The First Hire
Two weeks into running Common Grounds, I realized I couldn’t keep doing everything myself. My back ached from hauling coffee beans, and I’d nearly fallen asleep standing up twice.
I put a ‘Help Wanted’ sign in the window and scheduled interviews between the morning and lunch rushes.
Most applicants were college kids looking for quick cash, until Diane walked in. At 42, she carried herself with the careful dignity of someone who’d been knocked down but refused to stay there.
‘I was an executive assistant at Meridian Corp for eight years,’ she explained, smoothing her slightly outdated blazer. ‘Then I had my daughter. When I came back from maternity leave, they suddenly had concerns about my performance.
‘ Her bitter smile told me everything.
‘They said I wasn’t projecting the right image anymore.’ I felt a jolt of recognition – that corporate-speak for ‘you don’t fit our youth-obsessed culture.
‘ As she described her struggle to find work as a single mom with a ‘gap’ in her resume, I saw myself sitting across from those dismissive hiring managers. When she finished talking, I didn’t even glance at her resume again. ‘When can you start?
‘ I asked. The look of surprise on her face quickly melted into something I recognized all too well – relief.
What I didn’t realize then was that Diane would bring much more than an extra pair of hands to Common Grounds; she’d bring an idea that would transform everything.