The Real Reward

The biggest rewards of my life haven’t come from constantly chasing what’s new and exciting, they’ve come from being deeply invested in one thing. The first time I got an all-expenses paid work trip was in 2007 when I flew to Milan for the Host show. This was about five years after I’d gotten my first coffee job and about two years after I’d competed in my first Barista competition.

Being in Milan with my colleagues was a reward for my hard work, but the even bigger reward was being confident and well-versed in my craft. 

Trips come and go, but hard-earned skills serve us for a lifetime. Without putting in the work day after day, year after year, it’s unlikely you’ll get the extraordinary opportunities. If for some reason you do get the extraordinary opportunities without putting in the work, you’re actually missing out.