121: Coffee and Community with Nirvana Soul

Dear White Women

Let’s face it: we are an app-based, “easy button” based, instant gratification kind of society. One click of a button and we get something brought to our house: food, alcohol, flowers - basically anything you can ask for. If it’s not instant, you can get it for free shipping and in two days if you’re an Amazon Prime member. But, as we’ve often asked on this podcast, what is the true cost of your purchases when you’re getting them through these apps, and not through your community and local store owners?

Today we talk to one of those businesses - and the women behind it. Nirvana Soul isn’t only about providing amazing coffee to the people of San Jose, California - it’s about creating community through shared spaces, carefully curated art, and so much more. Be’Anka and Jeronica opened their doors during a pandemic, but in so doing they brought community to their own community - and that’s priceless. Our ask for you after you listen: go find one of these spaces in your own community, go support them (and for real - not in a performative way), and then tell all your friends to do the same. We rise by lifting others, and we need each other right now more than ever.

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What to listen for:

• The journey and process behind opening Nirvana Soul, including the importance of the name
• What the role of coffee shops is in communities (hint: it’s not just about coffee)
• What Jeronica and Be’Anka want to share with White women about Nirvana Soul, and supporting local Black-owned businesses
• The intentionality that they bring into creating community for their staff, and where they see Nirvana Soul going in five and ten years into the future

About Be’Anka and Jeronica:

Jeronica has been in the coffee game for nearly two decades as a barista, manager, and consultant. She knows her sh*t. And Be’Anka is not just a marketer. She’s a methodical, systematic, demand generation marketer who knows a thing or two about successful retail. Their combined experience of coffee and marketing operations is just as much a unique value as their sisterhood itself. Together, they are Nirvana Soul. Using the power of coffee and tea to bring people together.

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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