Melissa Villanueva
Brewpoint Coffee
Elmhurst, IL USA
"Coffee shops have the ability to be a modern-day watering hole, where people come in every single day and you can authentically meet and get to know them."
Career Roadmap
Melissa's work combines: Food, Entrepreneurship, and Working with Others
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Philosophy
Wheaton College
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Founder & CEO:
Bachelor's Degree: Business/Commerce, General
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I worked as a Starbucks barista in high school and loved it because of the authentic experiences I’d have with customers.
2.
I majored in philosophy in college but wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with that degree.
3.
In order to help pay off my student loans, I took a door-to-door sales job selling books—I ended up being unusually good at it and was even ranked as the number four salesperson in the country!
4.
The skills and recognition I gained in that sales job led to business offers after I graduated college—I took a corporate job as a director of recruitment and team development for a financial firm.
5.
Eventually I met my husband, who encouraged me to quit my corporate job and become more of a dreamer.
6.
After going on a self-discovery trip to the Philippines, I told my husband that I wanted to open a coffee shop one day.
7.
While looking for an espresso machine on Craigslist, I found a coffee shop for sale and bought it within one month.
8.
Since buying that first location, we have grown to three coffee shops, an event space, and a coffee roastery!
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
Maybe I'm just an 'entitled millennial' and I should just accept and be happy with my career.
How I responded:
I found success in my college job and was able to transition into a corporate job after graduating. I checked off the boxes of "success" that are set up by society (go to college, graduate, get a job, etc.), but I didn't feel fulfilled. I started thinking maybe I was an "entitled millennial" and that I shouldn't need the connection I felt I was missing. When I bought my coffee shop and started running my business, I realized I was wrong to think that. Fulfillment is important and it is possible!