edmonds, it’s a warm and homey place, complete with fireplace. It’s also a great place for me to have meetings with fellow community leaders that live and work in the area. It can be particularly chatty in the morning, but in a good way. The place is usually packed longtime residents who begin their day together there. Sometimes, if I can hear one particular exchange among these groups clearly, I glean some Edmonds history as well as thoughts on what they think about what’s happening in the City. Between volunteering on both the Edmonds Planning Board, The Edmonds Chamber of Commerce Board as well as the Edmonds Senior Center Board, this information is pretty vaulable and helps me to create dialogue in meetings.
1st Place: Caffe Ladro, Main Street and 84th. I come here most often for several reasons: It’s straight shot from my home coming down 84th Street, parking is easy and plentiful, the customer service from Austin and the other baristas as well as the feeling of never feeling rushed to leave. Bonus points go to their social media team. I always “check in” or tweet with a photo of my mocha du jour. Whoever runs their Twitter account is fabulous! They always acknowledge my tweets, will sometimes ask how my drink was, and will even ask where I’ve been if there has been a good chunk of time between tweets. All good natured and fun. As with Cafe Louvre, I also get to glean info from the cross-section of people that are there and is a great place for informal work-related meetings.
Each location ends of serving a different purpose, but all help me kick off a productive work day.