Meet Rachel Lemen, shift lead at Rock ‘n’ Joe Coffee Bar.
Tell us a little about your business. – I got started in the coffee industry at 18 years old! Rock ‘n’ Joe (www.rocknjoe.com) has actually been the first and only job I’ve ever had. I have been here for two years, and I love it so much! I think what got me interested in the coffee industry is, growing up, my mom and I would always watch Hallmark movies. As cheesy as it sounds, ever since I watched one of the movies that took place at a café, I knew I had always wanted to be a part of that environment. Plus, I’ve learned so many leadership, multi-tasking, and teamwork skills from this job over the years. It’s been amazing to see the growth of this company.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – I love to spend time with my boyfriend Tyler and our three pets. We have two dogs and one cat, and every day with them is an adventure. Family is really important to me, so we always try to make time for each other on our days off.
Who inspires you? – My mom inspires me every day. She’s always been the biggest inspiration in my life. When we moved to Lincoln about five years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and then about a year later she was diagnosed with lung cancer. However, she beat both of them. She is just the strongest woman I know, and our connection has grown so much over the years because of everything we’ve been through together.
What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? – I love public speaking. I love writing motivational speeches, relationship advice speeches, encouragement speeches, and many other types of speeches. I just wish I had an opportunity to share them with people. I don’t know how to get into the world of conferences and TED Talks, but one day my dream is to go on TED Talk and share what I have to say with the world. I want people to know that they are loved, valued, and I want to help people find motivation within themselves to peruse their dreams.
What is your favorite local restaurant? – Greg’s Restaurant on Cotner Blvd. They have phenomenal burgers and I love their fries so much! They also have these wonderful cupcakes. I definitely recommend Greg’s if you have never tried them before, you will be very satisfied.
If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be? – I would want to have dinner with Emma Watson because I feel like I would learn so much, and she has always been someone who I have looked up to in my life.
If you could choose any other profession to be successful in, what would it be? – A motivational speaker. I would love to travel the world to different networking conferences to learn, observe, make connections, and speak at them. Hopefully getting me closer to my dream of being on TED Talk. Maybe that could lead to me starting my own talk show, or podcast, and I can see where life takes me from there. I just have such a passion for sharing joy, motivation, and inspiration into the world! If that could be my career, wow, that would be such a dream!
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – (531) 500-4684; rmlemen123@gmail.com; www.rocknjoe.com.