A few years ago, I met a fellow author at a book-signing event at Chapters here in London. We had both been guests on a Rogers TV show called The Book Nook. Joe Ornato wrote Neurotic Money: The World of Debt & How It Has Hijacked Your Brain.
It’s a short, powerful read about how the big banks have manipulated us into normalizing deep debt and how they want to keep us in a state of indebtedness. Joe had a big corporate job but didn’t like the way it affected his family life so he gave it up, moved to the country and started painting houses for work. He had more time with his wife and children, no debt and a slower lifestyle that he craved.
I guess we had swapped emails back then, because one day I received an announcement from a company called O-Joe Coffee and was delighted to read that Joe had started a full-fledged coffee roasting business. He’s open by appointment or for a few hours on Saturday mornings, so I made a mental note to drive out to Mt. Brydges and visit him. We finally did it a couple of weeks ago.
Joe has found his passion. He has studied the science of coffee, owns a large, professional-grade roaster and developed several of his own blends. He caters, he bakes delicious sourdough bread from scratch and is completely immersed in the art of making great coffee. Loving coffee as we do, we were happy to sample some of his wares and buy some to take home.
A new coffee shop, 10eighteen Cafe is opening on Dundas St. East in London in the coming weeks and it will be the first to exclusively pour O-Joe Coffee. Owner Chris is a carpenter by trade, so we’re excited to see how he’s decorated the space with his own wood-working. O-Joe is proof that when you do what you love, the money will follow. And for Joe, it’s really not about money; it’s about family and living his values. I’m grateful that we’ve had a chance to reconnect and to follow him as he follows his dream. He makes a damn good cup of coffee too.