Evan Aldrete: Creating Capacity and Saying No

Evan Aldrete, co-owner of Insomnia Coffee Company and Dapper & Wise Roasters, shares his journey as an entrepreneur and his passion for serving people and the community. He discusses his childhood and how he developed his extroverted nature as a way to cope with difficult circumstances. Evan also talks about the early days of starting his coffee businesses and the lessons he learned, including the importance of caring for every customer and striving for excellence without pursuing perfection. He emphasizes the value of delegation and finding a balance between family, business, and personal interests. I

n this conversation, Nathan and Evan discuss the importance of creating capacity in life and the power of saying no. They also explore the parallels between running a coffee shop and a performing arts company, and the joy of creating safe spaces for people to be themselves. Evan shares his approach to nurturing the spark in others, particularly his children, by reading them every day and creating opportunities for them to express themselves. Overall, the conversation highlights the value of connection, collaboration, and creating meaningful experiences.

Takeaways

• Embrace your imperfections and find beauty in them.
• Strive for excellence without pursuing perfection.
• Care for every customer and go the extra mile to build relationships.
• Delegate tasks and responsibilities to free up time for personal life and family.
• Find a balance between family, business, and personal interests. Creating capacity in life requires delegating and prioritizing what truly serves your goals.
• Saying no is essential to increase your capacity and live life on your own terms.
• Running a coffee shop and a performing arts company have striking similarities in managing and creating environments.
• Creating safe spaces allows people to be themselves and experience connection and joy.
• Nurturing the spark in others involves reading them every day and creating opportunities for them to express themselves.
• Building strong relationships with your children requires prioritizing time, creating open spaces, and believing in the strength of your bond.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
01:37 Childhood and Coping Mechanisms
07:46 Transition into the Coffee Business
13:20 Lessons Learned in the Early Days
18:25 Balancing Perfectionism and Excellence
24:06 Juggling Family, Business, and Personal Interests
27:58 Creating Capacity and Saying No
34:43 Parallels Between Coffee Shop and Performing Arts
38:24 Creating Safe Spaces for Authenticity
43:34 Nurturing the Spark in Others
48:39 Building Strong Relationships with Children