I am the kind of person to show up to a job interview with an Iced Coffee (Venti or Lavender Matcha, Light Ice) - and offer to get one for you, too!

There are multifarious reasons I put my own name on my very own (digital) shingle. This is one of them. ...

A recent article in THE CUT  highlighted a Tik Tok about a new "metric" ("My best friend's sister's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night".) by which to judge those on the job market. Now, I clearly have not been on the job market in a number of years — as a Gen X over 50-female in a beautiful beach community 50 miles from Orlando. That's not to say I do not meet with my fantastic clients all the time, coffee in hand (and ALWAYS an ask as to what they'd like, too, of course - and boy, are they specific!).

In my LLC, we work from home, my octogenarian father's house, and Starbucks (my newly promoted Manager and I). Or, I work from other local businesses or at the airport, on the plane and any and all farflung destinations (some clients do not even know when I am not stateside) available.

Zeus the Manager, seen enjoying a Puppuccino

I have worked at ad agencies both large and little, on the client side at major sports venues and museums and then finally for myself (and served in many roles — but not always on the creative or accounting side — including President and/or Chair of non-profit organizations).

As a college grad or a 20 - or 30-something, it's hard enough putting together the perfect CV, constantly promoting oneself and then — especially if fortunate to be vying for any position in an extremely competitive industry — AND making oneself seem special (but not too). Let alone worrying about (and this is where my OCD — yes, diagnosed — came in handy), wearing the right outfit, getting names and titles correct, and answering the dreaded, "What is your biggest fault?" questions.

And then this? Should you have your coffee and drink it, too? If it's a Venti and it's 8:30am, I'm not finishing it before I go into the interview. There is no "leave it in the car" in the Big City, folks. 

I said I would move back to our family's home in Ormond Beach from Chicago, if only there were a Starbucks. And there was and there is. 

For me, looking forward to Starbucks or wherever you like to treat yourself, is a reward and a comfort for getting up, working out, getting the kid to school, getting out there and getting going. And it's like a therapy dog (see Manager, above) — it's also a security blanket. "If this interview ..." "If this pitch ..." — doesn't go well, at least I have my coffee. 

Back when I was 23/24, and a walk to Starbucks with my Creative Director meant I had finally, actually, really gotten a job at an ad agency, the coffee felt like a rite of passage. It was the biggest indulgence I wanted to afford. It was a little daily celebration. It still is. And by the way, I just procured some of that same creative director's fine art. Friendships (and maybe interviews) built on coffee always seem to last. 

When I had the privilege of working at big agencies in big cities, I also had the privilege of a coffee shop at the bottom floor of the buildings (fated, clearly). I was two lattes a day (one decaf, as dictated by my team), back then. 

Why are those of us fortunate enough to be interviewing people so far removed from the reality of what it feels like on the other side? We've already proofed the resumé and not accepted any with typos (by the way some people write these days, maybe that's not the case — where are we not using AI when it counts!?!), they are sitting in our office and we can either learn from their experiences and advise them why they're not a fit and hope they do better elsewhere or we consider what dynamic they may add to the team and how we can serve as amazing mentors. We're only doing the disfavor to ourselves and our company if we are closed off and closed-minded.

And we might miss out on a great co-worker and an even better coffee buddy and career-long friend on those meetings over coffee. Maybe save yourself the judgment and the trip and host the interview at the coffee shop.

This is what makes it a Good Morning!