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

Hi Sheila, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve had a strong desire to build something for several years. I’ve been an employee and I know what that feels like. I felt the lack of drive and motivation. Being an employee allowed me to hide and stay comfortable. I’ve also been an entrepreneur by way of direct sales and network marketing. Those roles not only pushed me way outside my comfort zone, they showed me what’s possible and and what I’m capable of.

It was during a season of life when I thought I was done “pursuing”, that I would find myself thinking of a way to build something from the ground up. I didn’t want to plug into another system (systems are good, I just felt strongly about building). I started thinking about it all the time. Every where I looked I would get inspired and the ideas would flow. I knew what industry I wanted to be in, but I just didn’t know how.

I fell in love with the coffee industry after a brief run with a company that taught me so much about coffee, the market for coffee, sales and personal development. Being a coffee consumer myself, I knew it I’d have a least 1 customer – me! I knew I wanted in, but I didn’t want to open a brick and mortar business. I thought about coffee trucks, but realized that living in Texas I’d be limited in all that I could do just simply because of the weather extremes we can face throughout the year. I kept searching for the vehicle that made the most sense.

Then, one day the idea presented itself loud and clear. I was at an event where the hosts had provided a coffee treat for everyone – a coffee cart! I had never seen anything quite like it and it caught my attention from moment one. I asked the baristas lot of questions about their cart and walked away wanting to research this concept even further. They brought the cafe experience to us in an all in one cart! It was exactly what I didn’t know I was searching for.

Timing could not have been worse though, as my mom had been in the hospital for several months and I had taken on the responsibility to be there for her everyday. I was her advocate and caregiver. My focus and energy during that season was to care for her However, through the course of conversation one day I mentioned the idea to my mom and she LOVED it. She lit up with so much excitement about the concept and wanted me to get started right away. She went on and on telling me how this would be THE thing that I was meant to do. Honestly, I was a little taken back by how excited she was and I had to remind her that timing was not right and once we get her home and she’s able to care for herself, then I would look into building a coffee cart business. She agreed to press the pause button.

Unfortunately, my mom went to be with the Lord a month later and she never got to see this idea come to life. And I almost didn’t take action on the idea, but thanks to my Pop, he encouraged me to move forward with the business in a way to honor her and make her proud. Thankfully, I listened. And I believe if she were still alive today I know she would be proud of what we’ve done.

Fun fact about the cart, we named it The Hummingbird Coffee in honor of my mom. She loved hummingbirds! We opened for business in September 2022, and we’ve been blessed to have clients come to us, many of whom request to have us back regularly.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
If you looked at my resume, you’d wonder how I ended up here. I never finished college and spent 12 years working in the restaurant industry. I was a server, bartender, trainer, banquet captain, and manager. I was fully convinced that because I didn’t graduate from college that I was limited to that industry. It wasn’t until I was laid off from my first corporate job that I began to reach for more. I landed an entry level job at a point-of-sale technology company and was able to work my way up to better positions during my tie there. In fact, it was my last role at that company that showed me I had been living beneath my abilities.

I had begun looking for other roles within the company when my supervisor approached me about a job that I thought I was WAY under-qualified for. In fact I reminded him of my resume, to which he replied, “yeah, but we’ve seen what you’re capable of and we can help you in the areas where you might need some help. We think you’d be the prefect person for the job.” I was blown away by what he said and I almost talked myself out of the position. Thankfully, my husband didn’t let me! He encouraged me to step into the role and told me that even though I may not see it yet, others see greatness in me. So I took the role! It was the biggest role I’d ever taken on and I had to learn a lot along the way, but I ended up enjoying that role and was able to excel expectations.

That experience blew the lid off of my limiting beliefs and showed me what’s possible. Since that time, I entered into the world of entrepreneurship and spent several years reading books about personal development, leadership, self discipline, and sales. I needed to learn about ALL of those things! And thankfully I did, because I needed to get past my way of thinking and learn how to think BIGGER!

What I’ve discovered over the years is that while I can work for someone else, and I am great at project management, I am happiest when I am creating and finding ways to serve people. The coffee cart allows me to use my natural gifts and talents to serve people well through a cup of coffee. I get to help make events memorable. That right there is what excites me to get up and do what I do every day.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take them to downtown Grapevine and we’d take a stroll down main street. We would check out all the local shops, do some wine tasting and when we get hungry, we’d have to stop and eat at either Tolberts or Main Street Bistro and Bakery. I love the food, the service and the ambiance at both locations! Then we’d go to The Gaylord to walk through the beautiful atrium. We’d close out the day by taking a drive over to Southlake Towne Square and have dinner at Brio Italian Grille. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

I would spend one day at The Grandscape in The Colony. We’d take a spin on the ferris wheel, and spend a few hours at Andretti Indoor go carts. I love the cars, but I also love arcade games! My favorite being the basketball hoop. I’m pretty good, so I’d challenge them to a game or 2! If it’s in the summer and we’re there on a Friday night, we’d stay for the free concert!

I would also rive them around town and show them places like The Star in Frisco, Legacy Hall at Legacy West, Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, The Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, and weather permitting I’d take them horseback riding along lake Grapevine.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, it’s my faith in God that has made the biggest impact in my success. Beyond that, I’ve had some great mentors along the way, who helped me with my mindset and encouraged me to read personal development books. While I’ve read and always recommend books like Think and Grow Rich, and Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, by Napoleon Hill; Three Feet From Gold, by Sharon Lecher & Greg Reid, my favorite book to date has been The Go-Giver, by Bob Burg & John David Mann.

I’ve also been blessed to be loved, supported and encouraged by my mom, Liza, my Pop, Brian, and my husband, David.

Website: www.thehummingbirdcoffee.com

Instagram: The Hummigbird Coffee Cart

Facebook: The Hummingbird Coffee Cart

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