Coffee with Calle: One More Ordinary Coffee

Coffee with Calle is a little different today.

I woke up this morning thinking… I could really use a coffee with my dad.

Not for some big, profound conversation. I just want to tell him what I’m working on. Bounce around a few ideas. Hear what he thinks.

My dad just got me. He understood my brain, my work, and what I was trying to build. I miss that more than I can explain..My dad’s heart gave out. There was no knowing which coffee, or conversation would be our last. I believe I’ll have coffee with him again someday, just in a different place.

But losing him taught me something about being here:

We put off a lot of living because we assume there will be time.

And grief can quietly make your world smaller.

Staying home becomes easier.

Saying no becomes easier.

I wasn’t suicidal. I was grieving. And truthfully, I still am.

Grief just changes shape over time. Thankfully, I have people who kept checking in. They called. They invited me. They kept me connected. And that mattered more than they probably knew.

So, with September bringing conversations about mental health and suicide prevention, this is what’s on my mind:

Check on your people. Not because you think something is wrong.

Because they’re your people.

Make the call.

Send the text.

Have the coffee.

Stop assuming there will always be another chance.

Because I’d give just about anything for one more ordinary cup of coffee with my dad. And if someone came to mind while reading this…

Maybe today is a good day to call them.💙

Coffee with Calle: The Rollercoaster

I may be holding a pumpkin, but let's get one thing straight:

I am NOT a pumpkin spice kinda girl. 😂

Now that we've cleared that up...

Thanksgiving has me thinking about gratitude. Three years ago, I sat down with my parents and told them I was thinking about taking Hurricane Marketing full-time.

They didn't hesitate.

They were behind me.

My dad told me it was going to be a rollercoaster. There would be ups and downs, and I needed to trust that the right clients would come my way.

I wish I could say I never doubted him. But of course I did.

There have been days when everything seemed to be falling into place. And there have definitely been days when I've thought,

“What am I doing?” 😂

But looking back now, what I feel most is gratitude. I'm grateful for the clients who have trusted me with their businesses. I'm grateful for every recommendation, every introduction, every message and every, “Hey, I gave someone your name.” I'm grateful for the projects that challenged me, the ones that surprised me, and even the ones that taught me what I don't want to do. And I'm incredibly grateful that when I told my parents I wanted to take a chance on myself, they believed in me.

Dad was right. It is a rollercoaster. There have been ups, downs, unexpected turns and a few moments where I've wondered if I was completely nuts. 😂

But somehow, along the way, the right people really have found their way to me. And I wouldn't trade what I do for anything.

So this Thanksgiving, I'm feeling pretty darn grateful.

For the work.

For the people.

For the lessons.

For the opportunity to build something that's mine.

And for the people who believed in me before I was entirely sure I believed in myself.

That's my kind of Thanksgiving. 💜

What are you grateful for right now?