Meet Ja’Sha Graham, shift manager/assistant manager at Rock ‘n’ Joe Coffee Bar.
Tell us a little about your business. – Rock ‘n’ Joe (www.rocknjoe.com) is the one-stop coffee shop! Not only do we offer a huge selection of beans, brews, and lattes, but we also have an amazing variety of craft beers and wine. Guests can come hungry as well. We serve breakfast items all day, along with lunch salads and sandwiches. Our conference room can be rented free of charge, and we organize many live music nights.
How did you get started in the business? – I wanted a more creative and open-minded work environment. Rock ‘n’ Joe allows me to make drinks with crazy flavors and decorate them with latte art—it’s like turning each drink into its own little masterpiece.
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – Getting to the point in my career where other employees look up to me. Being in leadership has given me the opportunity to show people how to be the best they can be at work and in their personal lives. Helping people grow means the world to me.
Tell us a little about your family. – My family consists of me, my mom Sheila, my dad Jack, my two brothers—Delveion and Ja’Qwan—and my sister Na’Taya. My cat Autumn is also in there!
What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? – The moment I realized that there is always something I can do better to improve a tense situation as work. I can’t have an “I did nothing wrong” attitude when working in customer service.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – Spending time with my family and my cat.
What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? – I have a scholarship to New York Film Academy for acting.
Who inspires you? – My mom. She faces new challenges every single day but, in all my 21 years of life, I’ve never seen her give up. She’s the strongest person I know!
If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be? – Happy. I live my life to the fullest and do everything with passion. Even if I’m having a bad day, I put on a smile and push through.
If you had a theme song, what would it be? – “Good Day” by Coi Leray.
If you could have a super power, what would it be? – Teleportation! I’d love to be able to go to the beach whenever I want to.
Which talent would you most like to have? – I’d like to be better at math.
What is your favorite TV show? – New Girl.
What is your favorite local restaurant? – Virginia’s Travelers Cafe.
If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be? – Martin Luther King Jr. I love to learn about people’s life experiences, so it’d be awesome to hear more about the events that took place in his life.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – (531) 500-4684; jashagraham@gmail.com; www.rocknjoe.com; or visit me at the cafe, 5025 Lindberg St.