Fresh Starts

Author - Jenn oleksyn

I’ve been making fresh starts my whole life. I was born into a RCMP family and so from the time I was 4 years old until I moved out on my own I had to move every 3-5 years. I started Kindergarten in one town, Grade 3 in another, Grade 8 in another and then moved away to go to college. At the time I hated those moves. We moved when I was 12 years old and that one hit me the hardest. I was leaving behind friends and sports and a school that I was familiar with. We were changing provinces, but in my pre-teen mind we might as well have been moving to the moon. We were on the ferry that night doing a night crossing as part of the move and I cried all night in the boat cabin, no one got any sleep that night and what a drive my Dad had the next day after listening to me sob all night. What I didn’t know then, that I’m so grateful for now, is that all those moves and fresh starts were teaching me lessons that would help me later in life. I learned to be resilient. I learned to make new friends. I learned to adapt to new situations. I learned to read the room. I learned to make connections. I’ve used these skills on countless occasions throughout my life but most recently in my current fresh start. My husband and I decided 3 years ago that we wanted to open a business. 12 months to the day after we decided and signed the incorporation papers we opened the doors to our very own cafe. I have no formal business training, just a collection of life experiences and a determination that I can do anything I set my mind to. It was a bumpy road getting there. We built in a new space and met many roadblocks on the path to opening day. We had construction delays, inspection delays, incorrect permits issued, delays due to an incorrect gas meter installed, and then we had a death in the family on what was supposed to be opening day. We changed the opening date 3 times due to various delays, and I was so close to breaking, but the resiliency that I learned many years ago helped me overcome the obstacles. Now 2 years later we’re still in business and overcoming obstacles every day. We received a key piece of advice from a friend when we first decided to open the cafe and I’d like to pass it on to anyone that is thinking of a fresh start in any area of your life. Every day during the year of business planning and build out we looked at this quote, written on a sticky note and stuck to the front of our fridge. All the note said was “go all in”. It would unknowingly become the best piece of advice we could have been given. Go.All.In. If you truly want to make a fresh start in any area of your life you have to decide to go all in. Give it your best. Be flexible and adaptable because nothing ever goes 100% according to plan. Know the final result you want and then do whatever it takes to get there. Never give up on yourself and go all in! Tucked away in the shoppes of Jagare Ridge in SW Edmonton lies Caffiend Coffee. A vision brought to life by Jennifer and Allen Oleksyn. Our mission is to be your third place. Sociologist Ray Oldenberg first pioneered the concept in his 1989 tome “The Great Good Place”, in which he explains that your third place is a hangout spot, community center or “home away from home” that provides an essential zone outside of home and work. One of our top values and priorities is supporting other local businesses. Inside Caffiend you will find many other local independent businesses to support. Our coffee, tea, beer, pressed juice & kombucha all come from local Edmonton suppliers. You’ll also find an array of local art for sale and items from local artisans.

Come visit Caffiend today. Say “hi” and you’ll soon find yourself a regular.