Archive for the ‘friends’ Category

TEDx Brisbane Update

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

TEDx Brisbane was nothing short of a raging success. It was a big day for all but the coffee flowed well with a lot of help from friends and the wonderful team (also friends) at Di Bella Coffee who donated their time to support TEDx Brisbane. A big well done and thank you has to go out to Paul Fairweather and Carl Lindgren who put the whole event together. Simply an amazing job.

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TEDx Brisbane next weekend.

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

So TEDx Brisbane is almost here and they have just released the Speaker List and it is a cracker. This is going to be a great TED event and right in our back yard. Very sad if you are a TED fan that missed out. I can sympathize with you as Urban Grind in partnership with Di Bella Coffee is sponsoring the event with free coffees for attendees which means that I will be lucky to see any of the talks on the day. I am honoured to be able to support such an event as this but have you seen that speaker list? It is going to be an inspiring day. And we have Carl Lindgren & Paul Fairweather to thank. They have done an amazing job putting it all together.

If you do have a ticket. Be sure to get there early and register first. Once registered you can head down to the Ideas Worth Spreading Tent and get a free coffee. Coffee will also be offered free for both morning tea and lunch time breaks.

To get in the mood for TEDx you could check out this amazing talk by Aimee Mullins. Such an amazing women.

“Adversity is just change that we have not adapted to yet.”

Aimee Mullins: The opportunity of adversity

Posted in alternative media, design, environment, friends, inspiring, local community, personal, urban grind | No Comments »

Surprise!

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

I just read a short story about throwing a surprise birthday party on a train. It made me so happy that my eyes watered and I wanted to share it with you too. The idea of strangers in a small room like a train carriage reminded me of Urban Grind – Paddington and West End. I am going to suggest it before you do. Urban Grind on a train carriage could be very cool. Anyway, one of the things I always tried to do at Urban Grind was to start conversations. My best Urban Grind days were the ones where I could stand back and look at the room and everyone was so engrossed in conversation that it was noisy and I didn’t matter. And honestly the worst days were the ones where the room would be full but virtually silent – uncomfortable. No energy, lifeless.

Surprise! by Improv Everywhere. Well worth the read.

Posted in design, family, friends, funny, inspiring, local community, peace, personal, urban grind | No Comments »

Happy New Year 2010

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

For a long time now I have been very proud that Urban Grind has been successful but for longer than many might realise I have also been aware that Urban Grind has been unsustainable. In retrospect only, that would seem like things for Urban Grind are not good but in fact they are better than ever. Urban Grind is in my heart and if you know me well enough you will know that it has been a personal journey for me, not just a business. And it’s not over yet.

So as you might be aware by now Urban Grind New Farm closed it’s doors at the end of 2009 and will not be re-opening at the beggining of 2010. It’s time for a break and a regrouping. In simple terms this is not the end of Urban Grind. It is going to take us a little while to regroup but we are working on our return and will be back better than ever.

I have learnt a lot from my mistakes over the years and along the way I have discovered other directions in which I want to take Urban Grind. I can’t wait to re-open Urban Grind and show you what I am talking about. In the meantime I will keep this website/blog going. I will also be working at the Di Bella Factory which is going to be great. Obviously I love Di Bella coffee as I have been serving it for about 8 years now. I also have a good friendship and a great respect for Philip Di Bella so I look forward to working more closely with him.

For me Urban Grind is more than just trying to make great coffee. Of course that is really important as anything less would be just embarrassing, but for me Urban Grind is a way of life and an experience that I want to keep having. Only one thing has made this experience as wonderful as it has been and that is people, and the amazing relationships we were able to have with them. From the single moments with a stranger that have taught me life lessons, to the life long friends we made, Urban Grind has been about the interaction of people – community. To all in this community I am most grateful for your help, your willingness to interact, your bravery to be yourselves and to challenge yourselves. There would not be enough pixels on this computer to properly thank everyone that has meant something to me over these years. But to Rachel my loving partner, Urban Grind would have never been without you. To Adz, Brendan, Carl, my brother Dan & Sophie, in particular – Thank you. To so many more – Thank you.

Now in looking forward, lets keep in touch.
twitter
facebook
blog rss/email
mailing list
0408 10 11 40
email – it’s in the picture

Posted in customers, family, friends, local community, personal, urban grind | 11 Comments »

Best in the City Awards

Monday, October 12th, 2009

We have been lovingly nominated for the award below:

Best Service to Make You Smile
In this digital age of automated existence, sometimes we forget to value the important stuff like good old fashioned face-to-face service. Whether it’s a pizza made to order, artworks out of lattes or a waiter who remembers you’re crazy for creamed spinach just like your mum used to make, this category showcases service that makes you bust out a smile and tip like it’s actually a pleasure! Vote for us in Brisbane

It is an honour to be nominated in this category because while we love serving great coffee end hope that is an experience that you walk away feeling like you have had. For me personally there has always been more to Urban Grind than just that.

So if we have ever managed to make you smile please vote for us.

If we haven’t, watch this then vote for us.

Thanks

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Good day today.

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Today I was reminded of a few things. What goes around comes around. It is safe to trust people. And you can never judge a book buy it’s cover.

Took my son down to the local hardware today to get a few small things and upon reaching the counter I turned to Oscar, my son and exclaimed “Oh no I forgot my wallet!”. Instantly the guy in front of us said don’t worry I will pay for it. I didn’t hesitate and said thanks because the best advice ever given to me was to “Never deny someone the opportunity to give.” – Nigel Reed. David, the generous man in line told me how he had once filled his car with petrol, then at the counter realised he had no money only to be surprised by a women willing to pay the whole bill. He said that he is now always on the look out to keep paying such a kind act forward. It reminded me that when you do a good thing for a person or a bad thing against a person it gets multiplied which is why you should do good things. A random act of kindness really wakes something up in people I think and it will be a feeling they will want others to experience. If you have never seen the movie Pay it Forward I highly recommend it.

Earlier in the day I had another wonderful encounter with a customer that had returned to pay her bill after what must have been at least six weeks. I have a personal policy of trusting that if people don’t have the cash on them or they only have card I trust them and ask them to simply fix us up when it is next convenient for them. So far everyone has returned as far as I know as I don’t keep a record each time and I usually forget moments later that this person still ‘owes’ us. It’s a nice place to be in cause it kind of means for me that I get to live in a world where everyone is trust worthy and my personal theory goes that you can’t trust people if you never give them the opportunity to be trustworthy. I know some have abused this but that’s ok cause the percentage is so low that I could probably only name one person in nearly 8 years of Urban Grind. Anyway… six weeks ago I declared to my awesome (just as her she will tell you herself) assistant that this particular women has obviously scammed us and is never coming back. But such is life yadda yadda. She had been so vague the first time that she came into the shop and we just couldn’t work her out and I guess the experience made us wonder a bit as to what was going on and we started to get sus. Then she came up to pay and only had card, no cash and while I said sure just fix us up later I honestly thought that she was never coming back. I didn’t trust her. Today she walks in and I pretend I don’t remember her, but I do and she asks for a coffee and would like to fix up her bill from last time she was in Brisbane. How is that the first time I am so sure I couldn’t trust someone I am wrong. So I get talking to her cause now she’s cool you know, I trust her and I can treat her like everyone else (I just called myself a tosser so you don’t need to) and she mentions that she doesn’t come into the cities much or something like that and now I am getting the sense that maybe her being a bit vague was actually her way of just finding her way around slowly. She has actually been so patient the first time that she waited like 20 minutes for the line to die down before ordering. Maybe I can go easy on myself for thinking that is strange as so many people these days are impatient and pressed for time.

This is not the first time that I have found that it only takes about a maximum of 2 questions to start to get to know someone. If you think you know someone on sight, inquire, you will be so wrong unless you are gifted. I once thought one of my customers once was an obvious bum until I asked he once what he does and it turns out he was a retired physics professor in a field that I had never heard of and these days he just likes to tent to his garden. Speak to people, they have stories that will out do your assumptions.

Posted in customers, friends, inspiring, local community, peace, personal, urban grind | 4 Comments »

Adam Sebastian West at Kiln

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Many Urban Grind customers probably know Adam Sebastian West as he has been hanging around for years. About 7 years now. He is a wonderful friend of mine and a great photographer. You can check out his photography on the Zenstick Website or this Friday night the 6th of March you can see his latest work as part of the Sea City Sky group exhibition at KILN Gallery. The show runs from the 6th – 29th of March. For more details check out www.kiln.com.au.

Posted in customers, friends, local community, personal | 1 Comment »

ideas festival 09 program now online

Sunday, February 15th, 2009

This is exciting. I hope I can find the time. As you know I am a massive advocate of TED and if have managed to convince you to check out TED and you have fallen in love with it like so many of my friends then you don’t want to miss the Ideas Festival cause it is the closest thing to TED that we get. I usually only make it to a couple of talks each time but the ideas and speakers are always stimulating. I have only had a quick look at the program and there looks to be quite a focus on climate change which grabs my interest. If you have never been to an ideas festival I suggest you check it out. Heaps of the sessions are free so if you still think that climate change is a myth it won’t cost you a cent to challenge that idea. Check out the Ideas Festival Program 09 for more info.

Posted in alternative media, design, environment, friends, inspiring, local community, peace, politics | No Comments »

Winner map readers choice awards

Sunday, January 11th, 2009

As you can see we did pretty well this year in the map readers choice awards. I am a big fan of map so it is very cool that map readers and everyone else I spammed with email took the time to vote for us. Thank you everyone that voted for us. I really do appreciate it. With so much email, sms, twitter, etc these days I am very grateful that you could still find some time for little old Urban Grind. See all the winners here for some great places to check out around Brisbane. This is like you good food dining guide to Brisbane for the next 12 months.

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Happy Holidays Xmas 08

Monday, December 22nd, 2008

So today was the first day of my 2 weeks holiday. Pancakes for breakfast and the beach for the rest of the day because my son has been asking us everyday for over a month. Rock climbing with mates at Boonah on the 24th and Xmas day with family then house sitting another mates place near Byron for a week. So excited. The downside of this though, might be for you. I am sorry if you are missing out on your coffee, but I have started to function like a toy with batteries that are running flat. I need to recharge big time.

Urban Grind will reopen on the 5th of Jan at 7am. I wish you all a happy and safe holiday period.

It has been a huge year for Urban Grind, the Urban Grind team and my family. We had to leave the Paddington community and miss them dearly. The last half of the year has been harder without your support, but we did what we felt was right. I had to say goodbye to one of Urban Grind’s best teams yet. Sophie, Candice, Amy, Karen & Shea, you were all outstanding and your now employers are very lucky. You became friends that I miss having in my life everyday. As did so many in Paddington become friends that we miss so much. Thank you to all of you.

Thank you to New Farm for embracing us. I don’t feel like we have quite built up the same community yet, but I am meeting some amazing and inspiring people and having fun. I look forward to more of that in the new year. Thank you for keeping Urban Grind alive.

And thank you to my friends who continue to visit me even if I never get the chance to visit them. Love you all.

Again, everyone have a happy and safe holiday period, and as we head into 09, which is likely to be a tough year for many, let us all remember that there is more to life than money. There is each other and the environment and both are going to need our attention.

Posted in customers, environment, family, friends, local community, urban grind | No Comments »

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