When is Nirvana Soul Opening?!
I’m usually asked this question several times a week: when is Nirvana Soul opening? On the one hand, I’m excited and humbled by all the love and support. On the other hand, some days we’re asking ourselves this very same question.
Since we went live in March of this year about opening our very own coffee shop, the hustle has been nonstop. Aside from working on the business, we both work full-time and have been packing and cleaning to move into our new home (yay us!). We do have a shop location that we are hoping to get into soon and we will let you know more about it when we can.
I’m not going to lie, we have been on a rollercoaster ride. From locations to loans, we’ve gotten a yes, then a no, then a maybe. Our poor contractor (lol) has been such a trooper!
One of the main things holding us back is financing. We’ve been able to raise our 20% equity injection, yet we were denied a business loan twice, which was hard because neither of us have bad credit. I did, however, have a few things to clear up, so I spent most of this year doing that and I’m so glad I did. It’s so important to have all inquiries on your credit report cleared up when trying to do anything major like opening a business. We told you we would be honest with you on this crazy journey of ours, and the truth is: nothing comes easy. We have to do the work. We’re not going to let a few NOs stop us. (Message!)
As you know from reading past blog posts, although I’ve been in the industry for over 16 years as either a lead or store manager, I still had no idea how to set up my own shop. Running someone else’s shop? Yes, got it. But I had to take a step back, make myself super vulnerable, and connect with all the people who would help me get to a place of: Hell Yes I Can Do This!
“I want to do what you are doing. I want to know everything you know.”
I have become friends with some of the very best coffee shop owners — some of them have even become mentors. I’ve squeezed all the information and resources I could from them because I don’t know what I don’t know, right? It’s humbling saying, “I want to do what you are doing. I want to know everything you know.” And boy, has it paid off! From writing a business plan to figuring out our financials, it has all been a learning experience.
Another thing that has been important is building the right team. One of my mentors pointed out that, sadly, you really can’t trust everyone. I had to learn that not everyone can be apart of our team. B and I both had to get good at saying NO! There have been people who told us they want to help, but we now recognize that not all help is good help. For all those who continue to meet with us and answer our questions or challenge us with questions, Thank You! We are so grateful.
As of right now, the Nirvana Soul sisters are in such a great season of change. We will open this shop! Please continue to pray, encourage, and even reach out to us if you have any questions or suggestions.
Nirvana Soul is a soulful coffee & tea shop bringing exciting flavor, creative artistry, and bold inspiration to the Bay Area. Follow our journey on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Read more:
Why Another Coffee Shop is Needed
Trust the timing of your life
It’s going to be hard (and other things meant to be helpful)
Making the Brand
Fundraising: Numbers & Things We’ve Learned Along the Way
Coffee. Community. Culture.
How’s this for breathing room?
Meet Jessica: Campbell Coffee House owner on what she’s learned in business
Back to Work: Go On & Glow Up
Super September
Super September: Here’s how it went
