The Coffee Test Story
Writers Theater 

The atmosphere within the Writers Theatre in Glencoe, Illinois, provided a sophisticated backdrop for an evening dedicated to profound narrative craft. When our founder, Karrie McDermott, took the stage, she brought with her an honest story about how a successful career in the coffee industry began out of necessity and turned into a lifelong passion filled with accolades and accomplishments.

In her narrative, Karrie takes us back to that too-familiar moment, when as a fresh graduate, she was looking for an opportunity to start her career. After many failed attempts, she accepted a job at a company selling coffee equipment, the secret that not even her family and closest friends knew, Karrie did not like coffee. 

"Family gathered to hear the story. Which many said I never knew that was your story"

One day, during a blind company-wide cupping, her secret was revealed. Standing there, stripped of her armor, a sudden wave of clarity hit her. She didn’t want to just get by anymore; she wanted to excel. That exact moment of humiliation became her ultimate catalyst. Karrie decided right then and there to start taking her career seriously. She committed herself to mastering the very thing she thought she disliked with a relentless, infectious energy.

That pivotal shift transformed a job into a lifelong obsession, a dedication that led to a successful career in the coffee industry.

The long-life lesson, passion is not innate, but the relentless pursuit of excellence.