Hello all and welcome to the 2023 Coffee Talks recap!
To start, what are Coffee Talks? Coffee Talks are a casual get-together at revolving coffee shops around the valley. Each Coffee Talk has a different topic to be the point of the discussion and is intended to be an open conversation where all feel welcome to share, listen, be seen, and be heard.
In Coffee Talks, questions and conversation starters are facilitated where needed while allowing each coffee talk to take on its own, organic form. With that being said, the natural flow of conversations can range from very light to very heavy. Both are welcome in this space. These casual, free-flowing conversations are designed to promote comfort while we share the joys and challenges we face as minority people and communities in our lives and in our professions.
Last year, Coffee Talks held a welcoming space for all to come as they are and to share the joys and challenges of life and work with a community that cares and supports. The Coffee Talk space has evolved into a beautiful, special event where we laugh, cry, speak, listen, question, and learn. In 2023, Coffee Talk participation ranged from 6 participants at our smallest and 24 participants at our largest. We had 9 Coffee Talks covering the topics of:
● Women and Non-Binary in Design
● Debunking Myths – The Transition from Student to Professional
● Rest and Invest
● Code Switching
● Three Years Post George Floyd
● Speak On It: LGBTQIA+ In Design
● ¿Soy Hispano? What it means to be Hispanic, Latinx/e, Afro Latinx/e
● Self-Care
● Celebrating Indigenous Heritage
At each one of these Coffee Talk events, notes are taken to reflect on the conversations and to log teachings as a future resource for NOMA members. Members’ stories and quotes are kept anonymous in these notes to maintain confidentiality and welcome in the Coffee Talk space.
Check out some of the highlights for 2023 below:
● It is not always your responsibility to train people on what the appropriate verbiage, behavior, or actions are if you don’t choose to. It’s important to trust that those lessons will be taught to that person(s) someday.
● Representation matters.
○ All voices are important. We need everyone to be in this together.
○ There is strength in appreciating the value that the “otherness” brings to our lives. “There’s strength in our diversity.”
● All we can ask for is other people to be mindful of people different from them. Be willing to listen to someone who doesn’t share your story.
○ “Do not assume my culture based on what it means to you. Think/ask what it means to me.”
● Activism through love and kindness is much more powerful than anger, impatience, resentment, etc.
● Boundaries are essential inside and outside of the workplace. You deserve to give yourself that respect.
○ Give people the space to say no as much as you give them the space to say yes.
● On your deathbed, people are not going to remember how much money you have or how many hours you worked, they’ll remember how you made them feel or what you taught them.
● Belonging starts in the workplace with leadership and incorporating more empathy and compassion in the workforce.
● “What do I believe in? Truth and love.”
○ Before you start anything such as boundaries, mantras, self-care, etc., you need to start with truth. What is the truth for you? It might be different from what you’re taught.
○ Be still! Look at what you stand for. When you get healthy, move forward.
○ If you’re not rooted and established, you’ll blow with the change.
○ A lot of things in your life come in seasons. Seasons don’t last forever.
In 2024, Coffee Talk Facilitators will continue to take notes (with confidentiality and welcome in place) and post a recap with highlights and pictures in the NOMAarizona News section of the website. We had many beautiful moments at the 2023 Coffee Talks and plan to keep Coffee Talks coming in 2024! Keep an eye out on our platforms (the website, Instagram, and LinkedIn) for updates on the Next Coffee Talk. We cannot wait to have the next conversation with you!
Curious about what Coffee Talks are? Coffee Talks are conversations organized by NOMAarizona that take place at revolving coffee shops around Arizona. Here, we come together to share, listen, and learn in a casual setting. This is a place where topics both light and heavy can be discussed welcomingly while learning from different perspectives and joining in community. We encourage all to join in the conversation as we explore many topics and coffee shops with NOMAarizona.
If you have a topic/input/comments you’d like to chat about for Coffee Talks please answer the poll by clicking on this link: Your Coffee Talk Input (google.com)