Fifty Cups of Coffee #24: Gretchen Miner
Date: August 12, 2024
Location: Bar Diane, Portland, Oregon
Okay, I know, I know. This whole project is called 50 Cups of Coffee, so you may be wondering why this chat was over glasses of wine instead. Gretchen and I are both in the food and wine industry, and meeting over wine seemed more appropriate for our chat. Plus, I’ve been wanting to check out Bar Diane forever, so this was a great excuse (it’s simply adorable and perfect; if you are in Portland, you must go!).
Also: it’s my 50 Cups of Coffee project, so I am allowed to break all the assumed rules I want! 😂
How we know each other
Gretchen and I first met many years ago at a Feast Portland event. We’ve since been to several food and wine events together, and have kept in touch over the years.
What Gretchen is doing now
Gretchen is a writer currently living in Portland, Oregon with her husband and their adorable dog.
Three questions
During these Fifty Cups of Coffee chats, I ask each person the same three questions. The reasoning behind each is as follows:
Question 1 – Social media makes it easy for other people to think that they know us, when truthfully, we all only see a small sliver of someone’s life and who they really are. This is the interviewee’s chance to share something that is important to them that, for whatever reason, other people may not know.
Question 2 – We all have fears, no matter who are are or where we are in life. This helps connect us and show we are all more alike than we are different.
Question 3 – I believe the answer to this question helps show each person’s true values, passions, and their why in life.
There are no right or wrong answers to any of these. I’m including each person’s answers in first person. Their answers have been edited from my notes for length and clarity, but these are their words.
What is one thing you wish more people knew about you?
“I wish more people knew that I was working on a memoir about mostly the last decade – my life since I approached 40s and beyond. I only talk to people about it in person.”
What is your deepest fear?
“There are so many. My deepest fear is being locked in a bathroom in a public place. A close second is being trapped in an elevator in a public place.”
If you had unlimited funds, what would you do with your life?
“Definitely easy access to some sort of beautiful scenic lake and mountainous coast, however that presents itself. And the ability to travel everywhere – and still have a dog. I’d also love for everyone to have the ability to live in someone else’s brain for a 45 minute window, to have that sort of understanding and empathy.”
Lessons Learned
I had such a great time reconnecting with Gretchen! Here are the biggest takeaways from our chat:
- Lesson 1 – It’s good to remember that, no matter how much or how little people post online, there is always so much more to what is happening in people’s lives besides just what you see on social media. Gretchen’s working on this amazing memoir, and unless you have seen her in person, you may not have known this. But if you’re reading this, now you do — so be sure to cheer her on in the writing process!
- Lesson 2 – We chatted a lot about matters outside of the three questions, and let me just say that one of my biggest takeaways from our chat is this: there is so much messed up about our healthcare system here in the United States. And it is critical that we, especially women, advocate for ourselves and speak up with our healthcare providers.
- Lesson 3 – Dogs are the best, and I love spending time with others who feel the same love for their dogs as we do for Ace. Seriously, I could talk about dogs with fellow dog lovers and dog owners forever.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with me for the Fifty Cups of Coffee Project, Gretchen!
Learn more about Gretchen
You can follow Gretchen on Instagram: @GretchenMPDX.
Follow 50 Cups of Coffee
Follow 50 Cups of Coffee on Instagram.
Visit my main website: Urban Bliss Life.
Learn more about me at MarlynnSchotland.com.
