Sometimes, all anybody needs is a cup of coffee, and Melissa Stinson is there for you. This sister with superpowers launched the Everybody’s Busy coffee shop in Chicago and has blended culture and hip-hop with her brand, which makes it more appealing to her customers. When people walk into the store, it’s less about the coffee, and more about the experience. Stinson is looking to take your mind off of your daily stressors, and help you relax, connect, and vibe by yourself or with others at Everybody’s Busy.
Stinson spoke with rolling out about Everybody’s Busy, why people should be in the coffee business, and what makes coffee special in Chicago.
How do you define your brand?
That’s always tricky for me because it’s constantly changing. It’s a lot of layers, but basically, it’s about paying homage and respecting whatever culture you were brought up in or introduced to. It’s about taking time for yourself and sitting down. That’s why it’s called Everybody’s Busy. It’s about saying what’s important to me, and it starts with a cup of coffee, but it ends with so much more. I’m kind of like a coffee therapist and a second mama.
What is the experience that happens when individuals walk in the door of Everybody’s Busy?
I don’t know who’s coming. They make appointments, but I don’t know who’s coming. Once they open the door, they’re kind of speechless for a little while I introduce myself, and they have a seat. It’s like a trip in my mind, you walk into my mind, and I am your captain. You’re surrounded by visuals, sounds, and smells. You don’t even want to use your phone because it’s not necessary. We sit down and we talk or you get inspired.
Why should people be in the coffee business?
It’s not that we should be, we are. The difference is that we’re behind everything, for the most part, it’s just a matter of coming out. We’re naturally influencers, we take nothing and make it into something. So with coffee, tea, or whatever, we just do that. I think it’s OK to come out from behind the scenes and say, “Oh, you like coffee?” It’s a drink, it’s not going to do anything special [for] you. My concern is just to make it good. Make it so that it’s fair trade, the beans are sourced properly, you’re using the right kind of water, you’re using the right kind of machine and you want to make a cup of coffee.
What are people saying as they’re exiting the experience?
We might start with an introduction or handshake. A lot of times, I would say maybe 90% of the time we leave with a hug. We bond in that half an hour, they’re inspired, they sometimes will send me letters or cards or just different things like that, and you can’t put a price on making an impact on somebody’s life. When people leave, it’s a good feeling because I impacted somebody’s life, whether it was sitting and listening, serving coffee, or the whole thing.
What is it that makes this coffee special for Chicago?
Chicago is a very interesting city. I was born and raised on the South Side, so I grew up with four generations. I was grateful to have all the different iterations of Chicago throughout the years. Without the family, I think I’d have a different view of Chicago with all those people around me and kind of almost carrying the tradition on. I never knew it was going to be this way. I’m kind of carrying the tradition of Chicago and it’s interesting because a lot of people come from here and a lot of cultures come from here, but you just have to dig.
What is your superpower?
I would say my superpower is perspective. When I say perspective, that can be designed perspective, music perspective, my perspective on life and culture. My give back would be that you can do it too. I started this at the age of 40 and I’m still figuring it out, but I went after something. I had no idea how I was going to build it but I had to do it to save myself. When people come into this space, it’s a little reminder that you can save yourself. You’re the only person that can save you anyway. It’s just like showing you someone else is there. You can come and feel a certain kind of way and get that feeling and leave versus a lot of times in these startups, you’re like, “Oh my God, it’s just me. I don’t have any references.” There’s no book for this. I didn’t have a plan for this. I’m just doing it out of the air, but it’s all based on energy and feeling. When people come here, they get that.
