We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashlee Freese and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashlee, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Warm & Golden Coffee aspires to make an impact through inclusion, community, and diversity. Customers aren’t just getting a cup of coffee, they are getting an experience. Many memories are created from small gestures, and we value the importance of knowing who our customers are and grounding ourselves in their stories and culture all because of our love for coffee.

What should our readers know about your business?
Coffee has always been my ultimate goal, but to get here I visited a lot of other stops along the way, and with each stop I learned a valuable lesson that has become a part of my business model today. I strive to do impactful work, be sustainable and create an inclusive, diverse space for all coffee lovers. I got to where I’m at today with a lot of love and support from close family and friends, lots of elbow grease, a fine attention to detail and continuously overcoming challenges. From building a mobile cart so I can provide coffee where it isn’t usually available to picking a coffee brand that I believe in to serve. Warm & Golden is an emotionally-connected business that will always prioritize revenue in relationships over revenue in cash.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When a friend visits me I like to take them to the Fairpark grounds when the fair isn’t happening. The park has multiple hidden gems that make it uniquely special and peaceful while in the city. I won’t spoil all the gems, you’ll just have to go there and find out yourself.

Sundays I like to take friends to the Dallas Buddhist temple where they have a market from the local church members. They make and sell Thai, Lao, and Cambodian dishes that all benefit the church community. It’s the best place to get homemade asian food while in Dallas. While you are there you can enjoy the garden and relax outside in nature.

Outside of Dallas, I always take friends to Richardson, Tx where there is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant called Bistro B. They have so many food options to choose from along with the Hong Kong market being right next door.

Lastly, I love taking friends to Gen Korean BBQ and 86 Degrees Bakery in Carrollton.
There is a whole strip of shops to enjoy and a perfect place to take friends.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We would like to give a Shoutout to The Human Impact. They are a non profit organization that focuses on befriending the unhoused community in Dallas, TX. The Human Impact has helped me learn to have compassion and grace because I see how human-driven they are with others and I realize I want this embodied in my business, not only for my customers but my employees as well. The Human Impact has been active in supporting my small business from the beginning by providing a lot of love and support in my journey. They have taught me that conversations can make the biggest difference in someones life and have allowed Warm & Golden to be a part of their mission and provide a space for their unhoused friends to come together over a cup of coffee.

Website: www.warmandgolden.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warmandgoldencoffee/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warmandgolden

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