Career Update: Otis Coffee
When Katrina and I started Half 5 years ago, it was a personal goal of mine to brand a coffee shop. I’ve cared a lot about coffee for a long time, and it was really important to me that we find a way to work with a coffee shop.
My very first client for Half wasn’t a coffee shop. It was a corporate consultancy, started by an incredible guy named Matt.
A few years later, Matt reached out again. He was joining a guy named Cody Osborn at a coffee shop called Proper Coffee and Cocktails. They had an incredible team and great coffee, but they were ready to take the brand in an entirely different direction. It wasn’t that what they had was wrong, it was just that it wasn’t enough for them: it was limiting.
As we discussed what they wanted, we ultimately realized that they wanted to connect with people. They wanted to built genuine relationships that celebrated differences. Above all, they wanted to built a brand that was about more than just coffee. They wanted to celebrate the creative in everyone. We worked together for a year, Otis launched, and my personal goal was complete. Matt and Cody were incredible as I asked them to the some pretty wild stuff to make this brand a reality. They hand painted something like 30,000 diamonds on the walls to give the illusion of wallpaper. That’s how much these guys mean it when they say that they are committed to honoring and celebrating craft.
Recently, Matt and Cody helped me achieve a goal that I never knew that I had. I am excited to announce that I’ve recently started as Creative Director at Otis Coffee. I am excited to get to spend time in a brand that we built, helping see it through further.
If you are super excited about coffee, I will note that they make really good coffee. I think that anyone who knows me knows that I wouldn’t work at a coffee shop if I didn’t love the coffee. If you feel like supporting me in this new venture, or if you just want to treat yourself, pick up a bag of Otis today. Or if you know you’ll love it, maybe try a subscription. You’ll save a bit, and you won’t have to worry about stocking up on beans. http://otis.coffee/
This move has me feeling really refreshed, excited, and optimistic!