Conversations with the Inspiring Anne Pasquale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Pasquale.

Anne, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Approximately 10 years ago, I read a pretty impactful article talking about “Creating Your Day”. The article instructed one to sit down and write word for word, the absolute perfect day – beginning with how you wake up, where you wake up, what you eat for breakfast… including everything: the sound, the lighting, who you were doing these things with, etc. The pages you write will take you through the whole day from how you earn a living, what car you drive to get around, including your surroundings, feelings, smells and how you would enjoy your time to yourself, sports, activities all the way until bedtime- even the feel of the sheets. The exercise was to encourage you to build your day, piece by piece, from the pages you’ve written.

One of my “must-haves” was to be my own boss and to be surrounded by art. As I wrote everything down, I noticed a shift, of course, and this is when everything changed. The mantra of creating your day was super important to me from that moment on.

Fast forward ten years to April 2018… I quit my job as a Concierge at the Ritz Carlton, pooled some resources and took the giant leap into opening a coffee shop in my community. No coffee shops were nearby and definitely none with art, street art specifically, were within 7 miles.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely have hit a few speed bumps along the way with the opening of DJ’s + Dahlias Cafe. Nothing too overwhelming, thankfully, due to A LOT of planning. The main advice I will give too young women is to, as Danielle LaPorte writes, “dream-like an eagle and plan like a mouse”… planning is the number one thing to do. Secondly, I would urge those wanting to get into the café business is to stay adaptable. When the café first opened, the menu changed, as well as some concepts.

My plan was to not only serve delicious coffee drinks but to also make available a stem bar featuring gorgeous, hard to find florals- sold by the stem. Very unusual for a smaller community like Gypsum, Colorado. The first week open and I made sure to have everything in place, including a giant amount of flowers for the stem bar. Early the next morning, I came in to see every last flower wilted… so bummed! I did not take into account that I would need a special cooler and that the refrigeration in the back kitchen would create a virtual hothouse. So, to adapt, no flowers displayed and no stem bar. To still promote my love for fresh flowers, we do however host floral arranging workshops several times a year. The workshops are a fun way for a group of ladies to get together with a little Saketini cocktail to learn the art of building the most beautiful centerpiece while enjoying laughs and a bit of relaxation.

What should we know about DJ’s + Dahlias Cafe? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our brand values speak volumes! They are as follows:
Work hard and have fun…Create memories… delicious menu made from scratch… culture of community in collaboration with art and music… all humans are treated equally and with respect.

In the year and a half that we’ve been open, DJs and Dahlias Cafe has morphed into something that I believe the local community has craved. We are a little bit of everything! We are a co-working space for entrepreneurs, we are a place to learn about local craft beer and regional wine tastings, savor delicious, handcrafted food, a place to relax with a glass of wine and catch up with your bestie. We also cater, we host artist receptions, workshops, speaker series’ and, live art shows. Our small retail space featuring gourmet food and curated luxury gift boxes is also a huge hit.

Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Stay true to yourself, do what you are passionate about and what keeps you lit up! Personally, I love to create memories where even stopping in for a quick cappuccino can change your whole day for the better!

Contact Info:

• Address: 150 Cooley Mesa #F
  Gypsum, CO 81637
• Website: www.djsdahlias.com
• Phone: 970-390-0234
• Email: djsanddahlias@gmail.com
• Instagram: DJ’s.dahlias
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/djsanddahlias

Image Credit:
Sean Boggs

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