In another life, I was your friendly neighborhood barista who remembered your coffee order before you could order. For about a decade, I crafted experiences in specialty coffee-- working my way from behind the espresso bar to an executive leadership position in a small roasting company. Who knew that perfectly timing a shot of espresso would prepare me for timing user interactions?

Without realizing, the years I was creating experiences with coffee, it wasn't just about the beans-- I was manifesting a career in UX/UI design. Both these roles are about understanding human needs and crafting meaningful experiences. Instead of measuring coffee, now I'm measuring user engagement (though I can still pour a rosetta when I need to!).

Every day in coffee was a crash course in empathy, problem-solving, and adapting to user needs – little did I know that I was learning the soft skills needed for my foray into human centered design. Leading teams taught me to juggle multiple priorities and navigate complex needs, while running a small business showed me how to balance user satisfaction with business requirements--turns out keeping both customers and stakeholders happy requires similar skills!

What really drew me to UX/UI design was discovering how the field celebrates diverse perspectives and non-traditional backgrounds. My years of reading people and creating solutions under pressure now fuel my design thinking and problem-solving. It turns out that anticipating whether someone needs their coffee extra hot is not so different from anticipating user behaviors!

I'm currently seeking opportunities at smaller companies (50-100 people) where I can make meaningful contributions while continuing to grow. My ideal environment emphasizes mentorship from senior designers and maintains healthy work-life boundaries – because like a well-pulled shot of espresso, the best design work happens when everything is in balance.

My background has taught me that early career flexibility often leads to discovering unexpected passions. I'm particularly excited about roles where I can blend my service industry insights with design principles to create more intuitive, accessible, and human-centered digital experiences.

After all, good design, like good coffee, should be exciting and delicious.