This Building Is Alive #3- TJ Southard

As part of celebrating our 5th anniversary, someone who is part of Everyday Joe’s will write something about it each month. Anything from essays to sonnets to interpretive dance. How interpretive dance would translate to this blog, I’m not sure…but it’d be interesting.

Whatever is written, it will come from the life that is in this building. 144 S. Mason seems to be alive and breathing…and it is something you can’t ignore when you walk in. No. 3 comes from the mind and heart of TJ Southard, who was one of the 7 original folks to keep the doors open. He also pastored Joshua’s Crossing/Timberline Oldtown church from 2003-2006.

Joe’s,

Chris Hess has asked me to share some of my memories of Everyday Joe’s. Although I have many, many memories of that place, it is the memories of the opening days that I remember the most. Interestingly, as I am asked to give some memories of Joe’s I am confused by my inability to decide whether or not these memories are good ones or bad ones. I remember that the planning was great fun. After we had been open for a while it was great fun, but in middle of those memories are the opening days and months. This is where it hurts a bit. I will explain:

I have often stated that a good leader must find the place where faith and foolishness meet and stand firmly with one foot on each side. This was my stance as we prepared to open Everyday Joe’s. We had a solid business plan.

Here’s the outline:

• no health department license
• no staff training
• no storage
• no sign on the door
• no volunteer schedule past Wednesday
• no cash reserves
• no marketing plan
• no grand opening
• no ice
• no heater (it was May and we had months to fix that)
• no idea what the hell we were doing

But, we had all the faith and hope in the world. We also had a whole week’s worth of milk and coffee beans. We had $152 dollars in the bank and Suzanne was there and ready to open at 6am on the dot. I was certain that the whole of Ft. Collins would get out of bed and rush into Joe’s for a cup of coffee. Craig and Gretchen were our first customers (I think) and we sold almost $65 worth of coffee that first day. The next day was even worse because our opening crowd had come the day before. It hurt a bit.

Thinking back on it, my stance was all wrong. Having one foot in faith and the other in foolishness will get your ego sack kicked back up into your throat.

Suzanne, Paul, Daryle, Joyce, Tim, Bob and Jessica took up the slack of my bad planning and made Joe’s work. Then a few people dropped from Heaven – really – (Chris, Hannah , Diana) and the next thing I remember is the third anniversary.

Now that I am a long ways away I am re-writing those memories. Only in my new version I do everything right. Including the AC.

- TJ

~ by The Communiqué on March 26, 2008.